Archimede Outdoor 41
Manufacturer: Archimede Watches | Price: €1,060 ($1,155 USD, £945 GBP approx)
Today, we have the Archimede Outdoor 41 Antimagnetic Sports Watch. Is it a sports watch, a dress watch, a tool watch? Who gives a sh*t what label or category this watch falls into, it’s bloody nice! Is it perfect? Not quite. Let me explain…
Specifications
- Dimensions: Case Diameter – 40.9mm, Thickness – 10.7mm, Lug to Lug – 46.5mm, Lug Width – 22mm
- Movement: Swiss Sellita SW200 Automatic, 28,800vph (4Hz), Hackable, Self Winding, 38hr Power Reserve
- Case Material: Brushed, Hardened 316L Stainless Steel
- Bracelet: Brushed 316L Stainless Steel, Solid End-Links, Screw-Pins, Milled & Signed Clasp
- Crystal: Flat Sapphire, Multiple Anti-Reflective Coatings (Inner)
- Bezel: Fixed Water Resistance: 20ATM / 200m / 660ft
- Lume: Swiss Super Luminova® C3
- Crown: Signed, Screw Down Caseback: Stainless Steel, Screw Down
- Warranty: 2 Years Where to Buy: Archimede-Watches.com
- Options: Stainless Steel Bracelet, Black Leather Strap (€80 Less Expensive)
Archimede - Made in Germany
German Precision Since 1924
Karl Ickler founded the Ickler family business in 1924, after working as the head of the manufacturing department for a number of foreign companies. Armed with this invaluable cache of experience, he founded his own watchcase factory. In 1947, his two sons rebuilt the company, which had lain dormant during the war. Today the company is managed by Thomas Ickler, a member of the third generation of the family. These days, Ickler manufactures premier quality watches and watchcases, made to the highest quality standards, for a demanding international clientele – all made in Germany. This wide range of manufacturing in Germany is an integral characteristic of Archimede. Only few watch brands can offer such a high in-house added value.
The Brand Archimede
Planning and designing of the Archimede line began at the turn of the new millennium. In 2003, the first models were brought to market. Offering exceptional quality at an affordable price point, it soon became clear that the entry-level Archimede Pilot model would be very successful. With different case sizes, dial variants and the choice between automatic and chronograph movements, the ‘Pilots’ have delighted innumerable customers all around the world. Since then, the Klassik, DeckWatch, SportTaucher and OutDoor family of watches have built up a considerable fan base. If you plan to visit Germany, you are most welcome to visit Archimede in Pforzheim and see their high quality timepieces in-house.
Ickler Watch Cases
Since 1924 Ickler manufactured premium quality watchcases, made to the highest standards. Almost every part of an Ickler watch is developed and manufactured in-house; design, construction, prototyping, parts,production, surface finishing/treatment, laser engraving, assembly and quality control. The watchcases are crafted in-house, from solid blocks of stainless steel, pure titanium or bronze. Their experienced craftsmen use the latest high-tech CNC machinery, guaranteeing ultimate precision. When it comes to polishing the surfaces, assembling parts and complete watches and the thorough quality control, the foundation of the Ickler process lies on careful human touch and intuition.
Case & Crown
The Archimede Outdoor 41 has a water resistance rating of 200m / 20 ATM, thanks to the screw-down caseback & crown. The proportions of the watch, in my opinion, are fantastic for my 7″ wrist. The Outdoor 41 wears brilliantly on wrist and is very comfortable. Additionally, the crown guards are machined as part of the case and don’t come across as some sort of bolt-on afterthought. Also, check that actual crown out in the image above, with its deeply stamped Archimede logo and just as important, it’s sized perfectly and fits between the crown guards flawlessly. The crown is also fitted to the case with absolutely zero wobble when the crown is at its fully extended position. You’ll also notice that the case has no traditional style lugs giving the watch a much more optimal size even for those with a smaller wrist size.
Bracelet
The bracelet that is fitted to the Outdoor 41 is to put it simply, what I look for in a bracelet and wish all bracelets were built and manufactured as solid as this one. It has solid end links, screw pins for resizing and adjusting, a fully milled, signed clasp and loads of micro-adjustment holes to make sure you get the optimum fit. The bracelet itself tapers from 22mm at the watch head down to 20mm and back up to 22mm at the clasp. You can’t see in the image below but the clasp also has nicely done chamfered edges matching the overall smooth style of this brilliant bracelet.
Movement
Dial, Bezel & Lume
As you’ve probably noticed whilst reading this review, I’ve had nothing but praise for the Archimede Outdoor 41. Well, it’s on the dial where things go a little wrong, for me anyway and my taste. Don’t get me wrong, I still like it, but I would make a few small changes if I was in charge of design at Archimede. To put it simply and you’ve probably heard me say this a hundred times, “colour match the date wheel”! I’d also have placed it at the 6 o’clock position. No news there, I’m always banging on about date wheels. More bizarrely though, who thought it was a good idea placing the number 9 on its side? It was the first thing I noticed about the dial when I got the watch in for review. It just looks weird to me, it would have looked so much better the right way up. Fix the number 9 and put a colour matched date at 6 and it’d be perfect!
As you can see in the images, the hour and minute hands are in my opinion, aesthetically spot on! Although they are relatively slim, they are still full of lume! The seconds hand is great too, where Archimede go the extra mile and thermally blued the hand with a nice little chunky lumed end. The text on the dial is simple but very legible and printed very neatly.
Conclusion
Archimede Watches – What can I say… An outstanding watch with excellent build quality. Fantastic job!
Great review. I’m really into this Archimede. You said that its a bit expensive – which similar watches do you have in mind?