It feels good to join the team at Mainspring, and I thought there’s no better way to make myself at home than to review a homage to a Milsub. I know many in the collector and enthusiast community strongly frown upon anything regarding a homage, but if it's a beautiful watch, fits well on my wrist, has a design that catches my eye, and makes me want to buy it—especially if it's at an absurdly great price point—I’m in; I could care less. A great watch is a great watch regardless of where it’s from, and I know there are plenty of “bad” homages, but when you find a really good one, it's tough not to share.

Due to the absurd pricing of vintage military dive watches, specifically from one well-known brand recognized for its dive watches that essentially set the tone for dive watch design for decades, which starts with an R and rhymes with Tolex, there are plenty of homages—a borderline oversaturation of homages. It's tough to find a really good one that checks all the boxes regarding what I look for in a watch, until the name Baltany was mentioned by quite a few friends. This led me to send an email, have a discussion, and finally receive a box at my door from the folks at Baltany.

Specifications

I find it partially funny from a collector's standpoint, especially for those of us in watch media who have the outstanding privilege of checking out so many watches and experiencing a wide range of designs, movements, and concepts from various walks of life. Our hearts lie with the standard dive watch. It’s a no-nonsense watch that’s built to do what it does: take a beating throughout its life with the possibility of being passed from one owner to another, handed down from one generation to the next to share its life story, and so on. The Baltany Milsub is very reminiscent of a specific dive watch—I’ll just say it: the Rolex Submariner 5513—aligning very closely in terms of case dimensions and sizing.

Since it’s inspired by a watch that has already existed for decades—coming up to 64 years to be exact—those who know the 5513 are familiar with the exact sizing and feel on the wrist. Those of us who have explored homage pieces before this Baltany have a general understanding of how it wears. Since it’s winter and I’m feeling warm and cozy with my coffee, I’ll put it in warm and cozy terms: this watch feels like an old friend. You know when you meet someone you haven’t seen in a while, and you pick up right where you left off as if no time had passed? That’s the feeling I get when I put this on. It’s that friend you can always rely on, regardless of how much time has passed, and it will continue to be that.

For those looking for exact specifications, the watch features a 39mm diameter, 47.5mm lug-to-lug, 13.8mm thickness, and a lug width of 20mm. While I tend to throw the word "perfect" around quite often, the Baltany is a truly perfect go-anywhere, do-anything type of watch. It sits beautifully on my 6.75-inch wrist, and thanks to the implementation of the always-reliable Seiko NH38A, there’s no date window to break up the symmetry of the dial, making this a balanced wearing experience across the board.

Design

The first word that comes to mind when looking at the Baltany Milsub is “Icon.” The “Submariner” style of watch paved the way as the precursor to future dive watch design, and while brands have put their own spin on a diver, portions of the skeleton still remain. The irony of that comparison is that the Baltany is basically a 1:1 replica of the 5513 and at a much more realistic price point. As I mentioned at the beginning of this, I know many people aren’t fans of homage watches, but when you can get a watch that’s a literal reflection of one of the coolest dive watches ever made that won’t destroy your wallet, it’s hard not to be a fan. You can pick up this watch on the leather strap for $160 USD.

Let’s get a little cozier and dive deeper; pun intended. I can’t think of a more iconic design than the Submariner, and the Baltany is such a pure example of an homage done right. The black full-scale bezel, with its aggressive edge for fantastic grip, feels amazing when you turn it with the most satisfying and tactile click. Paired with the beautiful black dial and fauxtina markers, it’s gorgeous, to say the least. The mix of brushed lug tops with polished sides creates some understated ruggedness, with a bit of glint to make this more approachable without taking away from its utilitarian tool watch aesthetic.

Another thing I’d love to point out is the dial text. You’ll notice the T logo above the water resistance rating. This was a common logo seen on watches that contained Tritium for their glow-in-the-dark material on their hands and indices, as opposed to Radium, which was a highly radioactive material causing sickness for those who worked with it. Tritium is a much safer option and is still used by brands today, like Marathon. While the mark representing Tritium is on the dial, the Baltany Milsub uses Retro Swiss Super-LumiNova, but it’s still a cool nod to the vintage design.

Conclusion

The Baltany Milsub is a watch I’ve had on my wrist constantly since it showed up at my front door. When I got into watches, the first one that captivated my heart was the 5513 Submariner, and I’ve had plenty of homages since. However, this one feels more at home, more correct, and it’s found a place in my life; I smile every time I check the time. It’s an iconic design at a great price point with a reliable movement and will stand the test of time for years, decades, or generations, however long this watch stays with me. I’m the type to become sentimental with objects that I use in my day-to-day life or that reflect the love and passion I have for whatever I’m doing, so having a watch that’s reflective of the first one I fell for is so cool and quite full circle. I know many would think the real thing would have that effect, but there’s something so much cooler about it being so attainable while remaining beautiful and functional that warms my heart. Knowing others can get such a great watch for themselves or their loved ones, one that will take whatever life throws at it, is even better.

Thank you for taking the time to read my first write-up with Mainspring! I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on other watches in the future, and until next time, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and I’ll see you in the next one!