The New Fortis Marinemaster M-44, The Bigger and Bolder Brother

As explained in our first article, Fortis is revamping the Marinemaster collection, a name that has been with the brand since the 1950s. Presented in two sizes, the Fortis Marinemaster M-40 and M-44 are perfectly suited for the adventurous individuals among us. With proper tool watch specifications, and built to withstand a serious beating, the new collection is shaping up to be the next pillar collection for Fortis. Taking a closer look at the bigger Fortis Marinemaster M-44, it quickly becomes apparent it differs from the M-40 in more than sheer size alone.

In a break from the skyward bound Official Cosmonauts and Flieger Collections, the new Fortis Marinemaster collection is geared towards people with an adventurous spirit in general. Whether it’s fishing, hiking, climbing, surfing, or any other outdoor activity you can think of, you definitely want a watch that can take a punch. And judging by the specifications it certainly seems like this Marinemaster M-44 is up to the task.

The Fortis Marinemaster M-44 relies on the same design as its little brother, the Marinemaster M-40. The size of the recycled stainless steel case has been increased from 40mm to 44mm in diameter, giving the M-44 an even more masculine presence. With a brushed finishing and bevelled edges, the case has a proper tool-like appearance. On top is a bidirectional bezel (while the 40mm has a unidirectional bezel) with a lume pip and a 60-minute scale. But there’s more to this crown.

What sets the Marinemaster M-44 apart from the M-40 is the addition of a secondary crown at 10 o’clock. This patent-pending Fortis Lock System crown is used to lock the bezel. Push and turn the crown to unlock, rotate the bezel, and lock it again by turning the crown the other way. Sounds pretty straightforward. Also, note that this larger model is water-resistant to a solid 500m rating, compared to 300m for the 40mm editions.

The dial is finished with an embossed pattern made up of the Fortis-O, which gives it a bit of life. The black dial also has an orange minute track on the outside. The large applied markers are coated with Super-Luminova, as are the sword-shaped hands. The minute hand has been finished in orange as well, contrasting nicely against the black dial. At 3 o’clock a window reveals the black date disc with a fluor orange 13 (the renderings show a white disc instead, which has been changed to black for production, as you can see in the mood images).

Fortis has decided to fit the Marinemaster M-44 with a manufacture movement made with Kenissi (Tudor’s movement maker), just like it has done before with the Fortis Flieger F-43 Triple GMT, for instance. The M-44 uses the WERK 11 movement, with 26 jewels and running at a frequency of 28,800vph. It is a certified COSC Chronometer and provides a healthy 70-hour power reserve. Although it’s hidden from view by the solid caseback, it has a Fortis signed winding rotor.

The Fortis Marinemaster M-44 comes on an Amber Orange rubber strap with an embossed Fortis-O pattern on top. As an alternative, Fortis also offers the M-44 with a stainless steel Block bracelet, similar to the M-40. This has a slide clasp for quick adjustments when worn on the wrist. The Fortis Marinemaster M-44 retails for EUR 4,050 on the rubber strap and EUR 4,400 on the bracelet.

For more information, please visit Fortis-Swiss.com.