The Sporty-Chic Briston Clubmaster Legend Diver and Clubmaster Legend Small Second

Briston is an independent French brand created in 2012. It was founded by industry veteran, Brice Jaunet, who worked with different brands, including Cartier, Baume & Mercier, Raymond Weil and Zenith. Briston offers accessible, sporty-chic watches with a twist. The brand’s quirky designs rely on a cushion-shaped case with the Clubmaster collection, while another of the signature features has been the incorporation of tortoise-shell acetate into watch cases. Presented this fall, the Clubmaster Legend is the latest evolution of the model. In tune with the times, it is slightly smaller and comes with more pronounced retro-styled accents.

For now, the Clubmaster Legend collection is composed of two main iterations, a rather classic small seconds model and a more robust dive-oriented watch.

The classic Briston Clubmaster Legend Small Second

Starting with the Clubmaster Legend Small Second, this new model is available in a steel-and-acetate combination or in full steel. The 39mm case makes for a compact, versatile design that wears comfortably and feels pleasant on the wrist. Besides the original look and sheen, the unusual use of acetate offers a soft touch while being lightweight. This resin, mostly known for eyewear, is derived from cellulose, so no turtles were harmed here!

The cushion case features soft curves. It is topped by a 12-hour bi-directional bezel to read a second time zone. Underneath the domed sapphire crystal, the dial offers great legibility. Available in white, black or blue, its classic style combines a railroad minutes track and a cross-hair small seconds sub-dial. Its positioning at 6 o’clock was made possible by moving the screw-down crown to 4 o’clock. Last, the hour and minute hands are fitted with Super-LumiNova inserts for legibility in all conditions.

Inside the Clubmaster Legend small second is the Miyota 82S5. Partially visible through the caseback, this automatic movement is known for its robustness and accessibility to independent brands. It features 21 jewels, operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3Hz), and offers a 42-hour power reserve. The hacking seconds allow for precise time setting. Last, its accuracy is usually rated between -20 to +40 seconds per day. 

The steel acetate Briston Clubmaster Legend small second comes on a leather strap with a pin buckle, while the steel versions are offered on a steel bracelet with a folding buckle. As is usually the case for Briston watches, quick-release spring bars allow you to change straps quickly. The price is set at EUR 590 for the acetate/steel versions with a strap and EUR 690 for the steel versions with a steel bracelet.

Quick Facts: 39mm steel or steel and tortoise-shell acetate case – bidirectional rotating insert with sapphire insert – sapphire crystal – 50m water-resistance – Miyota 82S5 automatic movement – 25.9mm x 5.67mm – 21,600vph – 42-hour power reserve – 21 jewels – hours, minutes and small seconds – vintage calfskin leather strap and pin buckle or steel bracelet and folding buckle – from EUR 590

The Sportier Briston Clubmaster Legend Diver 

The Clubmaster Legend Diver comes in a slightly larger case measuring 40mm. There again, it is offered either in Briston’s signature steel-and-acetate combination or in full steel. While it has a bit more of a tool-watch feel, I think it should be perfect for everyday wear. From a functional perspective, the unidirectional rotating bezel features a sapphire insert for timing diving sessions, while its knurled edge offers a good grip. Both the crown and caseback screw down, and the water resistance is rated at 200m. 

The model we had for review has a semi-gloss navy blue dial, but there is also a black dial option. C3 Superluminova is applied on the bezel, dial and hands to improve readability in low-light conditions.

The Briston Clubmaster Legend Diver is also powered by an automatic movement from the Myota 8 series. Here, we have a calibre 8315, which is an upgraded version of the tried-and-tested 8215, with a beefed-up power reserve of 60 hours (versus 42 hours). It displays the central hours, minutes, seconds and the date. The watch comes on a new FKM rubber strap matching the colour of the dial or an H-link steel bracelet, both fitted with quick-release spring bars. The price is set at EUR 850 for the acetate/steel versions with a strap and EUR 950 for the steel versions with a steel bracelet.

Quick Facts: 40mm x 13.4mm steel or steel and tortoise-shell acetate case – unidirectional rotating insert with sapphire insert – sapphire crystal – 200m water-resistance – Miyota 8315 automatic movement – 25.9mm x 5.67mm – 21,600vph – 60-hour power reserve – 21 jewels – hours, minutes, seconds and date – FKM vulcanized rubber strap and pin buckle or steel bracelet and folding buckle – from EUR 850

For more information, please visit www.briston-watches.com.