Not terrible on the crown length, but worth noting. Mostly solved by having a band that holds it in place.

The case back is stainless steel as well, simply etched.

The crown, guards and threads are well made and screw down smoothly. Quite nice for a watch this inexpensive.

The dial is glossy, with pad-printed gold-colored text and generously applied lume. Under most lighting, the dial text is nearly invisible, which I like. All business and function. The hands are also brass, with a strong brushed finish that gives excellent visibility.

The movement is the Seiko SII NH35A, sold by subsidiary TMI. The same as the 4R35, running at 21,600 vph and approximately 40 hour power reserve. Handwinding, hacking, automatic, with quickset date. This is the second of these I’ve reviewed, the other was in the Lum-Tec 300M. I’m hugely impressed with the timekeeping of both, this one runs a solid +2-3 seconds per day, both worn and sitting still. I owned a high-end Prospex diver, the SBDX001, with the 8L35 movement, and sadly it kept worse time than either of these NH35s. About the only nit is the lower beat rate, but that’s trivial in my opinion. And on the big positive side, Seiko is renowned for its toughness and durability; a good movement for an adventurous watch.

The lume is as I had hoped. Not as bright as C3 green, but easily visible for at least eight hours, and in a new-to-me yellowish hue.

On the wrist, with NATO strap and black bezel:

The black bezel is quieter than the brass, and with a black strap its a less obvious watch. The strap is easily long enough to go over a wetsuit, drysuit or winter coat.

It’s a nice NATO, with no sharp bits and thick enough to hold the watch. As you see, the wrist side is thick, so that’s why I prefer leather most days when I’m at a desk.

The Isofrane strap – nice that they matched the buckle, but it’s larger than it needs to be and gets snagged on my sleeves.

Dial legibility is excellent, and the metal is finished very well for the price.

I like drilled lugs – very appropriate on a sport watch in my opinion.

I like what they’ve done here. It’s a well-made adventure watch priced to undercut the competition, and the small minuses are dwarfed by the plusses. Choose the colors you like, patinate it or keep it polished, wear it hard and enjoy the wear. It’s great to finally see an affordable brass/bronze diver. armidawatches.com

Necessary Data
>Brand: Armida
>Model: A8 Brass
>Price: $349
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Outdoorsy guy who wants a carefree wearer
>Worst characteristic of watch: Needs a color-matched date wheel something fierce
>Best characteristic of watch: Value