Why customers love Akrone?

A regular vacationer in Loire-Atlantique and a sea fishing enthusiast, I share with you my impressions of this Akrone C-02 Mareograph… not only useful for fishermen, divers, surfers, underwater hunters and other shore fishermen who roam the Breton coasts according to the tides… And yes, Nantes and Loire-Atlantique are in Brittany, no offense to some ;-) A watch transports us with a message and I share with you what this Akrone evokes for me! The first impression is very good with a box, admittedly useless, in which the watch and its bracelets are located. Let's start with… ➡️ CASE The case looks from afar like a Skin-Diver case typical of cheap diving watches from the 60s… That of the Akrone C-02 is much more interesting than that and especially surprising at first glance. Although its diameter is 39mm, the watch gives the feeling of being more imposing and at the same time smaller! The diameter of the bezel in 41mm widens the watch and its width impacts the dimensions of the dial which seems reduced and gives the sensation of a smaller watch. It is very successful in terms of balance and proportions. From a more numerical point of view, in addition to its 39mm, the 316L Steel case is 14.40mm thick with a 48mm lug to lug, which sits well on my wrist neither chicken nor Thanos. The model that the brand sent me is equipped with the open case back allowing to see the good finishes of the France Ebauches caliber. It's good to see a caliber but I only realized by chance that with the case back open, the 30 ATM water resistance was reduced to 10 ATM... The brand surely has its reasons for offering it but it seems to me to be a false good idea that disturbs the positioning of the watch, and that could play tricks on its owners. ➡️ DIAL At first glance, the dial of this Maréograph is quite simple and goes straight to the point to facilitate the reading of the plot indexes as on many divers... We concentrate and we notice a gray sunray finish quite original for a diver and a circular groove bringing depth to the whole. But the most interesting is elsewhere, in the measurement of the maximum water resistance, the kind of small detail that seduces me... Akrone chooses to display the water resistance in Meters with its exact conversion in Feet. So we would have been lied to! A diver waterproof to 300 meters is not waterproof to 1,000 feet but only to 984 feet… A nice snub, one could say, to the leading brands with their 1,000 feet ;-) The luminescent treatment really pops as you can see in the photos… It will surely please even if the practical utility is low unless you are a diver or freediver, which is unfortunately no longer my case! For purists, it is the Superluminova BGW9 - as for the bezel… The YouTube channel "Chronoflexion" offers a very good video on the different luminescent treatments. The hands are original and stand out from the hands seen and reviewed on many divers. The design of the Hours / Minutes tip is narrower than the body of the hand, and adds a magnifying effect to the hands. Coupled with the high-performance luminescent treatment, it forms an almost perfect set for a diver... Purists would surely have liked a more imposing second hand and surely consistent with the vintage look and the need for safety when diving, provided by a very readable second hand. ➡️ GLASSES Without a doubt one of the greatest successes of this Maréograph... Two glasses for the price of one! One very original graphically illustrates the rising or falling tides with a combination of blue and green colors. The brand tells us that it was inspired by the Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer, well known to subscribers of the YouTube channel "Dialicious" where one of the rare watch collectors presented a very vintage model in an episode of Duel Time. It would be logical to mention a source of inspiration for a "Heritage" collection, but the comparison stops there, as this Seafarer and other watches with a Tide complication are complex in terms of caliber. The look is fantastic, with another insert specifying the direction of the tide with two cardinal indexes replaced by the High Tide and Low Tide indicators! The whole thing works well and is rather fun for a 120-click bezel... Too bad, 60 clicks seem to me to be much more suited to diving and decompression tables that calculate the duration of the stops in minutes and not in 1/2 minutes. The brand is certainly investing in a shiny sapphire bezel - too much? - which perhaps distances the model from its diving vocation and its "Heritage" positioning Aesthetically very successful, it should be remembered that this bezel only allows you to set the time of the High or Low tide once a day. If you are a sea fisherman like me and the low tide is at 2 p.m., you can place the low tide index at 2 p.m. and visualize until 2 p.m. the arrival of the interesting moment to go fishing at rising tide! It may be complicated to understand if you are not concerned by the subject, but there is no Tide watch complication in this Maréograph. You will have to make this adjustment every day because the tide times depend on several parameters and in particular the Moon. A lunar calendar mechanism is necessary to allow you to set your watch only once to know the tide times that follow the 12h25mm cycle between two high or low tides and not 12 hours. For your information, mechanical watches integrating this complication are rare, the Seafarer is one of them with a caliber from the Heuer Solunar. Other brands like Corum and the Admiral’s Cup Tide or Eberhard with its Mareoscope have tried it in the past without much success. Yema also launched with Olivier