With the 300m diver, Artego Watches has officially joined the nearly endless mass of indie or boutique dive watch manufacturers available to the web-savvy buyer. But the question is, do they stand out?
As many indie brands have enjoyed a vogue spotlight, competition is fierce, yet the 300m Diver has been enjoying a steady stream of positive reviews in the online collector space. Artego was kind enough to send us a review unit so we could take a closer look for ourselves.
Here are the details:
- 316L stainless steel case.
- Miyota 8215 movement (40 hr reserve).
- 45×15.5mm.
- Sapphire Crystal with internal AR.
- 120 click unidirectional bezel.
- Stainless steel bracelet.
- 300m/990ft water resistant.
- Available with PVD coating (not shown).
- Options for black, blue or orange dials.
- Retail price of $350 – $400 USD.
In terms of design, the Artego 300m is all vintage, somehow incorporating a Doxa-like style without sacrificing original design. The Artego 300m is large and heavy, and feels like a tool watch as soon as its on-wrist.
The cushion style case is smooth, well finished, and slightly contoured so it sits comfortably on your wrist. The closed lugs suit the bracelet well, but the Artego 300m Diver looks great on a strap as well. On the bracelet, I can confirm it is heavy, solid, and very tool-diver in stature. The old-school hands and inky black high gloss dial are displayed behind a sapphire crystal with an internal layer of anti-reflective coating.
The screw-down crown is very nice with a confident feel not often see at this price point. The bracelet is very similar to the ones found on the Halios Bluering and Holotype: nicely finished, screwed together, and without rattle. It has a push-button fold over clasp that is made of very thick metal.
The overall construction of the Artego 300m would best be described as solid. The unidirectional dive bezel is light, but very “clicky” and easy to set on a specific point. The hands and markers are painted with luminous paint and function very well; they glow very brightly and can last most of the night from my tests (please see the video). Timekeeping comes by way of the trusty Miyota 8215 seen in many other watches, and this example was running within the normal range at about ±12-15 seconds over 24 hours (it’s actually closer to ±10 seconds when it never leaves your wrist).
The Artego 300m Diver embodies much of what we like about dive watches, and the quality was more than I was expecting given the reasonable entry price of $350. The chunky case, solid crown, and excellent bracelet make this a viable watch for any owner accepting of the size. When you stack this small brand against a large competitor like Seiko, its easy to see the appeal: vintage styling, reliable movement, and a better price point makes the Artego 300m Diver a great choice in a dive watch.
We would like to thank Artego for providing a review sample.
By James Stacey
