The Stylishly Minimalist and Accessible Fleux FLX004 Diver

The saying “sometimes less is more” carries some weight in the watch world when done right and the new Fleux FLX004 gives us a proper look at minimalism. There’s unique styling that separates it from the ocean of microbrand dive watches in this price range and it features the specs you’d expect from an affordable yet well-thought piece, including a solid depth rating and proven mechanical movement. There are no indices, diving scale or even a seconds track, but it still works as both a diving tool and stylish wrist companion that’ll blend into just about any situation.

The brushed 316L stainless steel case has polished chamfers and comes in at 38mm in diameter and 14mm in height (with crystal), which are nice retro proportions if not a little thick. The lug-to-lug is 47mm. The bidirectional rotating friction bezel with black aluminium insert has no markings save for a round Super-lumiNova C3 mark at 12 o’clock, but it’s enough for casual/light diving and even the occasional deeper dip as the case is rated for 200 metres. The screw-down crown is a bit oversized for easy manipulation and the screwed solid case back has a spiral brushed pattern. The watch comes with a 20mm SEAQUAL Strap made from recycled ocean plastic and a stainless steel buckle. It’s a bit stiff out of the box but should break nicely in over a short period.

The glossy black sector dial really stands out in both style and simplicity and was inspired by navigational instruments of the past. It’s protected by a box-shaped sapphire crystal that adds a full 2mm to the 12mm case. Matte silver minute and broad arrowhead hour hands have Super-LumiNova C3 “Old Radium” inserts and the seconds hand has a lume tip. A matte silver ring surrounds the dial perimeter but is free of a track or markings. It’s all about minimalism, but the large silver hands against a black background provide excellent legibility and there’s plenty of lume with a steady green glow. The minimal dial text matches the Old Radium lume for a gilt effect that adds to the retro vibe.

Powering the Fleux FLX004 is a Seiko NH38A automatic, which is a true no-date movement (over the standard NH35A). It has 24 jewels, beats at 21,600vph (3Hz) and comes with a 41-hour power reserve. Functions include central hours, minutes and hacking seconds. This proven workhorse has an accuracy rating of -20/+40 seconds per day, but is generally well within those parameters in practice.

The Fleux FLX004 retails for USD 499 with a release date of March 26th. That’s quite a bargain for a unique skin diver with 200 metres of water resistance and a proven Japanese (no-date) automatic. This is the fourth skin diver from Fleux Watches and by far the most aesthetically minimal.

For more information and to place an order, please visit FleuxWatches.com.

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