Sometimes, a simple “I love you” is more impactful than a grand series of gestures. Last year, I had the good fortune of reviewing Héron’s newest dive watch and taking it on a couple of dives, during which it performed admirably on a dive site in a working capacity. With their Marinor, Héron (review here) successfully celebrated the dive watches they loved growing up while bringing to market a functional dive instrument that looked fantastic in a business suit and a drysuit.
The three gentlemen based out of Montreal have followed up the initial release of the Marinor with two limited editions that turn the volume knob on vintage up to and past eleven. At first, it would seem like all they have altered from the original releases was a sterile dial and an attractive steel bezel only featuring the pip.
In reality, these two watches highlight where the original design succeeded. When looking at the original Marinor, it was accessible for enthusiasts, and they criticized it simply because it looked too much like Omega’s Seamaster 300 line of dive watches. With most of its elements paired back, we can see the influences from Blancpain, Rolex, and Panerai also at play here. This mood board provided by Héron clearly illustrates their influences and goals with the Marinor and these two limited editions.
Héron Marinor Specs | |
Case Width 39mm | Lug-to-Lug 47mm |
Case Thickness 12.9mm | Lug Width 20mm |
Water Resistance 300m | Strap Bracelet |
Crystal Sapphire | Lume Yes |
Movement Miyota 9039 | Price $590 |
The Ghost models allow for one’s eyes to focus on the minute track, which echoes past Panerai’s that are now mainly attributed to dressier sport watches with its railroad tracks occupying the outer portions of their dials. The stunning Marinor start logo at twelve, which was complimented by many, now truly takes center stage. This star is a beautiful, creative take on the standard triangle at the 12 o’clock position. Even the caseback has been simplified, which has hardened its focus on celebrating vintage dive watches and not on the romance of nautical life when life was much more dangerous now.
Speaking of hardened, the Marinor’s case and bracelet still use the hardening manufacturing process it did earlier, thus allowing it to withstand scratches up to 1200 HV Vickers. This treatment allowed my previous review unit to emerge unscathed from a full dive weekend.
So, what are my thoughts on the two new Ghost editions? From an aesthetic standpoint, I love these two new models. As someone who instantly became a fan of the three gentlemen behind the brand when I reviewed their Gladiateur model, I find this watch speaks to their level of passion the most. From a practical standpoint, I prefer the regular models for their fully featured dive bezels, but ultimately, one of the new Ghost editions would most likely win if I were to buy a Marinor.
More importantly, Héron has shown that once your love for someone, or in this case, a concept, has been proven and established, a simple “I love you” does the trick. The dive watch market is saturated, but companies such as Héron have shown that they deserve your consideration through their design and level of manufacturing. If you are in the market for a dive watch that can pull double duty in the board room and at depth, I’d urge you to pick up one of these Ghost edition watches before they are all gone.
The Seastorm Black and North Blue timepieces retail for $590 USD and will each be available in 50 pieces.
Check out more Héron reviews at The Watch Clicker here
Check out the Héron website here
