When you hear the term “homage watch” you think of stale takes on the submariners, moonwatches, and day dates of the world. You don't think of lesser known hyper luxury dress watches. But that is what differentiates us and Baltany today. The Baltany S4046 stands as one of the few ways to get stylings from the Swiss holy Trinity on your wrist for an attainable price. In fact, for $169, there's a lot to like and very little to dislike.
If you like what you Baltany is doing, pick one up at Baltany's site.
Heritage
The world of Chinese watchmaking is a bit of a minefield. There are tons of new brands popping up pedaling products that I wouldn't recommend buying. At the same time, there is an ever-growing list of Chinese watch brands that are simply unmatched in value by any brands. Few are as respected in space as Baltany. The brand is known not only for their value and typical dive styles/ homage pieces, but also for the vintage twist they often put on their models.
Value
For the Sea-Gull powered model seen here today, the cost is $169, although there is also a Miyota-powered option that comes in at $295. And what do you get for that money? Pretty much everything you want. $169 gets you an automatic movement, sapphire crystal, 316L stainless steel that has been treated to increase its hardness, a wonderful strap, and a truly elegant design. The obvious comparison is to Japanese brands, like Seiko, where those specifications would cost double or even more.
Case
The case is fully polished, as you may expect for a dress watch, and it is well done. I found no blemishes on my model. The combination of relatively compact measurements and a squared off cushion-like case mean a pretty wearable design. The sides of the watch feature a slabby flat surface, which may make it appear larger on some wrists.
The crown, which sits at the top right corner, is a push pull design, which will probably explain the low 50 m water resistance rating. Perhaps also to blame is the case back, which is held in by a series of eight screws -2 in each corner. Sapphire crystal with clear anti-reflective undercoating can be seen adorning the dial, which is a wonderful addition. Also scratch resistant is the case material. The industry standard 316L stainless steel is said to be coated, which raises its hardness from 200 HV to 500 HV. This combination means that this watch should stay looking pristine for years to come.
Dial and Hands
The star of today's show, the dial, is quite a sight. It will not take long to realize that the entire dial is rotated around the pinion. The 12:00 position here is similarly placed to the 1:30 position on a standard layout. This layout is what distinguishes this watch as a driver's watch. The idea being that when worn with the dial on the inner wrist, you would not have to move at all to read the time while having that hand on a steering wheel. Of course those sporty origins have seen in the given way to a dressy piece.
The entire dial is done in a textured and shimmering silver/ white. Extremely legible silver Arabic numerals mark all of the indices, and silver leaf hands point out the time. At 3:00 there is a sub dial for a small seconds. A blued hand with a circular counterbalance lays in its center. The dial has similar styling as the greater dial, but its markers lay in an “un-tilted” position. Running around the outer edge is a black printed minute track, boldened around each index. Balconies branding is simple and clean with their name plainly written underneath the 12:00 position. Also available is a sunburst salmon, pink variant, and the Miyota powered version comes only in a white version, although it has no small seconds.
The entire dial is cohesive and beautiful. Perhaps not a surprise, since this watch is based on a beloved vintage Swiss model.
Lume
There's no lume on this watch, because, after all, this is a dress watch.
Movement
Inside the watch is a Sea-Gull ST1701 automatic movement. It is an automatic movement which hand-winds but does not hack, and has a small seconds complication. There are 20 jewels , it beats at 21,600 beats per hour, and it has a 40 hour power reserve. All of those specs are on par with what you'd want for the price range, but I will mention its noise. You can hear the rotor spinning away on your wrist. You will quickly get used to it on your wrist, but the rotor was more noticeable than I expected.
Bracelet or Strap
Many things were striking about this watch, but something I wasn't expecting to be was the strap. The included brown leather strap is perhaps the nicest I've seen at the price point. Branded at the buckle and on the back side of the strap, it exudes quality. It is stamped as genuine leather, and it most certainly is. The strap is comfortable, supple, firm, and the stitching is well done. I only have nice things to say about this strap.
Fit
The smaller measurements are a bit misleading with this piece, as it is squared. Coming in at around 38 mm in diameter, it wears much more like a 40 mm. The small wristed should not be afraid, though, because the lug to lug measurement is a compact 44 mm. This means it should fit the vast majority of wrists, and it certainly fits my 7-in wrist perfectly. As a dress watch, it should be able to fit under a cuff, which it also does well.
Time to answer the question in all of our minds: why tilt the dial? This style, often referred to as a driving watch, is intended to help with legibility whilst your hand is on a steering wheel. Simply flip the watch to the inside of the wrist, and you will be able to read time with tilting your head or taking your hand off the steering wheel in front of you! Of course, this is solving a problem that no longer exists in the world, but it is fun nonetheless.
Versatility
One may not expect at first glance for such a dressy watch to be versatile, but I actually disagree. While the watch clearly is intended to be worn and dress environments, it has sapphire. Crystal, a legible dial, a 20 mm lug width(easy strap changes), and coated steel. All this to say that this watch doesn't need to be babied. Plus it's understated styling means that it goes well in casual outfits. Of course the caveat is that it has very low water resistance and no lume. As long as it's not dark or near water, this watch can be worn with a suit or with jeans.
Originality
I have praised the looks and styling of this watch for the vast majority of this article. Unfortunately, all of the credit does not go to Baltany. This is an homage to the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 in white gold. That watch sells for $40,400. And that's if they'll let you buy one. The 1921 is truly an icon of the brand, and one of the most elegant watches on Earth. It is no bad thing that Baltany has brought the stylings of that watch down for mere mortals. Baltany has taken very little liberty in the design, however. All that has changed are slight differences in the hands, and applying, rather than printing, the indices.
Although the design is borrowed from Vacheron, Baltany does deserve credit for the fact that there are extremely few driver watches to be found today. It may be in homage, but it is basically the only homage.
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Lug-to-Lug: 44 mm
Lug Width: 20mm
Thickness: 10.7mm
Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
Strap: Brown Leather
Crystal Material: Sapphire Crystal + Clear AR
Movement: Seagull ST1701 Automatic
Water Resistance: 50m
Lume: None
Crown: Push/Pull
Color Options: Textured White, Sunburst Salmon
Heritage: 4/10
Value: 7/10
Case: 8/10
Dial and Hands: 9/10
Lume: 0/10
Movement: 5/10
Bracelet or Strap: 8/10
Fit: 7/10
Versatility: 6/10
Originality: 1/10
WatchScore: 55/100
So what’s the verdict? The Baltany S4049 is as elegant as they get. It is based on one of the most beloved dress watches of all time, and brings the style to a price point where it has never been seen before. Of course, the dial layout and noisy rotor may take some getting used to, but for $169 it is a steal.
To get your very own S4049, check out Baltany's site here.
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