The Bernhard H. Mayer Wave Rider

Having celebrated its 150th anniversary a few years ago, Bernhard H. Mayer is a watchmaking brand with numismatic roots in Germany. With the 4th generation of the family at the helm, the company is now headquartered in Biel Switzerland. The brand’s most recent novelty, the Wave Rider is a well-specced, robust diver with a twist. Let’s see how it holds up on the wrist!

The new Bernhard H. Mayer Wave Rider has been shaped as a go-anywhere-do-anything kind of diver but with a twist. Indeed, if it is built as an archetypal dive watch, its matt/polished bezel insert and its grid-patterned dial enhance the watch with a dressy, luxurious yet sporty character.

Crafted from 316L stainless steel, its 42mm case has a clean, effective and straightforward design. Its 120-click unidirectional bezel operates sharply while the fluted edge offers great grip. It is fitted with a matt ceramic insert with raised, polished numerals and markers (with a detailed 15-minute scale), which looks a touch familiar if you know what I mean. The screw-down crown is large enough and fluted, making it easy to use too. The 50 ATM / 500m depth rating will cover all of your scuba diving needs. The sapphire crystal features an anti-reflective coating on both sides to increase the contrast and legibility of the midnight black grid-patterned dial. The luminous hands and faceted, rectangular hour markers allow for easy timekeeping in all conditions.

Turning the watch over, the screw-down case-back is fitted with a sapphire crystal which is quite unusual – but pleasant – for a watch with such a depth rating. The Bernhard H. Mayer Wave Rider is powered by the automatic SW300, the Sellita clone of the tried-and-tested ETA 2892. As such you get a reliable movement with a 4 Hz frequency. Its power reserve has been beefed up to 56 hours (versus 42 hours for the ETA 2892) since the introduction of the new barrel a few years ago. The stop-second mechanism and quickset date allow for practical settings. Last, the movement’s precision is attested by a COSC (the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) chronometer certificate. The decoration is traditional with rhodium-plating, perlage, Geneva stripes, blued screws and an engraved logo lacquered in black.

The Bernhard H. Mayer Wave Rider comes with a 3-link satin-brushed steel bracelet and it is secured to the wrist by a security folding clasp released by a pair of pushers. It is delivered with a spare rubber strap fitted with a pin buckle. The screwdriver that is also included in the box makes it easy to swap these. The operation is simple and the solid hexagonal screws securing the strap provide a reassuring sense of robustness.

On the wrist, the Bernhard H. Mayer Wave Rider feels robust, sporty and elegant at the same time. It makes for a versatile yet competent diver – suited for your aquatic activities or simply for desk diving. It comes with a 5-year warranty and it retails for USD 3,800. This is not cheap but you get a nice package and solid specs overall.

For more details, please visit BernhardHMayer.com.

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