Baltic

Baltic Watches hasn't been on the watch scene for all that long; the company was founded by Etienne Malec in Paris in 2016. The name pays tribute to Malec's father, who grew up along the coast of the Baltic Sea in Poland.

The manufacturer operates on a simple concept: producing high-quality watches with wearable designs for affordable prices. In order to achieve this trifecta, Baltic use mechanical calibers from Chinese, Japanese, and Swiss suppliers. These movements are then assembled, finished, and regulated in the company's workshop in the French city of Besançon, guaranteeing that Baltic watches offer premium quality, every time.

In terms of aesthetics, Baltic watches are primarily inspired by vintage watches from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Their portfolio boasts sophisticated dress watches, divers, and chronographs, mostly in stainless steel, but Baltic also experiments with other materials like bronze and titanium.

The most affordable Baltic watches are the models in the HMS series, which start at around 420 USD. The diving watches in the Aquascaphe collection and the dress watches in the MR01 line run between 630 and 840 USD. Prices jump to just over 1,100 USD for the Aquascaphe GMT with a second time zone.

The brand's chronographs cost between 840 and 2,100 USD, depending on the version you're interested in.

As always, limited-edition models top the price chart; prices for those come in between 2,600 and 4,200 USD.

One of Baltic's most popular models is the Aquascaphe Classic. This retro diving watch comes in a 39-mm stainless steel case hosting a unidirectional bezel with a sapphire inlay, and is topped with a domed sapphire crystal. The screw-down crown sans crown guard upholds the watch's depth rating of 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft).

As is typical for diving watches, the dial has a very simple design. Triangles serve as indices at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, while the top of the hour is marked with the numeral 12. The remaining positions are punctuated with luminous dots. The tapered baton hands as well as the circle on the second hand glow in low lighting conditions.

The Aquascaphe Classic is powered by Miyota's automatic caliber 9039, which has a 42-hour power reserve.

Prices largely depend on whether you choose a rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet and range from 650 to 830 USD.

Aquascaphe GMT

The Aquascaphe GMT differs only slightly from the Classic version. Both feature the same 39-mm stainless steel case and dial configuration. Unlike the Aquascaphe Classic, however, the bezel on the GMT version has a two-tone sapphire inlay and 24-hour scale. Together with a fourth central hand, this scale is used to display a second time zone. Baltic offers the bezels in three color variations: blue and green, blue and gray, and blue and red.

The Aquascaphe GMT also has a date complication at 6 o'clock.

Inside the case, you'll find the Soprod C125 GMT, an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve.

Depending on the color and whether you decide to pair the case with a stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap, an unworn Baltic Aquascaphe GMT will set you back between 1,000 and 1,300 USD on Chrono24. Rare versions like the Aquascaphe GMT UEA Edition with an Arabic dial, which was specially issued for the United Arab Emirates, can demand up to 3,100 USD.

Aquascaphe Titanium

The Aquascaphe Titanium looks significantly more modern than its counterparts. This is mostly due to the larger 42-mm titanium case and the slightly modified dial design. Instead of triangles, oval indices mark 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. The numeral 12 was replaced by a triangle.

Other contemporary details include the crown guard and brushed ceramic bezel inlay. Baltic also increased the water resistance to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft).

You can buy the Aquascaphe Titanium in blue or black for around 840 USD.

Aquascaphe Double Crown

The design of the Aquascaphe Double Crown departs significantly from the other models in the collection. As the name suggests, the watch has two crowns – one at 2 o'clock and one at 4. The first crown is used to adjust the inner bezel with the diving scale, while the second crown winds the watch and sets the time as needed.

The dial, which sits under a domed sapphire crystal, shares its design with the Aquascaphe Titanium. The stainless steel case measures 39 mm across and is available with a brushed finish or black PVD coating. The watch is water-resistant to 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft).

Plan to spend around 840 USD for an Aquascaphe Double Crown.

Aquascaphe Bronze

The most striking feature of the Aquascaphe Bronze is its bronze case, which will develop a patina over time. Every patina is unique and lends each watch its own character.

Other differences compared to the Classic are the crown guard and the redesigned dial. The bronze models feature numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock. The Aquascaphe Bronze is uses the same caliber as the Classic.

The Baltic Aquascaphe Bronze changes hands for around 790 USD in mint condition.

Baltic has a number of watches with a stopwatch function in their product line. The Baltic Bicompax series is inspired by timepieces from the 1930s and 40s. The 38-mm stainless steel case sports a stepped bezel and classic pump push-pieces.

The watch has a sector dial, which means it is visually divided into subsections. This is usually achieved by different finishes; for example, the subdials at 3 and 9 o'clock have a sunburst finish, the ring with the hour markers is brushed, and the center and minute track at the outer edge of the dial are sandblasted.

The Baltic Bicompax houses the manual Seagull ST 1901 caliber, which is considered the Chinese version of the famous Venus 175. It features a column wheel and offers a power reserve of 42 hours.

Average prices for the Baltic Bicompax are around 1,300 USD. For limited versions like the Bicompax Pulso for Revolution & The Rake or models with an Arabic dial, you'll need to invest some 1,500 to 2,100 USD.

Baltic Tricompax Chronograph

The Baltic Tricompax Chronograph takes inspiration from racing chronographs from the 1960s. It comes in a stainless steel case with a diameter of 39.5 mm and has a fixed tachymeter bezel with an aluminum inlay. The tricompax dial hosts three subdials at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock and is protected by a domed sapphire crystal.

Baltic offers the Tricompax Chronograph in a panda version with black subdials on a white backdrop as well as in a reverse panda version (white subdials, black dial). The manual Sellita SW-510-M caliber with a 60-hour power reserve takes care of the rest.

You can buy the Baltic Tricompax for about 2,400 USD on Chrono24. The Baltic x Peter Auto Edition of the Tricompax, which you can easily recognize by its yellow and orange chronograph hands, is limited to 300 pieces and costs about 1,000 USD more.

The watches in the Baltic HMS dress watch collection follow the same retro design cues as the Bicompax Chronographs: They too feature a 38-mm stainless steel case, a stepped bezel, and an Art Deco-style sector dial. However, the HMS models are three-hand watches with a central hour (H), minute (M), and second (S) hand.

Baltic opted to equip the HMS with the Miyota caliber 8315. This automatic movement can tick away for 60 hours uninterrupted. You can choose between a number of leather straps and stainless steel bracelets for the band.

The Baltic HMS costs between 370 and 480 USD. If you're interested in a copy with the rare Arabic dial, expect prices to jump to 1,600 USD and above.

Baltic MR01 With Small Seconds

The timepieces in the MR01 collection are fantastic unisex options thanks to their modest 36-mm diameter. The dial design is the distinguishing factor on these models: The railroad minute track around the outer edge encompasses the Brequet numerals for the hour positions. However, what immediately catches the eye is the unusual placement of the small seconds subdial at 7:30. The dial is topped with a domed Hesalite crystal.

Another notable element is the caliber, namely the Hangzhou CLA5000a complete with microrotor and a 42-hour power reserve. The movement is finished with fine detailing and tempered screws – all visible through the display case back.

You can buy a Baltic MR01 on Chrono24 for between 630 and 840 USD.