Spinnaker Tesei Owner Review : Admirable, unique and exclusive

I was looking for a watch that doesn’t necessarily have the classic steel look – but is still affordable – and also not running on a Miyota or Seiko movement. That’s how I came across the Tesei: it has a bronze case and a Swiss Sellita movement. Here are the specs: 43mm Bronze Case (Marine Grade) 52mm Lug-to-Lug Ceramic Bezel in Red/Blue, unidirectional Sapphire Crystal with AR coating Sellita SW200-1 (26 Jewels, approx. 38h power reserve) 300m Water Resistance + Helium Escape Valve Exhibition Caseback + Leather Strap with Bronze Buckle The price point is around €700, which with a helium escape valve, bronze case and Sellita movement I actually find very fair. Sure, you can probably find something cheaper – but I know Spinnaker’s casebuild quality, and from that perspective this one was simply good to go for me. What made me think a bit at first was the 43mm diameter. So yes, this watch is definitely not small. But for the purposes I want to wear it, it works really well. I won’t be wearing it for “dressy” or fine occasions anyway. And for situations where I do need a more elegant watch, I have other pieces in the box. On the wrist it wears very comfortably – although I have to say, I’m generally not a big fan of leather straps. The strap it comes on is totally fine and looks good with the watch, but I’ll definitely experiment with other options. Being a known “bracelet guy,” this won’t be easy – but I’ll find something! The watch comes with an exhibition caseback. Sure, the movement isn’t decorated apart from the rotor, but that’s completely fine in my eyes and actually suits the watch. The dial is classic diver style with green lume. Personally, I prefer blue lume. For me it’s not really a deciding factor whether I buy a watch or not, but if there was an option, I’d always choose blue. The wavy dial texture is nicely done – fitting for a diver watch, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. The bezel color matches the bronze tone really well, which when new almost looks like rose gold. I even got asked once or twice if it was gold :D Overall, the watch feels very high quality on the wrist and is simply a lot of fun – especially because of the bronze. In short: I’m happy with the Tesei and can definitely recommend it – as long as you’re into bronze and can handle the 43mm size. The specs are spot on and basically exactly what I was looking for. If this watch came in 41mm it would be a 10/10 for me, but even as it is – a fantastic piece in this price range!