These days, I am very selective in what I review, and I try to pick watches that intrigue me. The Makina Azazel is a watch that, from the moment I saw it, I knew I needed to review it. I’m admittedly not one for outlandish designs, and I tend to gravitate towards a simpler watch for everyday wear, but much like the OX Frog 300 I reviewed earlier this year, certain watches just stand out to me, and this is one of them. The Azazel looks like it was carved from a solid chunk of steel, it has a rough looking sandblasted finish, a geometric dial and while it is an artistic piece, it’s not over the top, and it still has many of the things I look for in a watch such as a sapphire crystal, 200 meters of water resistance and a screw down crown. Yes, this is a stylish watch, some may even say a fashion piece, but it’s also one that can be worn daily without worry. It’s equipped with a Sellita automatic movement, and it’s currently priced at $900.
Specifications
40mm Stainless Steel Case
Bead Blasted Finishing
46mm Lug to Lug
12.5mm Thick
22mm Lug Width
109 Grams
Domed Sapphire Crystal
Screw Down Crown
200m Water Resistance
Sellita SW260-1 Automatic Mov’t
Price $900
https://www.makinawatches.com/azazel
Makina means machine, and Azazel apparently means machine, so if we flip it around, this would be a demon machine, or it’s just the machine demon, but regardless of what it translates to, I think this watch is just downright cool. I know, maybe I could use a better descriptor, but that’s what I first said when I saw this watch on Instagram-“damn, that is a cool watch!” I wasn’t overly familar wtih the Makina brand but taking a look on their website, its easy to see they are all about desgin, and they truly have some unique and standout watches, watches that catch the eye, watches that many would think are “haute horology” (or horlogerie), and technically they are, as that translates to high art watchmaking, and that is what Makina is all about, just they have a much lower price point than watches you would normally see in that category.
The design of the Makina Azazel is unique. It has a rugged look, almost industrial, and even futuristic. Yet, it doesn’t look so crazy that people will stop you on the street and go, What are you wearing on your wrist? There is a subtleness to it, yet you know when you pick it up and put it on for the day, you are wearing something special.
Makina is an independent brand from the Philippines. Most would refer to them as a microbrand, I have myself, but whatever the definitions are that we have made up for these labels, I say call yourselves whatever you want. What I do know is that for under $900, the young brand has made a watch that makes an old guy like me, who loves a simple dive watch, a convert. The design is rather distinctive, even though some say they took inspiration from E.C. Anderson watches and Ming. I see where those folks are coming from, but even if they did take inspiration, they made it their own, and the result is an art piece that actually is a great everyday watch, with a few caveats.
On the Makina website, they say in their about section that they are about form over function, and when you are trying to make a standout design, I can understand where function becomes secondary. Now, the case itself, while it is sleek yet blocky at the same time, is actually one of my favorite aspects of this modern-looking timepiece. I love the cutouts in the case sides and lugs, and the rough sandblasted finish not only makes it anti-glare, can also possibly hide small scratches that accumulate over time, though I still think a 1200 HV hard coating would make this case even better.
The 120 click unidirectional bezel has no insert; rather, the simple minute marks are carved into the steel, yet the bezel sits into the case, which is not only a great design but also allows you to get a good purchase on the bezel. What will you be timing with it? I’m not sure, and will be the first to admit, that it’s hard to read, and this is where that form over function comes into play.
The same could be said for the dial. The Makina Azazel is relatively easy to read at a glance, but you won’t really know the exact time due to the lack of individual minute and second markers, as they opted for applied border tracks, which aid in the funky design. The dial isn’t cluttered at all. matter of fact, the only text is the Makina in small type, and the two-prong fork style hands stand out against the galvanized steel stamped dial, but much like the lack of minute marks, the sub-second display lacks any markings as well, so you’re guessing at the exact time. Simply put, if you are anal about time and accuracy, well, this is not the watch for you.
That all said, it’s not like you can’t see the watch before making a purchase, so you would know this beforehand. The watch officially keeps decent time as it’s a Sellita movement, and while you won’t know the exact minute or second, you’ll get pretty close, and while we can argue form over function, I feel they were aiming for both. The Azazel is a an artisct style watch, but its not like you have to look at 3 differnet sections of the watch to tell the time, you can still look at it and know what time it is at a glance, and setting it via the screw down crown is as straightforward as any other watch, though I am disapointed that they left the date wheel on the movement, thus having a phandtom date position on the crown.
You can even tell the time in the dark as the Makina Azazel has a good amount of lume applied to the hands and those dial borders, though I did find it odd that the sub-seconds hand isn’t completely lumed from underneath as it moves around the dial. I’m not sure if this was accidental or intentional, but it is a quirk I was not expecting.
At this time, the Makina Azazel is only availbe in one color, this dark grey dial with a matching grey silicone strap. The strap is notched, so it’s 22mm at the lugs and flares out to 24mm, which is quite large for a watch that is only 40mm, yet I find it works with the design of this watch. On paper, it is not a large watch, yet it definitely wears larger on the wrist.
I’m just not sure why they opted for a silicone strap over natural rubber or FKM. I like the look of the strap and that they give you a lot of close rectangle holes so you can obtain the perfect fit, but at $900, I don’t want a silicone strap. The basic stamped buckle leaves little to be desired as well.
On my 7 1/2 inch (19.05cm) wrist, I love how it looks, and more importantly, how it feels. 40mm I find to be small, but as I stated earlier, this watch wears larger than the specs would suggest, and because of the convex case back, it also molds to your wrist, making for a watch that can be worn comfortably all day.
The Makina Azazel is a watch that I have really become enamored with. Despite a few issues like the phaton date positioning and the silicone strap, the design and the case finishing are what not only caught my eye initially, but continued to pull me in every time I wore it. Unlike a lot of brands that do more of a fashion-forward design, Makina chose to make this watch a true functioning timepiece, with a solid Swiss movement, dive watch water resistance, and a screw down crown. It’s also a watch that I think can work for many different occasions, dressed up or dressed down, as it feels both rugged and elegant at the same time, which is generally an oxymoron. Art meets function on the wrist, and it’s great to see something like this from a smaller brand. And while $900 is not cheap, I do think the Azazel stands as a value due to the design and build quality.
I've been an avid watch lover since the age of 7. Watches are not only my hobby but a passion. My favorite style used to be dive watches, but field or non bezel watches have been growing on me. When I'm not reviewing watches I am either cooking or with family and friends.
