Briston is an independent French watch brand founded in 2013 and who embrace their French personality through their sporty-chic tool watch design. The type of lifestyle where you hike across the stunning landscape of Provence to get your fresh bread from the bakery in the morning, then head on down to the Riviera to take a swim off of a luxury yacht. Activities that require a tool watch, yes, but one that is suited to a slower, more relaxed pace. That’s what the Clubmaster Legend Diver Ocean is for.
Measuring 40mm x 40mm, the Clubmaster Legend Diver Ocean features a cushion case design with 200m water resistance. The cushion case gives it a retro flair that in combination with the unidirectional sapphire bezel makes it look like you’re looking through a ship’s porthole out at the waves rolling past. There are two versions of the watch being produced, one in steel and the other in tortoiseshell-style cellulose acetate – a hardwearing material that is often used in luxury accessories such as glasses frames that also need to be as durable as a watch.
I mentioned that the watch looks like staring out at the waves and that’s because the dials use 3D moulded wave textures. The acetate edition features a white display while the steel is in a dark oceanic blue. For timekeeping they have applied numerals coated with Super-LumiNova, paired with baton and arrow-shaped hands that are also lumed for low light legibility. A date window at 3 o’clock provides some extra utility outside the water. A second difference between the two versions of the watch is that the seconds hand is either green or blue and the band on the crown at 3 o’clock is in a matching colour.
Inside, powering the watch, is the Miyota 8315 automatic movement with 60-hour power reserve. That’s a really solid level of power reserve given the price point of the watches. While it doesn’t give you as much leeway as a full 3-day reserve, it does mean that you can put it down on Friday evening and it will still be ticking on Monday morning, which is great for practicality. Both versions of the watch use stainless steel screw-in casebacks to protect the movement.
Completing the sporty-chic attitude of the Briston Clubmaster Legend Diver Ocean, they are presented on FKM rubber straps. Rubber is a natural choice for dive watches because it is impervious to water and easy to clean from the salt and detritus of the sea while also being comfortable. It also uses Briston’s ‘presto’ interchangeable system for easy strap swaps, letting you express your individuality by changing it up.
For pricing, the Clubmaster Legend Diver Ocean in acetate is €850 and in steel is €875 (approx. £740 / £760). For an active but stylish lifestyle, that’s ideal. With the Monaco Grand Prix less than a month away further down the coastline, it’s the perfect time to embrace that sport-chic side of yourself.
Price and Specs:
More details at Briston.