Mori a model with this type of complication at nearly €10,000. ➡️ CROWN The crown is generally very successful, very easy to handle and grip. Its design is unique without being exceptional… It is completely in line with the neovintage positioning of the Heritage collection. Perhaps we would have liked a slightly less prominent crown? It was a guest on the channel and former motocross rider who pointed out to me when seeing this Mareograph on my wrist - he was wearing his GMT-Master Pepsi with which he raced at the time (true) - that he wore his watch on his right wrist to prevent the crown from getting into his hand during a violent handlebar. What connection do you ask me? Well, Destro models exist in particular - and not only - for this... Perhaps a future option to explore for our friends from Nantes at Akrone. ➡️ GLASS Who says Neo vintage says double domed glass! Well done Akrone on this point even if readability may suffer. Depending on the angle of your gaze, the hands deform impressively, blending well with the swirl sensation provided by the two-tone bezel. However, this increases the height of the flange, increasing the feeling of thickness of the watch. Perfect for a sporty atmosphere and less for a "casual" atmosphere, particularly offered with the steel bracelet. With this magnifying glass effect, we understand better why the minute hand is longer than usual... another interesting little detail to note. One more... ➡️ CALIBER This is the big new feature at Akrone that has accustomed us mainly to Japanese calibers - Seiko or Miyota in particular - but not only. The brand has chosen France Ebauches with its Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date caliber that keeps all its promises. I tested it with the OneOf Accuracy - an acoustic measuring tool - and the caliber meets expectations in all positions with a daily drift of less than 6 seconds! Bravo for this bold choice which is, a priori, only the beginning... The brand apparently intends to explore the possibility of having them certified by the Besançon Observatory with the Viper hallmark created in 1909. This certification has certainly lost its reputation in the face of the COSC and more recently METAS, but the choice seems strategic for Akrone to promote French heritage. Great prospects in sight to support the French watchmaking revival through the historical elements of its heritage. Well decorated and visible with the case back open - be careful of the water resistance reduced to 10 ATM - if you choose this option - the FE caliber has a very present sound. If you don't see or touch the watch, you could hear the oscillating weight of a Valjoux 7750 chronograph caliber... I chose this comparison with a caliber well known to collectors, with flawless robustness, to remind you that noise and performance of a caliber are not contradictory! ➡️ BRACELETS Here is a brand that is making efforts on its bracelet offering. No less than 3 possibilities are proposed. Tropic, Rubber and Steel. The Tropic is the simplest and yet the one I preferred. The steel is of good quality even if I have only worn it a little but its style, halfway between grains of rice and the jubilee, does not stick sufficiently to the spirit of the watch. Some will see it as a way of taming a sports watch... personally I think that this aesthetic is questionable. Perhaps I am influenced by the diving extension that is mounted on both this steel bracelet and the rubber. It is a beautiful achievement of style, a plus for a diver but if we know well that nobody - or almost - will use it! The ergonomics of the extension is a little aggressive visually and to the touch... Changing the bracelet can gain in simplicity, watchmaking tools will not be useless to frequently change bracelets and switch from Rubber very well integrated into the case to Steel or Tropic bracelet ➡️ PRICE The Akrone C-02 Heritage Mareograph is offered at the price of €1,190 on a black Tropic bracelet with the Steel bracelet option offered for €60. If you opt for the open case back when ordering, your Akrone C-02 will only be waterproof to 100 Meters and 328 Feet… Note that the watches are guaranteed for 3 years, one year more than the market standards in this price range… Yet another extra at Akrone 👍 ➡️ ANALYSIS The Akrone Maréographe is one of the 4 variations of the C-02 collection… A well-positioned model in both the literal and figurative senses. Its beautiful presence on the wrist, its Neo-vintage look, which is not particularly my cup of tea, is convincing. The brand has succeeded in moving upmarket with a multitude of details, options and attentions - such as the watch set in a perfectly geometric way at 10 hours 10 minutes and 30 seconds - making the whole thing very attractive from the opening of the imposing presentation box. The brand is undoubtedly growing with 4 very different models (including Akrone C-02 No Bat, Akrone C-02 164 Brasses, Akrone C-02 Décompression) offering different dials, bezels and even hands in an identical Case + Caliber duo. Perfection does not exist, the brand will have to confirm this move upmarket with their future iterations. I am eagerly awaiting the progress towards the Viper Seal Chronometer certification... Be careful, however, not to offer too much, with too many options, in order to focus on the essentials. The message, always the message… 😎 My “Mood Board” for this Akrone C-02 Heritage Mareograph Movie: Noyade Interdite (1978) with Philippe Noiret and Guy Marchand Car: Peugeot 504 Break 4x4 Dangel Music: Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple Location: Pouliguen marina (France) All technical specifications on this page XS

