Last week, my colleague George Redgrave reviewed the Escudo Seacrest Chocolate Bronze 300M dive watch. As stated in his feature, Escudo gave us two watches to review, and whilst they were technically similar, they were designed differently. I selected the Escudo Seacrest Silver Inox, so let's dive into it.
In the previous review, we went into the history of Escudo and the inspiration behind the brand in some detail. To make a long story short, the watches pay homage to 15th-century Portuguese explorers who crossed the oceans to find new land. These brave seafarers had access to only the most primitive navigational equipment and relied on generations of expertise. The dials on these watches pay direct homage to the sextants and compasses they would have used, which makes for a fascinating and alternate take on a contemporary dive watch.
Escudo Seacrest Silver Inox - Credit WatchGecko
With the Bronze variant, two different characteristics of the watch were very evident because of the dark dial gold and bronze finishes. The professional dive tool, paired with historically inspired equipment,
The Silver Inox is very different because the watch is almost entirely monotone and looks more like a classic dive watch, which could also be deployed as a high-end dress watch.
This Seacrest comes in the same presentation box as the Chocolate Bronze, which feels luxurious and beautifully colour-coordinated. On the left-hand side of the box is the watch with swing tags and a richly coloured transit pouch.
Escudo Seacrest Silver Inox - Credit WatchGecko
On the right-hand side is a quality tropical rubber strap, spring bar changing tool and a branded micro fibre cleaning cloth. The Bronze watch is very elaborate in its appearance, whilst the Silver Inox is much more subtle. It looks like a functional piece of steel equipment designed to accompany you and keep you alive at the deepest depths.
Despite its initial appearance, the dial is iridescent silver rather than white; you can see this because the generous Super Luminova hour markers and hands are bright white in comparison. The Inox shares the same design characteristics as its sibling, with bold stylised arrowheads at the cardinal points and round indices at the 1, 2, 4, 5, 7,8, 10 and 11 markers. It shares the same smartly designed second hand, with a triangle marker one-third of the way down, which fits neatly into the base of the arrowheads at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 markers.
Escudo Seacrest Silver Inox - Credit WatchGecko
If I assessed the Silver Inox purely as a professional dive watch, I might have an issue with underwater legibility; however, that is not what Escudo set out to create. Conversely, the Seacrest represents the successful merging of two watch genres, giving you a beautiful dress watch that could be worn on any occasion and a capable water-resistant sports watch. That's no mean feat.
Not satisfied with this achievement, Escudo has created a secret design element we have never seen before. It appears on all their watches, including the Chocolate Bronze we reviewed earlier. The primary sapphire crystal appears normal until you expose it to condensation or just breathe on it. Activated by moisture, the brand's cross logo appears like a hologram in the centre of the glass for a few seconds until the condensation evaporates. As the moisture disappears, so does the cross. Even in sunlight, you cannot see this cross when the lens is dry. This hidden element is probably the best indicator of the significant thought that has gone into the design.
The case is 316L stainless steel, and the bezel is polished steel with an insert. At this point, we should clarify the word Inox. There is a misconception, perhaps, that Inox and stainless steel are two different materials or that one is an evolution of the other, but they are not. Inox is stainless steel; it is another way to refer to it. However, when used sensibly, as we see here in the description of a watch, it does sound arguably much more intriguing.
Escudo Seacrest Silver Inox - Credit WatchGecko
This model's lack of decorative metals such as Bronze or Gold gives it a tool watch look. When you compare the two watches we had on the test, there is visually a lot happening on the Chocolate Bronze, whereas the Silver Inox Escudo is understated and will appeal to a different demographic of buyer. The strong steel appearance allows the minor splashes of colour to stand out, such as the 12 pip on the bezel, which is green and red to honour the Portuguese flag or the black enamelled Portuguese cross on the crown.
The watch is powered by an Escudo Calibre 1488, which uses the venerable Sellita SW200-1 as its base. The SW200-1 has a power reserve of 38 hours with hacking and hand-winding capability. It has 26 jewels, beats at 28,800 vph and utilises bidirectional winding. It is a solid movement which will be reliable.
Escudo Seacrest Silver Inox - Credit WatchGecko
Whilst the straps supplied with the Silver Inox are fundamentally different in colour, their design is identical to those with the Bronze. A high-quality layered genuine leather hand-stitched Italian Vachetta strap in grey and an additional black tropical strap with a steel buckle. Both are well made and offer greatly different looks for the watch and allow for alternate activities.
A Personal Perspective…
Having two watches from one manufacturer is a real treat, and the Escudo Seacrest is a watch that slowly grows on you. If you're lucky enough to borrow one for a few weeks as I did and can wear it on different occasions, the product's versatility begins to shine.
Escudo Seacrest Silver Inox - Credit WatchGecko
If neither the Silver Inox nor the Chocolate Bronze are your chosen style, then fortunately, the Seacrest comes in various colour palettes and finishes. Currently, on the Escudo website, you can secure this fine watch in three Anniversary models with black dials and vibrant bezels. Ocean Seacrest Anniversary Casco Burst is red; Ocean Seacrest Anniversary Aurora Verde is green, and Anniversary Sol is metallic gold. The Silver Inox is also available as Silver Rose, which replaces the steel colour accents on the watch I tested with Rose Gold for a premium look. Finally, there is the black and Bronze Preto e Bronze, which is also 39mm supplied on carefully matched leather. Any models listed as limited edition will be restricted to 300 units worldwide.
If I had to choose just one of the Seacrest models, I would struggle because my head says go for the stainless steel classic dive watch look, which gives historical inspiration with functionality. However, having been fortunate to see the alternate watch my colleague reviewed, my heart would probably pick the Chocolate Bronze simply because it looks so sophisticated and different from the many dive watches available.
Escudo Seacrest Silver Inox - Credit WatchGecko
Had WatchGecko been presented with all variants, the choice would have been overwhelming, but what a fantastic position to be in. If you want a dive watch that has evolved beyond the classic black-and-white style, then the Escudo Seacrest could be the answer.
Thank you to Escudo for hands-on with the watches. Check out the entire Escudo range on their website. Escudo is attending the World Time Watch Event at the London Heathrow Sofitel in September this year if you want to see the watches in person.
Escudo Seacrest Silver Inox - Credit WatchGecko
Escudo Silver Inox Tech Specs
- Case – 39mm
- Movement – Escudo Calibre 1488 (Sellita SW200-1)
- Dial – Multi options – this variant in silver
- Hands – Silver lining with Super Luminova
- Crown – Screw in steel
- Lens - Sapphire crystal with brand Cross "hologram"
- Material – Steel
- Strap – Genuine leather hand-stitched Italian Vachetta
- Water resistance – 200M
- Price - £1450
