I was very excited to receive my Meraud Bonaire last week, number 24. @stijn has been working on this project for a long time and the final product shows his love and knowledge of watches. I couldn't help but unbox the watch as soon as it arrived, but I will go through this review like an unboxing. When opening the package, you notice the quality and attention to detail right away. The first thing on the top of the package is the instruction manual in USB form. Below that, there are tissue paper protectors surrounding the inner box. This is touch that is mainly seen in higher end watches. Beneath the tissue paper is a sleek, push button box with Meraud branding inside. The watch sits on a small black pillow which is suited well to the size of the watch. The watch originally came on a tan leather strap, but I quickly changed it to the black rubber strap which you see above. Beneath the watch, there is a secret compartment which holds the bonus straps and strap changing tool. The rubber Tropic-style strap is one of the best I have worn. It is soft, flexible, and molds well to the contour of my wrist. When I spend time outdoors and go swimming, the rubber strap is perfect. I will likely switch back to the leather strap once winter arrives and I spend less time outdoors. The leather strap is also exceptional quality and reminds me of leather used on Hermes straps. The inside is lined with soft leather and they come in short and regular sizes. I have not yet tried the NATO strap, but it is quite thick and soft. Photos of the straps below: On to the watch. The Bonaire is a comfortable modern size at 39mm diameter and 12.5mm in thickness. It is 20mm at the lugs and 48.5mm from lug-to-lug. The watch is rated to 200m, which makes it great for swimming and the beach. I decide on the Onyx Black, but it also comes in a blue and grey color. The case is solid stainless steel with screw down caseback. The movement is an automatic Swiss STP 1-11 movement which has been modified to no-date specifications. You can see the attention to detail and finishing on the watch case. The brushed and polished surfaces really accentuate each other and the appearance has a definite vintage vibe. The caseback is also quite lovely, reminding me of vintage skin divers. This watch uses C3 Swiss SuperLuminova, which makes for great visibility in the dark and in the water. As a vintage dive watch enthusiast, the roots of the watch are clear to me. I am fortunate to own the original Blancpain Bathyscaphe MC4, which appears to be the inspiration for this watch. The Bonaire uses the classic dive watch roots, and pays homage with a clean modern interpretation. Some comparison photos below: Overall, this watch is a hit and a great value for the total package. Stijn really knocked it out of the park with his first release. PROS: Nice modern size with vintage vibes. Beautiful presentation and value. High quality Swiss movement. High end case finishing. Excellent choices of straps and bracelet (not reviewed). CONS: For me, the case is thicker than most vintage watches I am used to wearing. The screw down crown could be a few mm thicker for winding.
Nice acquisition, Mike! Fine looking piece. The bezel looks super slick. From what I can see, your observation about the crown size seems like I would agree. That Blancpain though...drool
Nice ...Another retro diver well executed. Enjoy. One nit though vs the Baltic Aquascaphe, which I own. This does not appear to have a screw down crown. Am I wrong?
Yes, it is screw down! I need to try on the Aquascaphe as well. I really like how the blue one looks.
Whew..I was looking at this last night and they should mention that in their tech specs. I could not find it.
Great review with fine photos . . . . . . and looks like a winner to me. The Meraud site indicates the height to be 12.5 mm which is not at all bad, though in the photos it looks taller. Just as an aside, I bought a William L. 1985 self-winder chrono that houses a wonderful Seiko NE-88A vertical clutch, column wheel movement, but I feel I can't wear it as the height is over 16 mm, can't easily clear a shirt cuff . . . and looks disturbingly tall on my 6 7/8" wrist. Have you checked the height on the Bonaire? 39 mm by 12.5 mm sounds just about right for those of us who do not have bear paws.
Thanks a lot for the review Mike! Glad you like it! The height is indeed 12.50mm, I chose to have an old style case construction, which means the caseback does not stick out, resulting in a higher mid case. It gives the watch more "heft" (not sure how to translate this) vs the 39mm in diameter. I wanted it to be masculine given the size. It also looks thicker due to the bezel that is curved and not sloped. They are built and tested in accordance to the ISO 6425 standard. Screw down crown and tested to a pressure of 20 bar.
@MikeMan2727 and @maanu now that you have had your watches for a few months, how do you like them? I am a bit concerned about the case height; how that has been now that you have worn it awhile? Is this a watch that you could wear with a dress shirt? My wrists are 6.75in = 17cm and I like a smaller watch. I have a Speedmaster Professional and I feel like that is my upper limit for size, how would this compare? Thanks!
this is an outstanding watch. happened to pick one up pre-owned, i liked it so much i bought the black version. tropic strap is one of the best you can buy if not the best. bracelet is very comfy for what it is. some people think the leather is incredible, but both of mine were hijacked before being sold, so i will never know.
still have a thing for this watch. recently read that the brand is coming back but the bonaire is discontinued. prolly around 300 total bonaire's made in the 3 colorways. initial price was around 800...and then it went to almost 1100 not inexpensive for a micro but the presentation and secondary components were top notch.