Passionate about divers, this C-02 seduced me with its hyper originality marked by its unique bezel, its circular brushed dial (the brand logo is great and the colorful C-02 inscription gives a touch of pep), and by its beautiful France Ebauches movement (visible on mine because I chose the "openworked background" configuration) This "heritage" series remains however very technical with its brushed case which inspires the robustness expected on a tool watch. I find that the whole gives this 100% French watch a feeling of reliability, originality and dynamism, while remaining sober and discreet. This Marégraphe is in my opinion the coolest of the series.

I already have an Akrone C-03 that I really like for its lightness, thanks to the titanium, for its design, and for its almost perfect size (for me). When I saw this model in a photo, I was immediately won over by the darker "gun" case, and especially by the contrast of the green hands and indexes on the black dial. It didn't take me long to decide, especially since it was a model limited to 100 pieces. When I received the watch, I really wasn't disappointed, the dial is as I expected, and above all the case is superb, with a polished chamfer that contrasts well with the brushed case. Usually not a fan of rubber straps, I must admit that this one is very comfortable, even if I have already changed it for a green nylon one.

I just realized that I haven't introduced you to my C2! I had the pleasure of picking up this watch at the showroom and chatting with the creators. A very beautiful 2-level dial, sunburst for the minute track and with a gray seabed map with a touch of blue. The case exudes quality, Akrone working a lot with the army. The logo is a hexagon with an ermine (and yes Brittany!) inside, all forming the A of Akrone. Waterproof to 300 m, it is ready for adventure. The case back represents a kraken in homage to Jules Verne and the city of Nantes. A fun little detail, there is a return of the Kraken's legs on the dial in the seabed map. A very pretty knurling of the signed crown which allows a good grip. The two-tone bezel indicating hours and minutes allows a clever "GMT function" for travelers. I really like its polished skeleton hands and applied indexes. There, I think I've covered this beauty.

I received this watch for my 17th birthday. It's my first, I'm delighted!! The Seiko movement is reliable and the ice blue is out of the ordinary watches that we usually see. It works perfectly, never had any problems with it. It is very durable and comfortable to wear. I recommend it to start a collection or simply to have fun!

