Beans & Bezels Beans & Bezels B&B
Disclaimer: this video/review was not sponsored by Zelos or any other entity.
Video
Review
I’m a bit late to the party with this review. I did get this watch a day or two after release, but it took me a while to get around to photographing and creating this review, so my apologies. This is the Crystallized Titanium dial version of the new Helmsman iteration, which you might have already seen on this channel in its titanium case anniversary version that I reviewed sometime last year. This new iteration is a slightly more affordable version in stainless steel, and this particular dial variant is priced at a thoroughly impressive $550 USD. There were also simpler dial offerings at $430 USD, which absolutely blows my mind given the current landscape of prices these days. I’ve been wanting to photograph a crystallized titanium dial for a long time, and took this as an opportunity to get some lens time with one. I’m very glad I did, because this watch is just an exceptional package overall.
Let’s check it out!
Case
I measured the case to be 39.75mm in diameter, 46.25mm from lug tip to lug tip (add an extra 0.5mm if you include the distance across the end links), and 12.35mm in overall thickness, which includes the case-back and slightly protruding sapphire crystal. The case is made entirely of stainless steel and follows the design style of the titanium Helmsman I previously reviewed, featuring two 6.10mm lumed screw-down crowns to operate the movement and inner rotating bezel.
The case design includes plenty of excellent details, and the finishing is remarkable, well above what most Swiss and Japanese luxury brands are offering at five to seven times the price. There is an impressive combination of polished surfaces, like the bezel and case bevels, which transition sharply into brushed surfaces and matte sections, such as the semi-hollowed case flanks. The watch has a lug width of 20mm, which makes strap changes very convenient.
The watch features a boxed sapphire crystal with excellent anti-reflective coating. Flipping it over, you’ll find a solid screw-down case-back with some intricate embossed artwork. The watch is rated for 200m of water resistance, and while the case may look a bit bulky, it does not feel that way in person and is very well balanced overall.
Dial
The overall dial design is identical to the anniversary edition, but the primary reason I purchased this watch to review is because of the dial material. Both the raised inner rotating bezel and the dial base are made of crystallized titanium, a material I’ve been wanting to explore for some time now. Zelos takes this a step further by applying a CNC guilloché pattern to the dial base, which is executed quite well, even if the result leans slightly toward a busy aesthetic due to the combination of the crystalline metal texture and the guilloché pattern.
You have generously lumed applied indices, with numerals at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock, and a well-lumed, partially skeletonized handset design that I find quite attractive. The inner rotating bezel is also generously lumed, and the overall legibility of the dial is excellent. There is a date window at the 3 o’clock position, featuring a white border and a color-matched date wheel.
Overall, the dial is extremely impressive, especially when you consider the price of this watch. At every step of reviewing it, I was left genuinely impressed by what the brand has managed to deliver for $550. It is shocking how expensive other brands have become lately, and it is admirable that Zelos has managed to keep their prices down for as long as they have.
Lume
As with most Zelos watches, almost every element on the dial, along with a few on the case, features luminous material. The inner rotating bezel includes fully lumed markers, using a mix of C3 and BGW9 Super-LumiNova. The hour indices and hands are liberally filled with lume, and uniquely, even the printed minute markers on the dial are lumed. Additionally, the watch includes an uncommon feature: lumed screw-down crowns. The lume on this watch is particularly attractive, given how it reflects off the guilloché dial surface. If you’re a fan of lume, it is unlikely that any Zelos watch will let you down.
Movement
The Helmsman uses the Miyota 9015 automatic movement, and while I used to have some reservations (mainly about the uni-directional rotor and its audible spinning) my perspective has changed with more hands-on experience. After handling a wide range of movements in this price category, including all the options from Miyota, Seiko, Sellita and ETA, I’ve come to prefer the 9015. It may not match the finely regulated accuracy of some Swiss movements or the low replacement cost of Seiko calibers, but in terms of reliability, it’s been excellent. I’ve never had an issue with any Miyota 9 Series movement, and that consistent track record speaks volumes to me. In the Helmsman the accuracy has been within single-digit deviations per day and the movement is a more than reasonable choice at this price point.
On The Wrist
The 39.75mm diameter and 46.25mm lug-to-lug distance result in a wrist presence that is very comfortable on my 6.75″ wrist. The 12.35mm overall thickness wears exactly as you would expect from a watch with these dimensions, although there is some visual breakup on the case sides to prevent it from looking overly slab-sided like a Tudor.
Unlike the anniversary edition, this Helmsman features a beautifully executed bracelet with well-articulated end links and excellent finishing and attention to detail. The end link fitment is solid, and the bracelet tapers from 20mm at the lugs to about 18mm at the clasp. The clasp includes a nifty, externally operated button adjustment system that has been refined since the last iteration to ensure the button does not get pressed accidentally, even though that has never really happened to me with any watch using this clasp style. Sized for my wrist, the watch on bracelet weighs 153g, which feels pretty substantial, especially for someone like me who is typically used to wearing titanium watches.
Wrapping Up
I’ll wrap up this review quickly and easily: there is very little, or actually nothing, to criticize here. The build quality is terrific, the finishing is great, the design is solid, and there’s exciting use of materials, as you would expect from any Zelos. And the price is exceptional. There isn’t a single Seiko or established brand currently making a watch even half as nice as this for the same price. So if you like how this watch looks, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Your $550 USD will be very well spent.
