It feels like somewhat of a challenge to write another review about a dive watch since we’ve written about so many of them already. As we’ve established recently looking at the Trematic T-Five Beigua Maris Shadow, underwater exploration tool watches are amongst the most popular types of timekeeping devices in the world and that for generations. This is easy to explain: they are technically versatile and visually compelling as legible tools, should you care to use a diver to keep track of time or time an event. (Ideally a dive in a remote exotic corner of the earth.) To many, dive watches are the watch to have in a watch box as they constitute the ultimate expression of adventure, of self-imposed physical and emotional challenges, and of precise utilitarian engineering. They also look darn cool on anybody’s wrist, whether it be on a bracelet or a Tropic strap in the summer. And more often than not, those who sport divers tend to be actual enthusiasts and collectors, not wannabe watch folks*. 

*With some exceptions for the desk divers we so adore. 

Furthemore, when we talk about dive watches, we generally have certain icons in mind and compare new micro or independent models to these icons which constitute the benchmarks against which all other divers must be compared. I know you know which ones these are—a certain Coronet brand or the latest worn by the most handsome of spies—which are Swiss made for the most part and fetch several thousands of dollars which put them out of reach to many of us. However, when we look back at the history of dive watches, we find roots which connect them to French underwater commandos and professional divers— Captain Robert “Bob” Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riff which developed the Fifty Fathoms with Blancpain and the famous yet controversial Jacques Cousteau who co-created the Aqua Lung breathing apparatus—and the multitude of collaborations the French Marine Nationale has had with prominent Swiss brands. Thus France has played a key part in the development of diving since times almost immemorial.  

This long-ass introduction leads us to today’s protagonist, the BND MNWHI which, in its own way, celebrates this particular national heritage. 

Specifications 

That was a lot of letters bunched together to formulate a brand’s name and identify a particular model which was done on purpose (obviously) by the brand founder, Vincent Bonnaud, to indicate that his brand is about making practical and straightforward tool watches. Because if it functions as it should and looks the part, the letters printed on the dial do not matter as much as how the watch is made and what it looks like. BND’s story is also similar to that of many micro and small independent brands: the founder couldn’t find the type of watch he/she was looking for on the market and decided to make his/her own. This doesn’t diminish the raison d’être of BND at all but instead indicates—reinforces—what Vincent Bonnaud intended to do: to make honest and solid tool watches with a certain character available to everybody and that is what he seems to have accomplished when taking a holistic view of the MNWHI (which stands for “Marine Nationale White” by the way) as it makes for a solid underwater package. 

What all proper dive watches must have is good water resistance which is often equalled to a 200 meters depth rating even though many enthusiasts and collectors want to have more of it for a reason which escapes me. (And I would argue that 200 meters is already more than plenty for most of us.) Well, these folks will be happy to hear that the BND MNWHI comes with 300 meters of water resistance thanks to a screw-down case-back and crown, the latter measuring 5.8mm in diameter and being mostly protected by stubby crown-guards. The crown comes with good knurling and the case-back is deprived of any markings—no letters, no numerals—which further indicates that this watch is, first and foremost, a tool watch. Speaking of grippiness, the bezel is also easy to turn and spins over 120 unidirectional precise clicks and only shows a dash or backplay which doesn’t bother me at all. It appears to be made of brushed steel like the case and the incised 5-minute markers are lume-filled with SuperLuminova Old Radium. 

What will perhaps surprise you, as it surprised me, is the fact that the case measures 39.5mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, and more importantly, 13mm thick for a 300m diver which is not bad at all. What is further surprising is pairing this thickness + depth rating with the caliber powering the MNWHI: the venerable, reliable-like-a-tractor Seiko NH38A movement, a proper no-date which ticks at 3Hz, comes with 41 hours of power reserve, and which seems to be regulated by BND as the brand indicates a -5/+10 seconds daily deviation which is far better than the factory -20/+40 seconds. (I’d choose a NH38A over many Swiss calibers any day of the week.) Moreover, the BND is equipped with a double-domed sapphire crystal complemented by five layers of inner anti-reflective coating, good applications of green-glowing SuperLuminova Old Radium on the hands and printed markers, and a rather nice and thick sand-colored 20mm FKM waffle-style strap complemented by a brushed buckle and quick-release spring-bars.

