Almost two months ago, Atelier Holgur —a new brand founded by Matthew de Bakker and Asbjørn Simonen-Andersen— presented the Frømand. Since I liked the look of the watch from the press pictures, I decided to ask for a prototype and do a proper review of it. The Frømand is a watch that tries to redefine the diving watch genre by adding certain ‘haute horlogerie’ features seldom found on diving watches. This watch was conceived out of their desire to build watches that could take up the rigors of an adventurous lifestyle while having higher-end finishes and other extra touches that would appeal to those looking beyond a typical desk diver like a Rolex Submariner.
The Atelier Holgur Frømand includes the usual characteristics of a divers’ watch including a 60-minute graduated unidirectional bezel, a screw-down crown, a screw-in solid case back, good readability, and water resistance to 300 meters, but it also brings in elements like a full lume bezel, a sapphire display case back, an easy-to-use interchangeable strap system and a skeletonized automatic movement with a micro-rotor.
The Atelier Holgur Frømand features a very interesting case construction in grade 5 titanium with a diameter of 40 mm. Even though 40 mm is the sweet spot for most sports watches in terms of size, the design of the case on Frømand makes the watch appear and wear considerably smaller. The watch is very light with a total weight including the strap of 80 grams.
The interchangeable strap system —a loop and hook— on the watch only allows for the use of the two straps supplied with the watch —both made of recycled ocean plastic, one in black and the other in teal with black edges— or for a NATO strap. Any straps needing a spring bar in order to be attached to the watch, cannot be used as this watch features a case construction with no spring bars but a soldered slot end lug.
The strap that comes with the watch, features a velcro fastener that allows the wearer to undo it after pulling the top part of the strap from a pin that catches that piece and secures it in place. Quite intuitive but not sure how safe that would be in case the strap is caught by something that forces the velcro off. My guess is that you’ll be left with no tool watch on your wrist if something like this were to happen.
The case combines polished and micro-blasted finishes —casebands and center of lug area— throughout with all components on the case made out of grade 5 titanium including the bezel. The lightweight grade 5 titanium is corrosion-resistant, non-magnetic, and hypoallergenic. Not to be confused with lower-cost grade 2 titanium, grade 5 titanium is composed of 90% titanium, 6% aluminum, and 4% vanadium. Additionally, grade 5 Titanium is stronger than grade 2 titanium and can be polished. For the Atelier Holgur Frømand the case, bezel, lugs, crown protector, crown, and pin buckle are all made of grade 5 Titanium.
The exquisitely finished black snailed dial features raised hour markers with luminescent material, a running seconds subdial at 6 o’clock, and a white minute track on the outer smooth edge of the dial. Depending on the angle, the dial seems to go from a solid black to a graphite grey color when moving the watch around.
The unidirectional bezel in black DLC titanium features the usual divers’ watch graduation in white featuring super bright luminescent material that glows extremely well even in the slightest dark conditions. The bezel does not rotate as smoothly as I would’ve envisioned for a watch in this price range, but I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt as this could be because I used a prototype for this hands-on review.
Turning the watch over reveals the beautifully skeletonized automatic movement. The Atelier Holgur Frømand is powered by a Swiss-made Schwarz Etienne calibre ASE 200 with a micro-rotor. When fully wound, this 33-jewel movement beats at a frequency of 21,600 vph and provides a power reserve of approximately 86 hours. The movement is skeletonized and encompasses sandblasted finishing and hand-polished beveled edges. When compared to the original base movement it is very clear to see the amount of skeletonization and additional finishing that has been performed on it. I personally like the base calibre much better than what Atelier Holgur did here.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the Atelier Holgur Frømand wears slightly smaller than its actual size on a 7.5” wrist. The initial version of the Frømand is limited to 100 pieces and is engraved with ‘THE FIRST 100’ on the case back. The watch is supplied in a box made from sustainable materials including bamboo wood and cork, and it is available for order via the Atelier Holgur website.
Even though the watch has a nice out-of-the-box design and is well-finished, I feel that the price tag is extremely high for a watch from a micro-brand with no brand history or true recognition in the world of watches. Had this watch been priced around the $3,500 to $5,000 USD range, it would been a great contender against other diving watches from brands like Omega, Tudor, and even Rolex. Additionally, the fact that the case construction only allows for the use of their own supplied straps or a third-party NATO at best is a huge downside in my book. Truth, well told.
Sticker Price $11,000 USD. For more info on Atelier Holgur click here.
