A selection of watches in Super Compressor style. Spinnaker Phoibos Longines

A selection of watches in the style of Compressor

Hello everyone, you are on the Feeltime channel, Stanislav is with you, and today I made for you a small selection of watches in the style of "Super Compressor"

I will show you 4 models from the microbrands Spinnaker and Phoibos in an affordable price segment, and luxury watches from the Swiss Longines Legend Diver.  

What is a Super Compressor watch?

To begin with, I will explain to you what a Super Compressor watch is. It is generally accepted that these are models in which there are crowns at the bottom and top of the case, with one of which you adjust the internal, bidirectional bezel.  

In fact, this definition is not entirely correct, and the term "Super Compressor" is a special way of sealing the case, developed by the now defunct company Ervin Piquerez SA (EPSA)

In simple terms, the essence of this design is that the more the water pressure rises, the more the watch becomes more airtight.  

The very design of watches, when they have two heads and a bidirectional, internal bezel, EPSA took as a basis for the manufacture of watches of this type.

The fact is that in the 60s of the last century, when the direction of diving watches was rapidly developing, there was a problem of accidental rotation of the bezel under water, on which the life of a diver could depend. A similar design of watches with an internal bezel completely eliminated this problem.

So let me recap. The Super Compressor design is a type of sealing. Such watches do not have to have an internal bezel and 2 crowns. But it so happened that it was this watch design that stuck to the concept of “Super Compressor”  

The first watch from the collection. Spinnaker Bradner

Well, we are starting, and the first item from our selection is a watch from the Spinnaker micro-brand from the Bradner collection.

The watch is made in vintage style and perfectly conveys the spirit of those same 60s diver's watches.  

The case is made of stainless steel, the finish is satin, and there is a mirror polish on the lugs.  

The sapphire crystal, with anti-reflective coating, has a domed shape, and only enhances the vintage component of this watch.

The fact that this model is only a visual display of the “Super Compressor” watch is given by a non-screwing crown, which adjusts the inner bezel.  

Of course, in a real Super Compressor watch, this element must be screwed.  

The bezel itself has a high marking, which gives the dial a pleasant volume and overall creates a more expensive appearance of the watch.  

Clock face

Deep blue dial. The watch marks are laid on and are made in the form of bars. Just like the hands of a clock.  

The Spiannaker logo is also applied. The date is at 3 o'clock on a black background and does not distract attention.  

Detailed minute markings are displayed on a separate die, which rises above the level of the dial.  

The dial looks expensive, voluminous, perfectly readable, plus there is a Swiss Super Luminova on the hands and hour markers, which accumulates energy and glows in the dark.  

Watch sizes

Watch sizes - Diameter - 42 mm, Ear to ear - 50 mm, Thickness - 15 mm, weight - 96 grams.

watch on hand

On my hand 18 cm. They sit perfectly in girth. The ears are well bent, but it should be borne in mind that the height is not small.  

Strap

The strap is made of genuine leather. Its upper part feels like suede, the inner part is made of smooth, dense leather. It says here that the strap is water-repellent.

In general, the quality of the belt is excellent. The only thing is that it's a little thick and takes time to wear. In any case, the fastening here is standard, so you can play with the straps as you like.  

As an option, I will show you the same watch on a black strap.  

Mechanism

A reliable and unpretentious Japanese movement from Seiko is installed on board the watch. Caliber NH35A. This movement has a power reserve of 42 hours, manual winding and a STOP second.  

It's nice that the Spinnaker made at least the pendulum custom, as the basic finish of this mechanism leaves much to be desired.  

Other characteristics

Of the unnamed characteristics, only water protection of 180 meters was not announced. The crown itself is screwed down for better tightness of the case.  

Results

The price of watches in our feeltime online store today is 7000 UAH, taking into account a good discount.

I don’t know how long this discount will last, but even when the watch returns to its previous price, I can safely say that they are beautifully made, have excellent characteristics and the price-quality ratio here is at the highest level.  

And we're moving on.  

Second watch from the collection. Phoibos Eagle Ray Compressor

The following watches from the selection are also from the microbrand. This is the newest version of Phoibos from the Eagle Ray Compressor collection.  

