Undone Batman Quantum
[dropcap size=big]C[/dropcap]aped Crusader. The Dark Knight. The Undone Batman Quantum. Part of the 80th Anniversary of Batman, Undone has been licensed by DC to commemorate this special occasion with some very unique watches. The first two in the series were nice, but both pretty similar cushion-shaped cases with chronographs. For the third watch in the series, Undone went a whole other direction with the Quantum. Based loosely on the Undone Aqua series, this all-new titanium diver is large and in charge, and will stand out on your wrist. Are you a massive Batman fan or just want a unique diver and have been looking around but nothing grabbed your attention yet? Well, keep reading to see if this Batman Quantum watch is the one for you.
Undone Batman Quantum Specifications:
- Grade 2 Titanium Case, Bead Blasted
- 43mm Bezel, 47mm across, 50mm with Crown
- 52mm Lug to Lug
- 16.25mm Thick including Sapphire Crystal
- 200 Meters Water Resistant
- 80 Grams in weight.
- Seiko NH35 Automatic Movement
- Rubber Strap and Custom Buckle
- Standard Edition Price: $625
https://www.undone.com/en/watch-detail/batman-quantum#productSpec
As I stated, this Undone Batman Quantum is inspired by the Aqua series, especially in the bezel and relief insert, but that is where the similarities end. The grade 2 titanium case is all new and quite striking, with all its hard angles and edges, but this new case does come at a cost and that cost is size. From left to right, including the crown, you are looking at 50mm. Yes, 50mm. Now, that is not the entire case and it does not wear like a traditional 50mm watch would, but with a lug to lug of 52mm end to end, this is not a dainty watch and one that definitely would not fit under the bat-suit with the 16.25mm of thickness. I stress this because the bezel diameter is 43mm and that can be deceiving if someone looks at the specs page quickly. With all that said, it does wear pretty well on my 7 1/2 inch wrist, and does not feel like a massive watch to me, nor did I find it uncomfortable. The strap is another story though, which we will get too shortly.
If you have not looked at the Undone website yet or this is your first time seeing this Quantum watch, you may be wondering why is this watch black and gray? It is a good question, and the simple answer is that this is the “standard edition” and if you want the all-black DLC version, that is limited to 500 pieces and will cost you an extra $150 as well. I discuss this at length in the video above, but if you think of all black or the famous line from The Dark Knight of “Does it come in black?”, well you’re not alone. For whatever reason, that is what Undone has chosen to do with these models. This titanium case is bead blasted, which means if you scratch it, you can not do anything to buff them out, though, with the design of this case, I doubt even with brushed titanium that would be possible.
In the video, I incorrectly say that the dial mimics a street grid-it is a radar grid, which mimics all of Batman’s tech in the Batwing or Batmobile. The dial is somewhat transparent, and if you look closely, you can see some of the Seiko NH35 movement underneath. Something else that stands out is the date wheel, which in this case is completely visible, with a yellow marker to signify the current date. The yellow being a nod to the yellow belt or logo, especially on the older iterations of Batman. The Batman logo is prominent on the dial but feels a little small to me for a watch such as this. Maybe this was done on purpose to be more subtle, but I still think they could have gone one size up for the logo. Lastly, the dial itself seems to be mostly plastic, and it looks as such. For a watch that sells for $150 short of $1,000 (the DLC Limited One), I expected a little more.
Another area I expected more of the Undone Batman Watch is the lume. As a reviewer, it is my job to pick apart a watch and give you the pros and cons. Depending on the watch, lume is not that big of a deal to me personally, but I know for many poor lume is a deal-breaker. This being a Batman watch and something unique and special, I wanted to see some crazy lume, especially with the logo and the radar sections of the dial. Below I posted a few shots of the Quantum at its brightest and even one with a UV light, but trust me when I say this lume fades quicker than almost any watch I have ever reviewed. Yes, it does not look too bad below, but wait 5 minutes and except for the logo, the lume is almost nonexistent. A real shame.
If you have a large wrist and love Batman, you are going to be disappointed with the strap that comes with this watch. It is short, very short actually, and barely fits my 7 1/2 inch wrist. I have no idea why they decide to make a larger watch like this and stunt it with such a short strap. The rubber strap is nice and good quality natural rubber is used, and the custom buckle is another nice touch, but if you have a wrist much bigger than mine, you will have to purchase a longer rubber strap from either Undone (not sure if they make a longer version) or a third-party rubber strap, which can range from $20 for cheap quality to north of $100 depending on the brand you choose. With this being a niche product that will probably attract a lot of non-watch enthusiasts-you know, people who do not have an entire strap drawer of choices, this is a big issue.
Look, I am a Batman fan, love the movies, and as a child read all the comic books as well. I even love the ridiculously campy 60s television show, although watching that back now at 40 years of age, it does make me cringe a little. I have never been into Batman memorabilia or any comic book memorabilia for that matter, and when it comes to watches, this watch is not for me. Taking away the Batman theme of this Undone Batman Quantum-I do like the new case design, but would love to see a more standard diver dial in it, though I have no idea what deal was made with DC, so this case design could be exclusive to these watches, never to be seen again. That is a bummer for me, but if YOU are a big Batman fantastic, I can see the appeal of this watch. I just wish the dial was a little less plastic-looking, the logo bigger, and the strap much longer. I also feel the price is high for the movement, but I also realize this is not a standard watch, and some compromises probably had to be made to hit a certain price point.
What are your thoughts on the Undone Batman Quantum? I want to hear from you, so leave your comments down below.
