First Look: An Explosion of Nautical Color With the Edgemere Reserve from Martenero

Martenero has just launched a Kickstarter campaign for their new Edgemere Reserve, a redesigned version of their nautical-themed Edgemere, now with power reserve, a 24-hour sub-register, and a date complication.

With a versatile size of 40 x 47 x 11.8 millimeters, a screwed-in crown, 30 meters of water resistance, and excellent polish and brush work, the 316L stainless steel case remains largely unchanged on the Edgemere Reserve. The lugs, however, are considerably softened compared to the original Edgemere, giving the Reserve a more refined, finished look.

The dial, however, gets a wholly new layout and some striking new colorways. The Reserve should look busier than the standard Edgemere, but the narrow bezel, wide dial, and smart new layout help preserve the spacious, clean look. In fact, because the sub-dial on the Reserve is more traditionally located at 6 o’clock (the original is askew at 4:30), and because the date aperture, power reserve, and logo also occupy cardinal points, the Edgemere Reserve is unexpectedly quieter than its predecessor.

With such a clean, classic design, the Edgemere Reserve’s dial has no trouble carrying its comparatively avante-garde color schemes. A saturated mid-blue, a bright turquoise, an unabashed red, and stark black and white are all that’s needed to create the five handsome colorways. The black dial with turquoise is the most striking of the bunch, and proves to be Martenero’s most daring colorway across all their watches. The white with turquoise is a milder version of the same, while the red, white, and blue avoid the inherent potential of looking too Stars-n-Stripes by employing hues that are more French flag than US.The front crystal is a double-domed sapphire unit with anti-reflective coating, while the rear sapphire crystal exposes the mechanical, hacking Miyota 9132 movement. This engine beats 28,800 bph and provides the three new complications (power reserve, date, 24-hour timer). With the rear crystal’s compass-rose and the case back’s wave engraving, the nautical theme is loud and clear on the back.

I’ve said elsewhere that offering an existing design with new complications is a right of passage for a watch brand. Doing so suggests that the model is selling well, and it also indicates confidence in, and commitment to, the design. I’m not surprised that Martenero decided to riff on the Edgemere, because—while all their watches wear and look great—the Edgemere is a particularly strong watch, one that gracefully straddles classic design and modern sensibilities. The Edgemere Reserve may prove to be the rare sequel that outdoes the original.

Early bird backers can snag the watch for just $429. Martenero via Kickstarter