Warm new Bronze Cases for the Baltic Hermétique Tourer

Founded just eight years ago by Etienne Malec, Baltic has gone from strength to strength with its attractive designs. Relying on outsourced movements assembled in France, Baltic sells its watches directly online at genuinely competitive prices. Baltic’s neo-vintage models are particularly successful, including the Hermétique Tourer, a field watch with compact dimensions and a surprising amount of design features that elevate its presence. Initially launched in steel cases, a fresh trilogy of bronze models enlivens the offer.

Field watches were simple, rugged and reliable timepieces created for military purposes. Originally known as ‘trench watches’ and used in both World Wars, these frugal tool watches were designed to tell the time accurately and legibly to help soldiers synchronise their movements. As part of the vintage trend that has overtaken the watch industry, field watches, produced by many brands with or without vintage credentials, are enjoying a revival today.

The compact 37mm case of the Baltic Hermétique Tourer, with a thickness of 10.8mm (8.3mm without the glass), is now made from bronze and sits comfortably on most wrist sizes (photographed on Brice’s 16.5mm wrist). Using a corrosion-resistant copper and aluminium alloy (CuAI8), the bronze case will develop a unique patina over time and, compared to steel, looks warmer and more mature. The 150m water-resistant case is brushed to resist scratches, and the crown is neatly tucked into the caseband to avoid accidental knocks. In contrast, the bronze bezel is polished and frames the pronounced double-domed sapphire crystal with an internal anti-reflective coating.

While the operative word for field watches is simplicity, Baltic’s interpretation of the field watch is packed with thoughtful design details that add to its stylish appeal. Available in three colours – brown, green or blue – the dial has a contemporary gradient, meaning the colour is lighter in the centre and intensifies as it reaches the periphery.

In keeping with the key mandate of field watches, legibility is exalted on the Hermétique Tourer with oversized 3D markers (baton and circular) and Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock made from Super-LumiNova. The pronounced 0.5mm-thick markers extend from the black railway minutes track on the periphery and over the polished bronze ring framing the gradient area of the dial. The railway minutes track and the bronze ring give the dial a sector-style vibe. Completing the luminescence quota, the polished bronze syringe-style hands and the lollipop seconds hand are also treated with Super-LumiNova.

The second mandate of a field watch is precision. Beneath the stainless steel caseback is a 4Hz automatic Miyota 9039 with a 42-hour power reserve and stop seconds for precision time settings. The Hermétique Tourer Bronze come with a tropic-style vulcanised rubber strap matching the dial colour and a bronze buckle.

True to its mission of “fair prices”, the new references retail for EUR 600 (excl. tax) and will be available on the brand’s website on 5 December at 4 PM (Paris time) with deliveries from 9 December 2024, just in time for Christmas. More information at Baltic-Watches.com.