About Vintage 1956 Marine
If you like vintage-inspired pieces, well there is a brand dedicated to that, and the About Vintage 1956 Marine is their latest piece. About Vintage is a Danish brand, hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark. It is run by two childhood friends who love watches and wanted to create a brand dedicated to the vintage side of things. And why not? Vintage is in, and it has been in, hell I remember five years ago saying how vintage is all the rage, and it still is. This new dive-style watch measures 41mm, so it is more of a modern size, but the design takes elements of watches from the 50s, such as Tudor and Blancpain. A clean stainless steel case, automatic movement, ceramic bezel insert, and 200m of water resistance. Pricing can vary depending on your strap choice, and there are a few color options, but the starting price is $449.
Specifications:
41mm Stainless Steel Case
22mm Lug Width
13.8mm Thick (including crystal)
49mm Lug to Lug
90.5 grams (strap) 175.5 grams (on bracelet)
Miyota 8215 Movement
Domed Sapphire Crystal
Ceramic Bezel Insert
200m Water Resistant
Choice of straps and bracelet.
Country of Manufacture-China
Price as shown-$489 USD
https://aboutvintage.com/products/1956-marine-automatic-steel-blue?variant=47257993380181
The first model I reviewed from About Vintage, the 1926 At Sea, well, to put it kindly, was just not my kind of watch. I thought quite a few things could be improved, and when I saw the promotions for this new model, the About Vintage 1956 Marine, I kind of dismissed it at first. Some may think of this as odd as a reviewer, but if you only knew the time and effort put into these reviews, you would understand why I don’t want to bother with a watch or brand I already reviewed which was somewhat disappointing.
Anyway, of course, because I liked one post I then ended up seeing a few others in my feed and then I decided to take a closer look. And once I did, I was like, this really is a different watch than the previous one, a similar dial, sure, but this piece looks really good. A blockier and more substantial case, a top hat domed crystal, ceramic bezel insert, a new bracelet, and yes, that vintage Tudor-ish look about it, which I will admit, is a big part of what drew me in. I like that look.
And what about that design and the finishing? Well, this diver-style watch has a very clean look about it, with a mostly brushed stainless steel case, and only a hint of high polish with that screw-down crown. With watches such as these, I just prefer that good old satin brushing, I think it helps a watch look newer for longer, hides small scratches, and also hides fingerprints as well. Under the bezel, you will find a different finish though, and that is bead blasted. Yes, the area under the raised bezel is blasted, something maybe no one else will ever see or notice, but it is some nice attention to detail, and when it comes to looks and finishing, this case has a lot to like.
When it comes to the dial of the About Vintage 1956 Marine, this one being a very nice blue color, you will notice in certain pictures that it may look darker or a little lighter, and that is just due to lighting and the fact that this piece has that double domed, top hat style crystal. More on that crystal in a bit, but the dial here is a pretty straightforward, sword style hands, a lollipop second hand, and as it has become the signature for the brand, this is a part sandwich dial, with the 12 and 6 o’clock triangles and the rest of them being applied indices. It is a nice way to have the dial stand out a little and a cool signature feature. The dial could use a little less text, especially with how minimalist the logo is, but I am just someone who prefers a really clean dial, logo and brand and maybe model name text and that’s it.
I talked about this in my last review and these top hat crystals do not work on every watch and are probably better on vintage-style watches like this. Fortunately the About Vintage 1956 Marine is just that, vintage. Or vintage-looking anyway. And that crystal just works so well here, it gives it the look of acrylic but with the scratch resistance of sapphire. Best of both worlds in my opinion.
The bezel insert is ceramic, and well, this is one of the areas that left me disappointed. There is nothing wrong with the build quality of the insert, and the bezel action is superb, as it clicks well and is very easy to grip with that micro coin edge bezel. No, the issue is two-fold. None of the markers or numbers are lumed, not even that triangle, and what is with the fully indexed bezel till 30, but then blank except for a 45? I would have preferred it if this bezel were fully indexed.
Another letdown would be the movement. This watch uses the Miyota 8215, and while this isn’t exactly the 8215 from 20 years ago, it kind of is. I haven’t noticed any stuttering that I associate with this movement normally, and yes, these newer movements do hack but with the 9000 series being such a more robust and let’s face it, better movement, I really don’t like to see these Miyota 8200 series in any watches this day and age.
And the thing covering the movement, the case back? Yes, another area that left me scratching my head. The center section is left blank, in case you want it engraved (About Vintage will engrave it for you), and that’s nice and all, but why the hell is it mirror-polished? This watch was babied as much as it could be for the photos and videography I was doing, and somehow being put on my backdrops and wiping with a clean microfiber cloth, scratched it all up! (You can see this in the video as this picture was taken before it got scratched. The website even shows it to be a circular brushed case back center, but that is not what you get. It’s a shame especially if you were to get it engraved, as it would look awful in no time unless it was always set on a velvet pad handled with gloves, and only worn for a half hour a day.
I know you are probably like, why is this guy getting all riled about a case back, and the simple answer is, because it is wrong, and will make that back look awful. This About Vintage 1956 Marine is also a dive watch, or well, I guess I should say dive style watch because how can it be a true dive watch without that bezel triangle being lumed? And I don’t care what watch it is, I got all up in a rage over the Titoni Seasoper 300 I reviewed with that mirror-polished back as well, though at least that one didn’t scratch when breathed upon.
While the lume is improved from the 1926 At Sea, it’s still not up to the standards of a lot of microbrands, and that bezel not being lumed is just so odd, I mean just look at the picture below. It just doesn’t make sense.
On the upside, you can get this new model with a wide choice of straps. The standard strap the khaki Cordura strap, is a nice enough strap with a good length of 120/80mm that fits well on my 7 1/2 inch (19.05cm) wrist, and you can choose a second strap. Most of the straps will only cost you an extra $10, but if you want the bracelet, that will be $40.
Is the extra $40 worth it? I think so, especially if you are someone who prefers a bracelet on a watch. The bracelet is quite an improvement from their standard bracelet on the 1926, and the use of larger and smaller links is a slightly different take on the oyster-style bracelets. The bracelet is solid, looks good, and has a standard but easy-to-use clasp with a few micro-adjustment holes and quick-release pins to make it easy to swap out with the strap.
I think it is obvious that the two things I would change would be the movement used on the About Vintage 1956 Marine, and adding lume to the bezel. Doesn’t need to be fully lumed, but at least that triangle. Despite my ranting on the case back, the other issues take precedence, and if these things were upgraded in future iterations, this could be a killer option for the vintage Tudor-esque homage pieces, especially if they kept the pricing affordable. It looks great and feels great on the wrist, especially on the new signature bracelet, and I can’t deny I love the look, that is at least until I go into a dimly lit room and see the lack of bezel lume. 😭
