Today I’m going to do something which will either come across as a contradiction or as a revelation. In previous reviews I often talked about the fact that some brands extend the shelf life of a model by simply adding new dial colors here and there instead of coming up with a new design. Akin to repainting a room that feels too small with a different color which would make it appear larger instead of breaking down a wall to actually make more space. And whenever I talk about the brands which take the “lazy” path, I often criticize them for their lack of creativity and ambition because adding new dial colors appears to be a pretty simple process for someone like me who’s not liaising with manufacturers to get the new colors right. Easier indeed than inventing a new dial layout using different materials, shapes, or patterns. So even though I’m aware I know little to nothing about the process of manufacturing watches, standing from where I am I find that adding new colors on a regular basis is just lazy. 

So, what are we going to talk about today and where is the potential for either a contradiction or a revelation? We’re going to take a look at the Belhamel Contra A39 in Forest Green knowing that we looked at the black version more than a year ago when the brand first came to market and launched its first collection. Dimensionally and technically, these two watches are identical and we will nevertheless talk about the specs in due form. And here is the contradiction: the new model is just the first model in a different color. Nothing more to it really it seems. But here is the revelation: doing a gentle twist of the dial color seems to have changed the nature of the watch a little bit and that is what I want to chat about. Just like we can swap the color of a room from one to another to change its character and purpose, changing the dial color of a watch from one to another makes it possible to change the character of the watch. Only when it makes sense, however, and as you guessed it, today it does make sense. 

Specifications 

What I fell for when looking at the Belhamel for the first time was its mammoth-like spec list and how it contradicted with its everyday elegant and sporty appearance. (In a good way that is.) The quintessential versatile tool watch we can wear anywhere to do anything in any way, the Contra A39 was (and is) an excellent proposition for a one-watch collection, a GADA watch, and anything really you could imagine the perfect sports watch to be. Perhaps what I imagine James Bond could wear in 2025 should he have a thing for microbrand watches which I think we ought to have. And the new iteration of the diver comes with the same specifications but I can tell you that it went a step up in the finishing department as I find the surface finishes to be more elegant and the transitions between the two to be more refined. Belhamel also made standard now the tool-less micro-adjustment mechanism in the clasp which this model didn’t have last year as the brand couldn’t find a satisfying solution for it.

Now the system is great and a bit different from what I typically see: one has to press down on an integrated central button to move the bracelet in or out to tighten or loosen it, offering four positions of micro-adjustment with a crisp ratcheting type of mechanism. This new design made it possible to keep the clasp relatively nimble and comfortable to wear which isn’t always a given with this type of feature. The hardened steel case still measures 39mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, 11.8mm thick and 20mm in lug width, paired with a 5.8mm screw-down crown and case-back, for a healthy 300 meters of water resistance. The caliber inside remains a Miyota 9039 (4Hz/42 hours of power reserve) which is a solid choice for this type of watch. And the crystal is a double-domed piece of sapphire complemented by two layers of inner anti-reflective coating. The bezel has 120 ball-bearing actuated clicks, a stainless steel insert, and a lumed pip. We also find generous quantities of BGW9 on the hands and applied markers. 

So, a complete package indeed. 

Design 

In my previous review of the black Contra A39, I gushed over its design which is beautifully simple and elegant, sporty but not utilitarian, classic but not old school. It came and comes with just enough personality to make it stand out within a crowd of everyday divers whilst also not being too odd like the ugly duckling. It couldn’t have been a visual balance easy to achieve and we can appreciate what Belhamel did with its first release. And even though versatile divers have been around for a long time, we can’t get enough of them it seems and so it is nice to be presented with good options on a regular basis. That is what the Contra A39 is regardless of its dial color. Now, last year we looked at the black version because I’m profoundly boring and risk averse, and also because I discovered that it is easier to compare watches to watches like apples to apples by mainly looking at monochromatic dials as it is easier to pick out their design singularities and quirks like it is easier to study shapes and contrasts in a black and white photograph. 

Changing a classic and versatile diver from having a deep black dial to a dark forest green one enhances the visual and situational agility of such a watch, and to me the Contra went from being a classic diver to a classic sports watch. True, the dial layout is the same, the case is the same, and the bezel is the same, but the field-watch like nature of this new dial color did something a little bit magical to the A39 which to me is quite fascinating to experience in the metal. (I had an inclination that it would, which is why I opted to review this model.) And before you say anything negative in your mind’s mind about the forest green color, I feel the same looking at photos of the second new color, the Polar White, which too transforms the Contra A39 from being a versatile diver to a versatile everyday sports watch which has some fancy inclinations. The point to make here is that Belhamel chose the two new colorways carefully and didn’t rush into the popular neon, food-inspired, and airy colors we see on many watches all around the market. 

Moreover, I would say that the brand did a superb job finding the right colors to match the classically designed case as going for a bright orange for instance would have disfigured the case, so it would have with a mustard yellow, in which cases the Contra would have become something of a silly watch which this collection isn’t. And so the case retains its classic profile strong of a slab-sided arched mid-case, delicate polished chamfers which travel all around the lugs and across the end-links, the thin bezel with good grip, a medium-sized un-guarded crown, and an overall skin-diver like design when looking at the lugs from above and how straight the case cuts between them. The bracelet is also still perfectly integrated within the case + dial design, as the three-link construction with chamfered links is superb, adding delicate plays with light at all angles, and feeling comfortable on the wrist. 

The Heart of the Matter

At the heart of the matter is the fact that Belhamel did the impossible: to renew our interest for the same collection by simply changing the dial color, by which process it slightly changed the nature of the watch by making it more versatile than it already was. As mentioned above, to me the Contra A39 became more of a sports watch than a diver even though its design language hasn’t changed. The dial indeed comes with the same applied markers, obelisk-shaped hands, and pops of accents as the black version did, but swapping the typical black diver dial color to a forest green one (or white for that matter) slightly reduced its underwater timekeeping vibe and raised its everyday elegant sports watch attitude. This goes to show that a seemingly simple change can indeed go a long way in changing the core character of a watch. And that is what is neat about this new release from Belhamel. And again: the brand could have gotten it wrong by choosing more daring colors which I’m sure it was tempted to do to match the current trends. 

Conclusion

Both new versions of the Belhamel Contra A39 will go on pre-order between December 16 and 30, 2025, for the discounted price of $494 USD ($627 USD full retail). Looking at last year’s review, the Contra was sold for $530 USD which was a good deal and both the discounted and full retail prices of the new iteration still are so in my book. What you will be paying for here is the delicate balance of the design (which you learn more about by reading my review of black version) which strikes the perfect balance between everyday elegance and sporty attitude, the excellent spec list and its more-than-sufficient 300 meters of water resistance, excellent lume, and comfortable bracelet with its new tool-less micro-adjustment mechanism. So indeed a lot of dough for your hard-earned cash! 

You can learn more about the Contra A39 Forest Green here.

Thanks for reading.