It’s hard to believe that Baltic is only 5 years old. The amount of hype and attention they draw is that of a much older and much bigger brand. The MR01 was one of the stand out watches of last year, matching accessibility, elegance and an interesting movement. However, for their 5th anniversary, they’ve returned to the collection that really put them on the map. It’s the Limited Edition Aquascaphe Dual Crown 5th Anniversary.
At a core level, this is a recolour of the existing Aquascaphe dual crown. It has a 39mm diameter case in stainless steel with the titular double crowns on the flank. One of the crowns sets the time while the second rotates the internal bezel, a feature inspired by vintage compressor cases. Stylistically, it’s extremely understated with smooth lines and brushed finishing, which enhances the newly colourful dial.
There are a trio of fresh colours on the watch’s dial, purple, turquoise and orange, each in a cheerful and breezy shade perfect for summer – similar in feeling to the Oris Cotton Candies. Each colour was chosen by one of the brands three original founders, fitting for the 5th anniversary.
The purple can be found on a portion of the internal bezel’s scale while the turquoise is used for the minute hand and hour markers and lastly the orange adds a pop to the top of the seconds hand. To make the colours stand out even more, the watch is available with a choice of two rubber straps in the same shades of purple or turquoise.
Inside is the same movement as the standard Aquascaphe Dual Crown, the Miyota 9039 automatic. It’s a solid calibre with a 42-hour reserve and it does everything you need it to do at this price point. Speaking of which, the price is just €650 (approx. £545), the same as the standard version, and it’s limited to 200 individually numbered pieces. That’s pretty great, but considering that regular Baltics sell out fast, a limited edition is only going to be all the more difficult to get your hands on.
Price & Specs:
- Model: Baltic Aquascaphe Dual Crown 5th Anniversary
- Case/dial: 39mm diameter x 11.9mm height, stainless steel case, glossy black dial, 60 minute scale internal bidirectional bezel with purple indexes between 12 and 4 o’clock, hour markers and minute hand are surrounded in a summery shade of turquoise green, second hand dipped in orange
- Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
- Movement: Miyota 9039 calibre, automatic, 24 jewels
- Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve: 42h
- Functions: Hours, minutes, hacking seconds
- Strap: Two tropic rubber straps in turquoise green and purple
- Price/availability: €650 (price without VAT, approx. £545), limited to 200 pieces
More details at Baltic.
