Armand Nicolet JS9-41 Dive Watch

[thesingularity7]

Armand Nicolet is a Swiss watch manufacturer with a history dating back to as early as 1875. They pride themselves as being one of the few Swiss brands that were able to stay afloat during the Quartz crisis, and also with the fact that they were manufacturing advanced complications in the early 1900s. This brand exists in peripherals of the more popular Swiss brands, but this fact makes it even more appealing to me, and is the reason I'm reviewing it today. They continue to produce watches with their on heritage movements, but today I'll be looking at one of their more modern watches, the JS9 in a 41mm case option. This is their take on a dive watch design, with some familiar design cues, but still delivers an interesting and unique experience.

Video review - https://youtu.be/dvCOrJYEhZc

You can find the full length written review here - https://www.beansandbezels.com/revie...9-watch-review

[wesdaniel]

I have this exact watch.... I'm not particularly impressed with it. It does look nicer on a bracelet than on a rubber strap (which is how I have it), but, on the strap, it just feels clunky and not well thought out. I do like the texturing and color of the dial, but that's about it.


I "won" this watch and, honestly, have worn it once - the first day I had it. It's sat in a safe deposit box from that day on.

I do like your videography - here. Good job.

[thesingularity7]

Originally Posted by wesdaniel

I have this exact watch.... I'm not particularly impressed with it. It does look nicer on a bracelet than on a rubber strap (which is how I have it), but, on the strap, it just feels clunky and not well thought out. I do like the texturing and color of the dial, but that's about it.


I "won" this watch and, honestly, have worn it once - the first day I had it. It's sat in a safe deposit box from that day on.

I do like your videography - here. Good job.

It is definitely a chunky watch with sharp edges and flat surfaces, but I found it to be quite well balanced. Unfortunately I didn't get to check it out on the rubber strap, but I put it on a few leather straps and it definitely feels less balanced on leather.

Thanks for watching!

[csfischer20]

How is the finishing on this brand? I have been checking them out. I've seen mixed reviews.

[thesingularity7]

Originally Posted by csfischer20

How is the finishing on this brand? I have been checking them out. I've seen mixed reviews.

The dial finishing is really top notch stuff, and I recommend checking out the video or my written review for some macro footage. The case finishing is very good too, with good even brushing and polishing. At the gray market prices ($800), I can't really fault much with this watch, except that it needs a more functional clasp.

[wesdaniel]

Originally Posted by thesingularity7

The dial finishing is really top notch stuff, and I recommend checking out the video or my written review for some macro footage. The case finishing is very good too, with good even brushing and polishing. At the gray market prices ($800), I can't really fault much with this watch, except that it needs a more functional clasp.

I probably wouldn't say that it's "top notch," but, I'd say that it's on par with watches priced from about $800 - $2,000. It's not at the level of Omega, Rolex, et al.

I do agree on the price point. If you can find one priced from $600 - $900, sure, why not. But, any more than that and I don't recommend it at all.

Funny, I see a watch from this brand on Drop today that they're saying has a MSRP of $7,200 and Drop is selling for >$1,500

[thesingularity7]

Originally Posted by wesdaniel

I probably wouldn't say that it's "top notch," but, I'd say that it's on par with watches priced from about $800 - $2,000. It's not at the level of Omega, Rolex, et al.

I do agree on the price point. If you can find one priced from $600 - $900, sure, why not. But, any more than that and I don't recommend it at all.

Funny, I see a watch from this brand on Drop today that they're saying has a MSRP of $7,200 and Drop is selling for >$1,500

At around $800, I don't believe I've come across a watch that is leaps and bounds better than this in terms of finishing, and I review a lot of sub $1000 watches. So my "top notch" was purely relative to it's price (gray market).

Most sub $1000 watches I've owned and reviewed have had some form of quality control errors on the dial like dust, dirt, scratches etc., while this one was fantastic (as you'll see in my macro footage). The case finishing is harder to analyze, but the brushed surfaces were well executed without rough patches, and the polished bevels were well done with all straight lines.

Yeah, their pricing strategy completely ruins their perceived value. They're using department store discounting strategies, and that will definitely put a lot of people off.

[csfischer20]

Glad to hear this stuff. I saw a review that said the 5k msrp on some of these watches was legitimate for quality. Sound like it's an inflated msrp watch with a down to earth market price that is right on for the fit and finish.