A Lot of Watch From Down Under
Are you a watch guy (or gal)? Do you like solidly built mechanical dive watches? Do you like to get the most bang for your buck when you buy something?
If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, the Erebus Origin is probably for you. If you answered “yes” to all three questions, you might want to go out and buy one right after reading this review. Yes, they are that good, and let me tell you, I’m damn picky when it comes to my timepieces.
The Erebus Origin watch, the inaugural model from the microbrand Erebus, showcases a robust design backed by solid specifications. This watch, created by Jody Musgrove of the popular YouTube channel “Just One More Watch” and Steven Parker, a seasoned watch enthusiast, aims to blend high quality with affordability.
Full Disclosure: I know Jody Musgrove, not in the biblical sense or the sense that we’ve sat in the pub together and knocked back a few pints (although that would be a blast), but in the modern internet sense of having chatted back and forth a few times over email. You’ll never meet a kinder, smarter, more honest man. If you are into affordable watches you really owe it to yourself to check out his YouTube channel. You’ll learn a ton through his watch reviews and be thoroughly entertained in the process. If you like it, subscribe and all of that good stuff.
Jody is a Scotsman living in Australia and plays up the stereotype of the Scottish being extra frugal to the hilt. Lots of features for not a lot of money is his mantra, and the Origin, the first offering from his company, Erebus, delivers on this front.
Design and Build Quality
The Erebus Origin is notable for its sturdy build. It features a 316L stainless steel case and a flat sapphire crystal with six layers of anti-reflective coating on the underside. The textured dial, available in eight colors, adds a unique touch to the watch, and the square hour markers and printed minute track enhance its readability. I find it extremely easy to read at just about any angle and any lighting condition. There is no fanciness or pretense here, just a rock-solid tool watch.
The watch face hits my personal sweet spot at 41mm, and the case is only 12.5 mm thick. Not a top-heavy piece by any means. “Balance” is a word to describe this watch. Everything is well balanced. The compact 47mm lug-to-lug distance marries up well with the 20 mm bracelet. With these dimensions, you barely feel the piece on wrist. The signed crown is guarded and is 6.5mm, plenty big enough to manipulate with bare fingers or even a gloved hand.
Performance and Features
The watch is powered by the reliable Seiko NH35-A movement, which offers a 41-hour power reserve and is known for its robustness. It boasts a water resistance of 200 meters, making it suitable for diving. The Swiss Super-LumiNova BGW9 lume ensures excellent visibility in low-light conditions.
The curved H-link bracelet is in no way, shape, or form a hair nipper, even on my furry wrists. It comes with quick-release springbars, so you can swap it out for a rubber strap or a NATO strap with ease.
Mine is black, and I just love the textured face and the use of red accents on some of the indices, the head of the second hand, and the “20 ATM” text indicating the depth rating.
The 120-click unidirectional bezel is a joy to turn with absolutely no backplay in my example. Did I mention that the bracelet features a milled clasp and on-the-fly micro adjust? Jody and Steven have thought about just about everything in this piece. I would expect nothing less from a couple of watch uber-nerds, and I mean that in the best way possible. No corners are cut here, and I like that.
User Experience
Many users appreciate the overall wearability of the Erebus Origin and the variety of colorways available. In addition to black, the timepiece is offered in blue, white, orange, purple (yes, purple), teal, red, and yellow. You can check those colors out on their website.
Conclusion
For a first attempt, the Erebus Origin presents a quite compelling offering in the micro brand watch market. It combines a solid build, reliable movement, and attractive design at what I’d call an outstanding price point ($299 on a non-metallic strap and $349 on your choice of a curved or flat H-link bracelet). The product is much the same as Jody and Steven, delivering reliable performance and good value for money.
Stay tuned for my take on Erebus’s second offering, the Ascent. It can only be described as a “go anywhere, do anything” (GADA) watch. It’s a real looker.
