The Beaucroft Element 39.5 is a Perfect Entry-level Daily Watch

UK-based Beaucroft has launched its latest model, the Element 39.5 sports watch, which joins three prior collections in its portfolio. Unlike the existing watches that have a rather dressy aesthetic, the Element 39.5 takes a more rugged approach with an impressive depth rating and sporty design. It can be worn at the beach or during a dive on the weekend and then be right at home in the boardroom on Monday. And the benefit of Beaucroft being a smaller microbrand is accessible prices with no corners being cut.

The stainless steel case is very wearable at 39.5mm in diameter, hitting a sweet spot as cases have been moving toward smaller dimensions in the past couple of years. At 11.6mm in height, it’s also not cumbersome for a sports watch. Lug-to-lug is 46.5mm. To help prevent scratches, there’s an additional 1200-1300 HV hardness coating on both the case and bracelet. That 20mm bracelet aesthetically fits the watch well and tapers to 16mm at the (no tool) micro-adjusting clasp. If you want to swap it with a rubber or leather strap, it features quick-release levers as well. A quick note – the finish on the buckle will have polished angles that match the links, which are not seen on our early review model.

The three-piece case itself has a nice mix of brushed, polished and bead-blasted finishes, and the case back is solid with a nice yet somewhat generic engraving. An exhibition back would’ve been preferable like other models in Beaucroft’s portfolio, although that would have added some height to the overall profile. A double-domed sapphire crystal with an internal AR coating protects the dial and the screw-down crown is easy to manipulate thanks to its proportions and knurling. Water resistance is rated at an impressive 200 metres, so it’s suitable for recreational diving.

The dials are the highlight with six colours that are eye-catching without being overly bold. There’s Forest Green (our model on hand), a lighter G&T green, Glacial Blue, a darker Ocean Blue, Sunset Orange and a stealthy Obsidian Black. All colours have a sunburst finish except for the black dial with a subtle lustre from black lacquer. There are three distinctive dial layers, going from the base with an applied logo to an elevated chamfered ring at the perimeter to an angled flange with a detailed minute/seconds track. Applied indices with Super-LumiNova BGW9 are attached to the base and extend through cutouts on the second elevated ring. A cool design detail. The hour and minute hands have lume inserts as well, while the lollipop seconds hand has an oval aperture with lume. The dials have clean, time-only layouts for easy, no-fuss legibility. Our Forest Green model is classy and understated.

Powering the Beaucroft Element 39.5 is a Miyota 9039 automatic with 24 jewels, a beat rate of 28,800vph (4Hz) and a power reserve of 42 hours. Nothing spectacular, but it’s a proven workhorse and Beaucroft has regulated it in-house for an accuracy rating of +/- 10 seconds per day (from the standard -10/+30 seconds). This is a relatively new movement introduced in 2018 and is time-only from the factory, so there’s no phantom date setting. Functions are limited to central hours, minutes and hacking seconds.

The Beaucroft Element 39.5 is up for preorder at a special price of GBP 549 / USD 599 / EUR 699 until November 25th. Afterwards, the price moves up to GBP 649 / USD 675 / EUR 799. These are solid prices for a nice sports watch with bracelet (and hardened coating), a well-regulated workhorse automatic and 200 metres of water resistance. Shipping is expected by March/April 2025.

For more information and to place an order, please visit Beaucroft’s website.

Sponsored post: This article is sponsored by Beaucroft Watches. However, it reflects the writer’s opinion and has been written according to MONOCHROME’s editorial policy.