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It’s really hard to argue against a good deal. When you find something that is nicely designed and well-made, then you find out it’s also very affordable, it becomes sort of irresistible. Sure, the degree of which is it “affordable” can vary and is subjective, but when something is say, under $300, it’s pretty universal (as far as watches go). Watches that qualify under this set of requirements don’t come around all too often, and when they do, they tend to achieve cult status. I’m thinking watches like the Maratac Pilot/mid-Pilot and Seiko 5 SNK’s. Well, today we’re going to be taking a look at watch that I think very much falls into this category and certainly left me impressed, the Helm Vanuatu.
To start, this isn’t a brand new watch or brand. The Vanuatu is actually in its second iteration after the first totally sold out, so people know about this watch/value. So, what is the Vanuatu? Well, it’s a tool dive watch with an aggressive, modern, dare-I-say Sinn-esque design and solid specs. It features a flat sapphire with internal AR, 300m WR tested in accordance with ISO 6425:1996, Seiko NH35 automatic movement, a hefty steel bracelet, a nylon pass-through strap and a very palatable price tag of $275 plus shipping. Yeah, it’s a lot of watch for $275, but that wouldn’t matter if one had to compromise on design and build, which luckily isn’t the case.