The watch case is made of stainless steel and has the shape of a pillow.  

In terms of finishing, we have a combination of patination and mirror polishing at the joints of the side and top surfaces, on the welt and heads.  

The finish quality of this model is noticeably better than that of the Spinnaker.  

Sapphire glass with triple anti-reflective layer. The only thing is that here the feeling of a dome is rather created not by the glass itself, but by the welt, since the glass itself is almost flat.  

In this model, both heads are already screwed, and the water protection is a little higher here. It is 200 metro.

The crowns and case back of the watch are adorned with deep engravings of the octopus, which is the symbol of the Phoibos brand. It goes without saying that such buns are very pleasant to watch in watches, especially in this price segment.  

Watch sizes

Diameter - 41 mm, ear to ear - 48 mm, thickness - 14.5 mm, weight on a full bracelet - 173 grams.

On my hand they sit like a glove.  

The quality of the bracelet and clasp

The bracelet, like the case, is made of stainless steel. Guess from the first time where the design is borrowed from.  

The quality of the bracelet is excellent, excellent geometry, high-quality processed plus links on the screws.  

The clasp is also 5 plus. Fully molded, comfortable and practical clapperboard just the way I like it.  

Clock face

The dial has a sunburst texture.

In this model, the hour markers are golden and seem to hover above the dial, creating a pleasant volume.  

In this model, the hands and markers are polished and finished in silver.  

The minute markings are located in the "railroad" around the circumference of the central part of the dial, and the date is at the 3 o'clock mark in the applied frame.  

I want to say that the dials of these models look much more expensive than you would expect for the price of the watch.  

And of course, 15 layers of Swiss Super Luminova, which shines in the dark.  

Mechanism

On board this watch is the same workhorse as the Spinnaker Bradner. This is Seiko NH35A. Of course, in microbrands you will not find complex, manufactory mechanisms. The task is to make beautiful, high-quality, reliable and affordable.  

Such a mechanism just falls under these goals.  

Results

The price of this model today is 15600 UAH, which is almost 2 times more expensive than the Spinnaker Bradner. But objectively, these watches are made better.  

The finish is more expensive, the detailing of both watches and dials is better. A fully cast bracelet with a cast clasp is of course more expensive than a strap + the watch has better characteristics.

This is the option when, for quite affordable money, you can get the feeling of an “adult” watch on your hand.  

Collection of luxury watches. Longines Legend Diver

The latest model from our selection will be the new Longines Legend Diver, which is a relaunch of the brand's vintage model from 1959.  

The model is made of stainless steel. The case is almost completely polished.  

Watch design - vintage in its purest form. This is emphasized by the shape of the case, and the domed sapphire crystal with several layers of anti-glare, and the combined beige textile strap on the outside and natural leather on the inside.  

Dimensions

Case diameter - 42 mm, ear to ear - 53 mm, thickness - 12.7 mm, Weight - 87.2 grams

watch on hand

On my hand 18 cm. They sit well in girth, but this is definitely the minimum size for a watch. The ears are long and will look noticeably worse on a smaller hand.  

Clock face

Let's see the dial. The color goes from soft beige in the center to black at the edges. Paired with a strap, this combination further emphasizes the vintage style of the watch.  

The hands are polished, the hour has an unusual shape in the form of an arrow or a spear.  

Date at 3 o'clock on a black backing and drawn in beige in the style of the dial.  

In general, there is absolutely nothing superfluous here. As minimalistic as possible for such a watch, well readable, presentable.  

The back cover of the watch is almost completely mirror polished. There is a nice engraving of a diver with a spear.  

Mechanism

Under the hood is a self-produced L888 movement with a balance frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour and a power reserve of 72 hours.  

diving watch

And of course, this is a diving watch with a water resistance of 300 meters. All buttons are screwed. Although still this model is not a full-fledged Super Compressor. Just a tribute to style.

Results

The price of this model today is 115920 UAH in our Feeltime store and in the network of our Deka partners.  

Purchase links are at the very bottom of this article.

Write in the comments which watch you liked and did you have any experience in owning a watch compressor? And that's all for me, as always, Stanislav was with you. See you again. Bye!