There is already a review of the C-03 ALAT on the site. But why not post a second one, this watch is worth it! This time in a titanium bracelet version without a bezel which looks just as good. Even with this metal bracelet it remains extremely light (95 g) suffice to say that with the fabric bracelet which also suits it very well it seems to float in the air. It is extremely readable and precise in all circumstances, so much so that a quick glance is enough to register the time in the brain. Some regret the Seiko movement, but for my part I am pleased with it because it does the job well, it is robust, really cheap and easily found, it makes the watch very accessible, and in the event of a problem you just have to change it. It is an impressive watch in its simplicity and its efficiency. I have no connection with the army, but I am happy to have contributed a little to the family mutual aid association with the purchase of this watch. Akrone launched a version with a date in 2023, but I prefer the three hands without a date. Dates are always a problem to solve, and in addition the months are never the same length, we wonder why there are not only 5 months in the year, there watches with dates would find all their interest. Of course, it is because of the moon. Because of this satellite which has a period of 29.5 days it is more practical to use 3-hand watches without a date.

Acquired in July 2020, this watch is my 2nd compressor but my 1st Akrone, a dynamic French brand with an astonishing quality-price ratio. Miyota 9015 movement, 41.5mm diameter, 48mm horn-to-horn, 12.7mm thickness, AR sapphire crystal, beveled hands, bidirectional internal rotating bezel, screwed crowns and water-resistant to 300m => incredible specs for a price less than €600 at the time. The alternation of polished and matte is well placed, the dial with the raised seabed is original, as are the fluorescent green touches here and there, and the movement is impeccably adjusted. I regret a certain weight (170gr on steel bracelet) and a certain thickness, 2 points however inherent to this type of watch. A very nice purchase, this Compressor in Frégate color!

Acquired at the end of 2021, this watch is my 2nd Akrone, a dynamic French brand with an astonishing quality-price ratio. Miyota 9039 movement, 38.5mm diameter, 43.8 lug-to-lug, 11.4mm thickness, domed sapphire A crystal, 5atm… => impressive specs for a price less than €400 at the time. The amber-colored dial is truly superb (granulated + sunray). Combined with the general Bahaus-type format, here is an original and elegant dress watch. With a weight of only 60gr and an ideal format, it is particularly pleasant to wear. The movement adjustment is very good. Note, however, blue inscriptions and indexes (I would have preferred a more neutral color).

Hello, The Akrone K-AF320 was born from a partnership, it is balanced, reliable and light. Published in 350 copies. This watch is important to me, it is associated with many professional memories. Case: Titanium Movement: ETA 2893-2 GMT Water resistance: 10 ATM Glass: Sapphire Dial: Textured Bezel: Bi-directional PS for purists, the K-GMT is only a pale copy of the K-AF320 ^^

My first automatic watch. I was originally on the Tissot/Seiko/Lip trio, but nothing really tempted me. I have a preference for dress watches, quite thin because I have a 16 wrist, and I found Akrone by chance. I was happy because consuming French is important to me, especially without an intermediary, so it was all good! So of course, I prefer to try things before buying, and even more so watches. But the technical sheet got the better of me, and the customer reviews were excellent. The 38mm was a good compromise for my thin wrist. I was initially a little skeptical about the Milanese strap, and I had bought a leather strap to replace it, but in the end it was the Milanese that suited it best, and I always wear it with it. The watch is very light (67g), very thin, fits easily under a shirt or sweater sleeve, you forget you're wearing it. Honestly, this watch gave me a passion for mechanical watches, I bought 2 others since then and I thought they would have overshadowed it, but I still wear it as often (I think it's the one I wear the most). It appears simple at first glance but is full of sublime little details: the vinyl-style bi-texture dial (as its name suggests), the hands inspired by post-war pens, the "beehive" oscillating weight, the domed sapphire crystal... and at this price, it's hard to find better. I am totally satisfied with it and wouldn't part with it for anything in the world.