Watches Appreciation And Resouces: Saving Fish with the Manchester Watch Works “Blobfish”

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Saving Fish with the Manchester Watch Works “Blobfish”

I am fairly confident that many of you – like me – have not given much thought to the homely blobfish. Well, you know who has? Doug Kim over at Manchester Watch Works, that’s who. Why is that? It’s because his son runs a site for raising awareness for endangered critters around the world. As part of those efforts, Kim has released a special edition watch, the MWW P. Marcidus Dive Watch.

Why P. Marcidus? Well, that’s the actual name (Psychrolutes marcidus) of the blobfish. As befitting a fish, the MWW P. Marcidus Dive Watch is, well, a dive watch. We here at WWR have been fans of what MWW has been creating from the start of the brand, and this watch is no exception. You have a no-nonsense dial in blue and white, with a crisp contrast to the numerals and indices, as well as the handset.

All that crisp white on the dial of the MWW P. Marcidus Dive Watch translates, of course, to lume, which any good dive watch should have. Along with that, you’ve got a 120-click uni-directional bezel surrounding a domed crystal (which I tend to be a fan of on dive watches), all tucked into a 40mm case. Pair in a steel bracelet, and this is a rather sharp-looking package. Tucked into that case you have a Seiko NH35 movement keeping things running.

Now, you know with that movement (as well as MWW’s track record) that the MWW P. Marcidus Dive Watch is firmly in the affordable category, and at $ 310, you would be correct. This looks like a lot of watch for the money, and with the included bracelet, you’ll be set for the office as well as the water. Along with your purchase, 6.5% of each watch sold will go to the site mentioned at the outset. Want to further your support of the efforts? Just go to the site, purchase a plush toy, and then send that proof-of-purchase via email to get the toy’s purchase price deducted from what you pay for the watch.

We certainly see watches that are tied to a charity with some frequency. I just do not recall seeing one before with this personal of a connection between the brand and the person raising the awareness. It’s a nice small-scale touch that fits in with the overall way the brand works. And you know what? Even if you’re not a fan of the blobfish, you have to admit the MWW P. Marcidus Dive Watch is a great-looking watch. Just move fast if you’re picking one up – on (99) of them have been built, and they’re all up for sale (not pre-order) right now. manchesterwatchworks.com

Watch Overview

Brand & Model: Manchester Watch Works P. Marcidus Dive Watch
Price: $ 310
Who we think it might be for: You like your divers, and you want one that will work well in every-day situations. Oh, and you’re feeling charitable!
Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? If I had no other blue-dial divers? Sure, this would be on the consideration list.
If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: That crown seems to be sticking out a good bit…
What spoke to me the most about this watch: Blue, white, and steel with a domed sapphire crystal – what’s not to like?

Tech Specifications from MWW

200m water resistant 316L surgical grade steel case and strap (with solid fitted endlinks)
40mm diameter; 49mm lug to lug; 12.5mm height (14mm with glass); 20mm strap width
Domed vintage style sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating
Robust and reliable Seiko NH35 automatic movement (21,600 bph, 24 jewels, hacking and handwinding functions, Diashock, 40+ hour power reserve)
Ocean blue sunburst finished dial with Superluminova BGW9 lume and black outer dial track
120 click unidirectional bezel with stainless steel insert and BGW9 lumed 12:00 pip
Screwed down engraved crown and screwed down caseback with engraving of a blobfish in it’s natural habitat