Tuseno Shellback V2
The Tuseno Shellback V2 is currently available for preorder, its second preorder as the first sold out with watches set to ship in July. This second round is scheduled to be delivered at the end of the year, but I got my hands on a pre-production piece for this review. I never reviewed the original Shellback, the V1 as it’s now referred to, and while there are a few differences, this is a more refined version of the original. A slightly updated dial, a streamlined bezel insert, a newer bracelet with half links, a new quick-adjustable clasp, and possibly the biggest change is the movement, now a Sellita SW200 (standard grade). Pricing for this current preorder is $649, with the retail price set to be $749, so you’ll save $100 and get a free tropic rubber as well. There is also a new dial and bezel option, as well as the standard blue and black.
Specifications:
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Lug-to-lug: 47 mm
- Thickness: 11,9 mm (sapphire excl.)
- Lug Width: 20mm
- Weight: 162 Grams
- Movement: Sellita SW-200 (standard)
- Dial: Vertically brushed blue brass dial. Sandwich construction
- Glass: Double domed sapphire crystal (AR coated)
- Bezel: Polished blue ceramic, 120 click unidirectional.
- Crown: Screw-in big crown with molded artwork
- Water resistance: 20 ATM / 200 meters
- Lume: BGW9 Swiss Super-LumiNova
- Bracelet: Flat Link, Adjustable Clasp, Tapers from 20 mm to 18 mm.
Preorder Price $649, Retail Price $749 (USD)
Tuseno Website
I have talked about this a lot, and each year that goes on I expound on it a little more: how many watch brands are on the market, and how hard it is to differentiate your model from another brand. These days between the microbrands, the factory brands, and the Aliexpress brands, there are more watches out to there to purchase, a lot of them copies and homages, and it muddles the water even more. So when looking at a watch like this Tuseno Shellback V2, I do get vibes of other watch brands, but at this point, what watch are you looking at that is 100% completely original? It’s a dive watch after all, how derivative can they get? Still, I think this Shellback did a good job of taking a stainless steel case, a 3-hand dive watch, and making it stand out.
As I said in the intro, this is a pre-production piece, and as usual, it is not perfect, but I can get a good feel for the watch and see what it will be when the finished pieces are delivered to customers. The Tuseno Shellback V2 is a pretty standard size for these days with the case measuring 40x47mm, and its got clean lines, a streamlined and curved case profile, a beautiful polished chamfer that runs up on the top edge of the case, and under the bezel, a large, almost oversized crown, and an easy to grip 120 click unidirectional bezel. Everything you look for in a watch such as this is here. It’s got the ceramic bezel insert, a domed sapphire crystal, and unlike many watches at this price point, especially from a microbrand, a Swiss movement, this time from Sellita, the SW200.
This particular Tuseno Shellback V2 that I have in hand, has a striking blue dial with a vertical brushing to the paint. Now for those who have too many blue dials or just looking for something different, they are also offering a polished black enamel dial and for the V2 there is now a white dial which is the only one that gets a stainless bezel insert as opposed to the ceramic inserts. When I first got this piece in hand, I fell in love with this blue dial, as I love the vertical brushing, is subtle and you can’t see it all the time, but it just adds a uniqueness to the dial that you won’t get with a lot of watches. This blue dial is also a chameleon and while a lot of watches have dials that will look different hues depending on the lighting, this dial is fascinating. It will legit change from a deeper blue to a vibrant, radiant cobalt blue that is just absolutely striking.
The Tuseno Shellback V2 has a sandwich dial, and the outer area of the indices is painted a frosted silver color, which again, is subtle, but adds a nice contrast, and the date cutout is the only square on the dial, to help the date stand out. The dial is also a very clean dial, free of unnecessary text, which is rare, especially when it comes to water resistance and the word “automatic”. I forgot to mention this in the video but wanted to give the kudos here to Tuseno for having the restraint to not just put superfluous words all over the dial. What they did put on the dial is quite a funky hour hand. I still have not been able to pinpoint what it reminds me of, but it is different, but not so different that it makes the watch ugly or turns me off of it.
The bezel insert is fully indexed and is a glossy ceramic, and that is the one reason I keep looking at the white dial version more and more. I really did fall hard for this blue dial, but the white dial has an eggshell texture, and combined with the stainless insert, it just makes the watch a little more subdued I don’t know what it is, but these days I just prefer more matte or satin finishes over glossy or high polished. Some folks are the complete opposite of that, and so it’s nice when there is something for everyone. Back to the bezel, the feel of this one is a little off and it looks to be misaligned but this is pre-production, not a final piece that will be delivered to preorder customers and it has been through a lot of reviews hands as well. I will say, I love the large crown and the feedback and action on the crown are well above average.
The bracelet on the Tuseno Shellback V2 is a solid flat link, with beautifully beveled edges, one-piece screw links for sizing, and unlike a few watches I have reviewed recently female end links, so you won’t have to worry about the bracelet making the length on your wrist longer. This refined bracelet now has half links and the ever-popular toolless quick adjustment clasp, where you can push a button and get a little extra link out to help you dial in that perfect fit. It’s the same clasp seen on many brands these days, but it looks good functions well, and keeps a slim profile with the rest of the bracelet.
On my 7 1/2 inch (19.05cm) wrist, the Tuseno Shellback V2 is very comfortable, and even though I do prefer a slightly bigger watch at 41-42mm, I don’t feel this one is small at all and enjoy the proportions on my wrist. The curved case and lugs add to the look and the fit, and the bracelet does have a different look than your standard oyster or 5-link bracelet we see from so many brands these days. I will say though, and again, this is not a finished, ready-for-sale product I have, but the bracelet has kinked on me a few times. The bracelet links can fold up on each other, so there is a lot of articulation, I am not sure why they kinked up, but otherwise, I loved having this piece on the wrist.
Everything lights up on the Shellback, but I did notice the dial indices are not as bright as the hands and bezel and again, I chalk this up to pre-production. Maybe this one just didn’t get that extra layer or two of lume coating, but I have seen real-world photos of some of the others out there that look great with everything glowing at the same intensity, so I guess this is just a one-off issue on the piece I have.
Like I said in the beginning, it has to be hard to design and deliver a watch these days that has mass appeal, but also stands out and looks different, without being too different or funky, and I feel the Tuseno Shellback V2 has checked all of those boxes. To some, a dive watch is a dive watch and all look the same, but to those who know the differences and to those who see a lot of watches regularly, this watch stands out, and it stands out just enough, and I like what Tuseno is doing.
This is easily a watch I would daily, or add to the top of the rotation, and more and more I keep eying that white dial/steel bezel specifically. Pricing of course is very subjective but for a Swedish design, and the SW200 movement, $649 is a really good price. I don’t believe there is a cutoff for this second round of preorders, seems like they will let it run until this batch runs out, which I am sure is only a few hundred pieces. Considering they already sold out of the first preorder earlier in the year, it seems many are in agreement that Tuseno has made something very special and a lot of watch enthusiasts want one on their wrist.
Tuseno
