Martenero Launches their First Diver, the Belgrano

After a series of watches that straddle the line between casual, sporty elegance and contemporary, colorful designs, Martenero has launched their first true diver, and easily their most robust watch to date. The Belgrano is the brand’s first dive watch, and it brings Martenero’s unique aesthetic sensibility to a true tool watch, with typically colorful and almost whimsical results. Let’s take a closer look.

Martenero Belgrano

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Blue, red, white, black
• Dimensions: 39mm 
• Crystal: Sapphire       
• Water Resistance: 200 meters  
• Crown: Screw down                  
• Movement: Seiko NH35
• Strap/bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet    
• Price: $395
• Reference Number: n/a
• Expected Release: Kickstarter now live, delivery in September 

The Belgrano will be available in a total of four variants, each offering a unique set of complementing colors that, for fans of the brand, will be unmistakably Martenero. The accent color on each watch is in the first 15 minutes of the dive bezel, offering a useful visual highlight if you intend to use the watch for timing an event. The rest of the bezel is matched to the dial, giving each watch a distinct contrast and keeping the whole look refined, even on the more adventurous dial options. 

The white and black dials (with dark blue and sky blue accents, respectively) are the more traditional styles among the four. The white dial in particular could be a great summer watch with it’s stark dial and pops of blue throughout. Martenero will also offer the Belgrano with a blue dial and orange accents, and a red dial with white accents. The red is without a doubt the most unique of the four variants, and like the white dial version has a casual and fun vibe. Each dial also features four decorative markings on its interior, which gives the watch a very subtle sector dial-like effect. Hour markers are applied and lumed, and Martenero has gone with indices that are smaller than what is currently in vogue for value driven sports watches, which, to my eye, lends this watch a small semblance of minimalism that contrasts in a fun way with the otherwise attention grabbing color choices. 

In terms of specs, the Belgrano is a fully capable tool that is right in line with what we would all expect from a diver in 2020: a screw-down crown, 200 meters of water resistance, and a sapphire crystal are all standard. The Belgrano uses a Seiko NH35 movement with hacking and handwinding, which keeps a power reserve of 41 hours. Each watch comes on a flat link bracelet with an appealing 4mm taper, which should ensure that the 39mm case wears like many classic vintage divers from the past. 

The Belgrano is being launched via a 30 day Kickstarter campaign that begins today, where you can pick one up for a discounted early bird price of $279. The final retail price will be $395, and watches are expected to be delivered in September. Martenero