Design 

Whenever we see a watch for the first time we first take in its design rather than its specifications, even though sometimes the way it looks and feels is intimately linked to how it is made. I felt compelled to review the BND MNWHI because I find its straightforward vintage look quite compelling, for I reckoned that today we see fewer simple and legible divers endowed with a timeless design than we did a decade ago when microbrands were booming. (BND was founded in 2021 by the way in case this should indicate something to you.) In some aspects, this model reminds me of the first professional divers of the 1950s/60s whose dials were for the most part clean because, first and foremost, they had to be easy to read—I see this in the classic dial layout of the MNWHI and the general absence of non-time indicating elements save for the brand’s stylized logo above the pinion and anchor below it indicating its core nature. (Both together also appear symmetrical and thus do not disturb the visual harmony of the dial.) 

The case of the BND is also quite neat and seeing it up close and personal for a couple of weeks made me realize how much I missed the classically styled and proportioned stainless steel bodies of yesteryears’ dive watches. Given BND’s life purpose, the case is fully brushed and presents horizontal lines on the mid-case (save for the crown-guards) and circular ones on the upper mid-case as well as the bezel inlay. The brushing is excellent and highlights the purpose-driven nature of the MNWHI and Vincent Bonnaud’s intent to make discreet but clean and reliable divers one discovers a bit more everyday the more one wears it. The case’s simple profile with slab-sided flanks, thin and gently angled lugs, a protected mid-sized crown, and fully brushed treatment makes it easy on the eyes and comfortable to wear, as 39.5 x 47 x 13mm wears nice and flat on my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist. Moreover, the fact that the bezel inlay is also made of steel creates a sense of harmony and reduces the visual footprint of the dial. 

Next to a narrow bezel we find the hesalite-shaped double-domed sapphire crystal through which we get a clear view of the white dial and brown colored accents from which ooze strong vintage vibes. The dial is matte and shows a very fine textured finish on which the hour markers and minute track are crisply printed. Though it might appear so, the minute track is not lumed even if it is painted with the exact same color as the Old Radium of the markers which denotes Vincent’s attention to detail. The hour markers are shaped like those found on a multitude of classic divers—inward-facing triangles at the cardinal points and circles everywhere else—and are composed mostly of luminescent pigment surrounded by thin brown lines. (The lume is a delicious caramel during the day and glows green at night.) Above the dial there is a set of thin sword-shaped and brushed hour and minute hands complemented by a brushed seconds hand made of two arrows: a lumed one for the tip and non-lumed one for the counter-balance.  

The Heart of the Matter

When adding up its mechanical features and visual characteristics, the BND MNWHI is a neat package. At the risk of sounding like an arrogant prick who’s seen too many watches in the past few years, the BND’s straightforwardness and simple design languages feels like a breath of fresh air in today’s micro and independent watch world where too many brands strive to shock and awe by coming up with unusual, if not strange, designs, and rare materials for the case, dial, hands, and whatnot. Because in order to stand out from the ocean of brands in existence today, each one feels the need to do something special and unique which justifies giving it our attention and potentially our hard-earned money. So if you are more into discreet watches which do their job well with no fuss and less into flashy conversation-starter timepieces, then you will appreciate the MNWHI. Vincent Bonnaud therefore manages to perpetuate two decades-old traditions and not just one: that of simple timeless dive watches we don’t see many of today, and that of preserving France’s legacy in sub-aquatic adventuring. 

Conclusion 

In case you were wondering, BND makes more than one version of the diver: there is the white dial MNWHI we took a close look at today, and it also offers a gray-dial MNGRA and khaki-dial MNKHA. They all retail for 495€/$577 USD (excluding taxes), are limited to 100 units per color, and can be pre-ordered now for a June delivery, way in time for your next summer vacation. Understand this: this is a reasonable amount of money to depart with to get a 300m diver with a double-domed sapphire crystal, excellent lume, a reliable caliber, a good bezel action, and comfortable wearing experience paired with a timeless utilitarian design I feel we don’t see much of nowadays. But I will let you be the judge. 

Thanks for reading.