Ithyus Abyssi
The watch world is amazing, more so than ever these days, and just trying to remember all of the brands, past and present is a task I am not admittedly up to. And within the past 10-12 years, there are so, so many microbrands that seemingly pop up out of nowhere as it is much easier to start a brand than ever before. Enter the Ithyus Abyssi, a model from a young microbrand I somehow totally missed. Yes, this is not on Kickstarter or up for preorder, or even just released. No, this watch was released in 2019 believe it or not. Somehow, I completely missed it. Well, I shouldn’t say somehow though, because doing research on this model, I realized the brand has absolutely no social media presence, are not a part of any Facebook groups and while it has been reviewed by a few, it really never gained much traction. That could be because of the initial selling price, which was around $750. Nowadays, almost 3 years later, it is selling for $500. That does make a difference. Let’s explore.
Specifications:
Swiss Sellita SW200-1 Movement
316L Stainless Steel
41.0 mm Width
47.0 mm Lug to Lug
13.0 mm [Includes Crystal]
22.0 mm Lugs
6.5 mm, Screw-Down Crown
Titanium [Bead Blasted] Bezel Insert
120 Click Unidirectional Bezel
Flat Swiss Sapphire [Interior AR]
Diamond-Cut, High Polish Hands
Swiss C3-X1 [Blue and Green]
300 m / 1000 ft Water Resistant
85 g [watch] + 105 g [bracelet] Weight
Ithyus Website: https://ithyuswatches.com/collection/300-m-diver-abyssi/
So yes, this watch was released almost 3 years ago now. It is unbelievable that this watch went way under my radar, as on looks alone, this dive watch is definitely my style; 41mm, clean easy-to-read dial, thin profile, and just that classic looking diver. What’s the story with the brand? I don’t know a whole lot to be honest. It was started by two guys, it released right to the website with no preorder or anything, and of course, is machined in China. But, it is assembled in the USA, Washington State, and the Sellita SW200 movement is regulated there and that’s where the watch is pressure tested as well. The owners are definitely watch enthusiasts from what I can see, and there is a lot of good to be had here, but there are always quite a few missteps in my opinion as well.
The Ithyus Abyssi is an all-stainless steel case and bracelet with a unidirectional 120 click bezel, with a blasted titanium insert. The watch is available in 3 options: a gloss black dial, a gloss blue dial, and this matte blue dial, and all have printed markers. It is intended to be a dive watch with the design of the course and also a screw-down crown and 300m of water resistance, a fully indexed (and lumed) bezel, dual-color lume, and a solid case back. Couple that with the SW200, and you think how did this watch not sell out already? How are there any left? Well, it wasn’t always $500. Matter of fact, it seems the brand keeps dropping the price, and so far we are now at $500. Will it go lower? I am not sure, but even with (spoiler alert) all the bracelet issues, is a great deal at $500.
Yep, there are quite a few bracelet issues, which at the original price I feel has really kept this watch down. But before I get into all of that, let’s talk about the case and dial. The Ithyus Abyssi is one of those weird microbrand watches that remind you of a few more well-known watches without directly ripping any of them off. More and more I keep hearing Damasko, and the more I wore this watch and filmed it and took all the photos, the more I see it. Originally I thought it was just the dial, but the more I looked at the overall design, I could see more Damasko in it, but again, as an inspiration.
You can see elements of that brand and a few others, but it isn’t just a clone of something else. The case is mostly brushed, with some high polished chamfers, the crown guards are prominent and the crown itself is very easy to grip and has a good look, though could use a little smoothing on the edge where the logo is, is just a touch sharp. Drilled Lugs allow for easy removal of the bracelet or a strap and the bezel action is superb. Speaking of bezel, the insert is titanium. Blasted titanium. I love the look, very different from what you see with aluminum, sapphire, or ceramic, and yes, blasted titanium is prone to scratches, but that wouldn’t be something I would really worry about personally. A flat sapphire covers the dial and has a pretty good AR coating.
The dial is matte and when you get up close, has an eggshell texture, and is a good vibrant shade of blue-if you want a darker blue, look at the gloss blue dial instead. The hands when fully illuminated to show off that high polish look mostly proportionate but they are overpowered by those large printed indices at 12. Maybe they could have been a touch longer/wider, but depends on the angle I’m looking at. Then of course we have the name. Not the best brand name, nor model name, which is something else that can hold a watch back. I just personally don’t care for the name, and I don’t think others did as well. Something else I chuckle at these days is the word automatic printed on the dial. I never had a problem with it, but there’s a guy on a Facebook watch group that always seems to bring it up “Why the need to put the word automatic on the dial? Leave it for the case back!” He is right you know, no reason for it to be on the dial. It’s like a car, we don’t put automatic or manual on the front or back of the vehicle-though we do put the word turbo, so I don’t know. Just funny is all.
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