After four years in the making, Elliot Brown’s Beachmaster Professionals finally launched earlier this year. The release consists of two models, one in a beautiful bronze PVD and the other in classic stainless steel. However, it’s not just the appearance of the watches that make them a huge design feat for the brand, but their patented dial assembly. Today, we will be talking about the ways in which Elliot Brown excels with the Beachmaster Professional both aesthetically and mechanically.
A Patented Design
First and foremost, the Beachmaster’s dial design is both exceptional and original. In fact, the Beachmaster is the world’s first watch with a GMT movement that also has a split-timing bezel.
According to Elliot Brown, the original idea for the model came from the Royal Marines. They asked the brand to design a mission timer which could count down to the start of the event before counting up to show the elapsed time once it had begun. But the real catch was that they specifically requested for the watch to not have subdials. Additionally, it also needed to be bombproof. Accepting the challenge, this instigated a several-year operation for the brand.
After sketching out various scales, the Elliot Brown team settled on a split-scale design. This way, instead of counting upwards from 0 to 60 minutes, it could count down before counting up once the mission has started. Essentially, this was achieved through an internal rotating bezel within the outer bezel, as well as a distinctive GMT 24-hour hand with two reference pointers. One of these arrow-head pointers indicates the mission timing on the internal bezel whilst the other aligns with the dial’s innermost 24-hour scale. For the full explanation of how to set the countdown, the brand’s website has a simplistic explanation here.
Although the idea was thought up fairly early on in the process, it required almost three years of refining and honing until the team were satisfied. However, the efforts paid off. The resultant timepiece was unlike any before. Not only that, but extensive research revealed that no one else had even attempted such an original and complex idea. Consequently, Elliot Brown filed a patent for this unique dial assembly, which was eventually granted in 2022.
The Dial and Case
Although its patented dial assembly does steal the limelight, there are many other aesthetic touches that only enhance the Beachmaster’s brilliance too.
Housing the dial is either a satin-brushed bronze PVD (0H0-A02-B12) or a 316L stainless steel (0H0-A01-B07) case with polished features. It measures 40mm in diameter, as well as 14mm in thickness. Upon it sits the outer matte black ceramic 120-click unidirectionally rotating bezel, framing the internal bidirectional bezel.
Each of the two colourways features a similar matte black dial, with accents in each of their respective primary colours. At their centre, the dials feature a subtle matte wave ‘amphibious assault’ graphic, giving the dial an illustrative edge.
Surrounding this motif are Superluminova mission timing graphics as well as mixed luminescent indices for regular timekeeping. For the bronze model, these indices have a matching bronze framing. Likewise, on the stainless steel model, they feature silver framing instead. To match, anchored to the dial’s centre are four silver or bronze-tone hands.
Easing the complexity of the design, the mission timer’s graphics glow blue in the dark to contrast those of the regular timekeeping functions, which glow green. Indeed, this same colour-coding system also applies to the four luminescent hands.
The Movement and Finishing Touches
Attesting to the exhaustiveness of its design process, the Beachmaster boasts many well-thought-out finishing touches. For example, the case back on each model is bolted down. In turn, this creates a compression seal that locks in an impressive 300 metres of water resistance. In addition to its sturdy case, encasing the dial is a domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating.
Protected within this reliable case is the watch’s automatic mechanical movement. It’s a Sellita SW330-2 calibre, which has a healthy 56-hour power reserve.
Completing both colourways is a stainless steel bracelet. Whilst this retains its original colour on the stainless steel (0H0-A01-B07) model, on the bronze model (0H0-A02-B12) this has a bronze PVD plating. However, both bracelets measure 22mm in width and feature a ratchet divers extension. Generously, if you’re looking for a more lightweight silhouette, each model also comes with an additional strap. For both the bronze and stainless steel colourways, a complimentary black rubber strap is included. On both models, it fastens with a deployant clasp.
Although the Elliot Brown Beachmaster Professionals have flown off the shelves of other retailers, fortunately here at First Class Watches we have got our hands on some more stock of both colourways. So, if you also think Elliot Brown excels with the Beachmaster Professional and are wanting one of your own, we have you covered! But with just a limited number left, make sure you act quickly before someone else does.
