The Spinnaker watchmakers have released the Hull series of timepieces which come in five variations, the one we are reviewing today is the SP-5059-02. These affordable timepieces have a vintage appearance and the textured design is quite appealing to the eye. This piece has a genuine look and feel to it from the leather strap to the polished stainless steel case. The fumee dial contrasts wonderfully from light to dark and the brown dial that I have has a rough earthy feel which looks quite picturesque captured in the polished case.
Hull Rugged Style Dial
The dial is a fumee style which goes from a darker hue on the outer part of the piece to a lighter hue the closer to the centre you get. The textured look of the dial gives it a rugged look which is smoothed out by the other polished finishes.
The style is loosely based on the classic Panerai watches. The indexes are indented which gives the dial different levels and an additional dimension to the aesthetic. There is a Superluminova coating on the indexes as well as the watch hands that have quite an impressive glow.
The sword styled watch hands are polished stainless steel which is quite visible around the lume. The second hand strays from the normal thin style and has a lollipop styled hand with lume on the circular end. The watch-hands match the polished Spinnaker stainless steel embossed logo just below the 12 o’clock and there is a date window at 3 o’clock. Protecting this creatively styled dial is a domed hardened mineral crystal which is more affordable than the sapphire crystal you will find on other timepieces but gets the job done well enough.
Polished Cushion Case
The designers of the Hull timepiece used a combination of brushed and polished stainless steel surfaces on the case. The brushed bezel protrudes quite boldly from the rest of the case and gives a feeling of depth to the piece. The rest of the cushion case is polished which gives the piece a reflective luxury look, and has a very different look compared to the Fleuss 5056-03 which is also a vintage styled diver.
The short lugs are well suited to most wrist sizes and allow the watch to give a pop off of the arm. The screw down crown gives the case some better protection and a high water resistance rating so you won’t need to be concerned about any water damage. The crown is stamped with the Spinnaker emblem on the top.
At 42mm the size will suit most wrists easily enough but at 12mm in height it might be slightly inconvenient to wear with your long sleeve button shirts. The outer edge of the caseback is polished stainless steel with an exhibition mineral window. The glass is covered with a Spinnaker mainsail logo that takes up so much space it is almost pointless to have the exhibition glass there.
Movement and Strap Style
The movement is a standard Seiko NH35 automatic system with hand-wind and hacking functionality. The 24 jewel movement ticks along at 21 600 bph. The 40 hour power reserve gives you a good time buffer and you can expect it to differ by 20 to 40 seconds per day.
The strap is made to suit the colour scheme of your dial and the genuine leather used is also treated to be waterproof so you can keep it on your arm all day long and not be concerned about lasting damage.
There is some white stitching on the strap which adds some character to the old school, Indiana Jones look and feel of the piece. There is a polished buckle clasp with the Spinnaker logo on fastening the ends of the strap together.
Final Thoughts
The Hull is a truly well put together timepiece that successfully pays tribute to the vintage Panerai watches. I feel like I have a piece that is so close to one of the luxury Panerai pieces on my arm that I can’t believe the disparity in price. The rugged textured style looks impressive in contrast with the polished outer look of the piece. The variation of colours available means that it is most likely for anybody to find something to suit their style.
There are some parts of the Hull that were traded for less luxury parts such as the glass and the movement but this wasn’t done lazily. The intention, I am sure, was to use parts that weren’t going to impact the daily use of the piece to keep some costs down. Most of the sacrifice was done by including unbranded parts such as the Seiko NH35 which is actually an unbranded version of a better known Seiko automatic movement.
To have a look at Spinnaker’s entire range of timepieces, visit their official website here.
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