Roebuck Diviso
Manufacturer: Roebuck Watch Co | Price: $600 USD (£460 GBP, €540 EUR approx)
Recently I’ve been more drawn to sports watches rather than my usual genre of divers. I’m pretty sure this is due to the fact that sports watches are generally quite thinner than your average diver. I can’t really remember where I first seen the Roebuck Diviso, although it might have been Brad from The Budding Watch Enthusiast. Either way, I really liked what I seen, so I reached out to Guy at Roebuck Watch Co to see if he would send me a sample over for me to review. Once I paid the friggin’ annoying customs import tax, it arrived a couple of days later. First impressions were great, I’ve have to say!
Specifications
- Dimensions: Case Diameter – 42.1mm, Thickness – 11.9mm, Lug to Lug – 49.7mm, Lug Width – 22mm
- Movement: Miyota 9039 Automatic, 28,800vph (4Hz), Hackable, Self Winding, 42hr Power Reserve
- Case Material: Brushed 316L Stainless Steel with Polished Accents
- Strap: Italian Leather, Calfskin Lining, Signed Buckle, Quick-Release Pins
- Weight: 99g Crystal: Flat Sapphire, Underside AR Coating
- Bezel: Inner Rotating, Carbon Fiber Style Insert
- Water Resistance: 100m / 330ft
- Lume: Swiss Super Luminova® BGW9
- Crown: x2, Signed Caseback: Screw Down
- Warranty: 2 Years Where to Buy: Roebuck Watch Co
- Options: Colour: Black/Silver, Green/Grey, Orange/Blue, White/Black
Roebuck - The Watch Company
I started Roebuck Watch Company in 2015 after an “ah-ha” moment while on a home-visit to New Zealand. During a discussion with friends about what we would really like to do if money was no object—I answered “I would love to design watches”. Four fundamental elements drive my design philosophy; shape, color, texture, and quality. My mission is to craft watches that stand out from the pack. My goal is to create quality watches that look great and will stand the test of time".
Case & Crown
The case of the Diviso has a diameter of 42.1mm. The lug to lug is 49.7mm and the overall thickness, including the sapphire crystal, I measured in at a relatively slim 11.9mm. The entire case, caseback, bezel and dual crowns are all 316L stainless steel. The finish of the watch is brushed with polished accents. The transition between the brushed and polished finishing is fantastic, and to be honest when you actually look at this watch in person and close up, you can actually appreciate the lengths and attention to detail that Roebuck Watch Co have went to obtain this great overall design.
The Diviso has a water resistance rating of 100m, which is perfectly acceptable for a sports watch, thanks to the screw down caseback. The proportions of the watch, are just a smidge too big for this dressy style sports watch. I think a diameter of 40mm with a lug to lug of around 46-47mm would have been spot on for the Diviso, I also think that 40mm would appeal to a much larger customer base. The signed crowns look great and there is very minimal wobble when the crowns are pulled out to their fully extended positions. I do wish though, that the crowns were screw down, as it’s very easy to slightly move the crown at the 2 o’clock position and therefor moving the marker and timer without meaning to. I found that quite annoying really, and found myself adjusting it too often. It’s probably my only real gripe with the Diviso.
Strap
The strap that came fitted to the Roebuck Diviso is of very good quality indeed. It is full Italian leather with a nice calfskin lining and the stitching is really well done. You can really see in the images of how well this strap has been put together. The signed buckle is great too, fully brushed with the Roebuck logo neatly engraved into it. I do wish the strap had been made just slightly smaller though, as I get that daft dangleberry part of the strap hanging out of the end. My pet peev! It is a beautiful strap through, and size aside, I know there’s plenty of people out there with larger wrists that will love it.
Movement
Dial, Bezel & Lume
As you can see in the images, the hour and minute hands are great with their rather slim appearance does suit the whole aesthetic of the watch. The seconds hand is good too, with it’s silver appearance with a red tip up there at the minute track. The lume used on the Diviso is the ever popular Super Luminova® BGW9 and it is applied very well.
Conclusion
This being the first watch from Roebuck Watch Company, I can honestly say that I am quite impressed with the Diviso. There are a couple of small niggles that I’ve pointed out, with the main one being the crown for the inner bezel, it really needs fixed to stop the thing from moving accidentally. Other than that there is nothing majorly wrong that I can see.
At the proposed retail price of $600, I think it is a bit overpriced for what you’re getting. If it came on a great quality bracelet then maybe, but in it’s current form, I would really like to see it just under the $500 price point.
I’m a fan of the brushed & polished finishing on the case, it really gives the watch a very distinctive aesthetic. The choice of movement is also a good one, not just only for using the non-date version 9039, but opting for the smooth sweep 4Hz caliber from Miyota, rather than just the Seiko NH35 that gets put in more than half of microbrands these days.
Roebuck Watch Co – A very nice first watch, but sort the niggles out and you’ll have a belter of a watch on your hands.
