Here’s a good old-fashioned mom and pop business from the UK, one that aims to offer vintage inspired diver’s watches that are based on lost and forgotten horological gems from the golden days of watchmaking.
With the solemn promise of offering true exclusivity by producing small series that are limited to just 250 pieces per run and with only 50 of each dial color made, ever. But watches with real modern-day, diving chops such as ceramic bezel inlays and precision-made movements such as those from Seiko, Japan.
They don’t believe in crowd-funding or pre-orders. Instead they’ve put their money where the mouths are and have invested in the infrastructure for a bricks and mortar watch company that intends to be around for many years to come; all the while wanting to offer fair and realistic pricing aka true bang for your buck.
Meet the HELICON Watch Co. hailing from London’s answer to Hollywood, Elstree where some of the most famous feature films were produced: the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies, Superman, Moby Dick, The Dam Busters, The Shining, Ice Cold in Alex, and the Labyrinth.
Launched in 2023 by a pair of industry veterans with more than two decades of experience; a husband and wife team who were involved in conceptualizing and developing for the watch industry -
and through their network of professionals from Germany, Japan and Switzerland; that include designers, historians and manufacturers were able to bring Helicon and their debut Master 62 collection to fruition.
The Helicon Master 62 is the quintessential vintage diver’s watch but don’t be fooled by its pretty face and diminutive form; it’s more than up to the job.
Crafted from high-grade 316L Stainless steel and topped with a domed sapphire crystal and unidirectional diver’s bezel with a lumed ceramic inlay and boasting 200m or 656ft. of water-resistance, the Master 62’s dimensions are right on trend at just 38.5mm in diameter.
But its diving and sporting credentials don’t end there, housed inside its case is a bespoke IP-plated Faraday cage (an inner brass case) there to ensure not only a high degree of magnetic-resistance as well as additional shock-resistance but further protection for the highly accurate, Seiko Japan manufactured automatic movement.
Every watch features a charming, 3D image of a pearl diver on its case-back and is individually numbered out of 50. And to ensure that the Master 62 stays safely secured to your wrist is a 316L Stainless steel link bracelet with a diver’s extension, a fold-over safety clasp, micro-adjustments and a push-button release, signed with the Helicon logo.
I love a good vintage case silhouette just as much as the next dive watch obsessive. They are by no means thin on the ground though; from the very smallest micro-brands to the most hallowed halls of Swiss haute horology, vintage design cues are king.
The Master 62 takes its design cues from a 1960s prototype discovered in the dusty archives of a now forgotten Swiss watchmaker, combining many of its most appealing form-and-function features borrowed from that ‘golden era’ with the best materials, technology and manufacturing techniques available today.
But where the Master 62 and indeed Helicon truly excels is when it comes to their stunning dials. Of the five alluring dial colors currently offered for the Master 62 collection which include;
The Blue Hour, Granite, Iridium, Lichen and Claret, there are two stand outs, The Blue Hour and Helicon’s newest color, Claret.
The blue hour or l'heure bleue as it is known on the continent. You know where people like to measure dive watch depth ratings in meters rather than feet or fathoms (I degrees), is that all too fleeting, ethereal moment of twilight that appears just as the dawn is breaking.
Or when the dusk fades, and the Sun is sat just below the horizon. It was the muse for this particular dial color and I think it has been exquisitely captured creating a real sense of serenity and nostalgia for those halcyon days of summer.
Helicon’s latest colorway, Claret brings that all too rare color pallet to a dive watch. Red is seldom seen adorning a dive watch dial. And only the fabled few have managed to use it to such great effect. There was an Oris diver with a cherry red dial that caused a stir a few years back.
Here we have a combination of application techniques, including a soft brushed sunray finish, in addition to multi-layering of alternating colors, and finally a sumptuous lacquer coating.
This meticulous process creates a dial that will truly captivate with its subtle interplay of light and reflections. Helicon guarantees that the colors will never be repeated once each batch is sold-out.
Meanwhile a roulette date window (one with alternating red and black numerals) can be found at 3 o’clock on the Master 62’s dial. It’s a feature that was found on early Rolex DJs dating back to 1945 and one that you’ll either love or hate. Most seasoned collectors would happily forgo the convenience of a date altogether.
The dial colors are something to behold all of which are hand-finished with applied indices and Swiss C3 SuperLuminova markings and fitted with luminous, polished hands. I don’t think they’ve nailed the dial text though. Just with my own personal preferences in mind.
The dial text could be rethought, perhaps less text itself and slightly different text size, placement etc. etc. But it’s a minor quibble and one that could be easily addressed in future color iterations, models or indeed a special edition.
By the way, where does the name Helicon come from I hear you ask? And what is a helicon when it’s at home? Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. Is it the name of a river that ran through ancient Macedonia? Is it a large brass tuba-like musical instrument? It’s likely none of the above.
Besides horological history has taught us, that when it comes to brand names, it is far more important to know where a name is heading, than from whence it came. And I envisage a bright future for this fledgling English name.
I would however love to see the Helicon brand leaning into their Englishness, their Britishness a tad more, okay a lot more. It’s a small thing but even putting the depth-rating in feet instead of meters would lend even more charm. And perhaps some retro dial font, some vintage script wouldn’t go amiss. And why wouldn’t you put Elstree, London or England on the dial?
For more information on the Helicon Watch Co. and their debut Master 62 collection, please follow the LINK here or the one embedded in the HELICON logo, above.
HELICON MASTER 62 SPEC.
Case: 38.5mm 316L stainless steel. Engraved and individually numbered on back Bezel: 120 click, unidirectional and with ceramic insert and Swiss C3 SuperLuminova Crystal: Domed, scratch-resistant sapphire
Dial: Hand finished in one of five unique colors and with applied indices, Swiss C3 SuperLuminova markings, bespoke 'roulette' date wheel and luminous, polished hands.
Movement: Seiko mechanical automatic. 21 jewels, 41 hours power reserve housed in bespoke IP plated Faraday cage.
Bracelet: Bespoke in 316L stainless steel with dive extension, folder over safety clasp, micro adjustment and push-button release
WR: 200 meters
Warranty: Two years.
Price: £466.67 excluding of VAT
