Paul Hewitt Atlantic Line Owner Review : Basic, simple and classic

This Paul Hewitt was given to me for Christmas by my partner, it was one of the first watches in my collection, and the second "fashionwatch" since she had already given me a Fossil chronograph. It has a special value in my eyes, because it is one of the first gifts that my partner gave me. I have often heard that "fashionwatches" have no value and that they are good to throw away. Personally I find this judgment too harsh, on the one hand because these watches convey an emotion specific to each person, they have often been given as gifts, but also because they are often the first steps that encouraged the purchase of more "prestigious" pieces later and finally because they have interesting intrinsic characteristics despite everything. Let's talk about the points that I like about this little watch: its minimalist design gives it a refined look, the applied hour markers are very well executed and shine as much as more high-end models. The black dial is nice and is not disturbed by too much literature. The small second is well placed and its discretion allows me not to be disturbed by the frequency of the second hand characteristic of quartz. Moreover, the hands are very beautiful, and the detail of the ink at the end of the second hand is super nice (especially for me who works in ship design). The watch came with the good quality black leather strap, made in Germany, the pin buckle was signed but I no longer have it. I decided to buy a white version of the watch to get the Milanese mesh strap which is also very comfortable. The crown is small but fluted and signed. The thin and curved horns bring elegance and comfort, the 20mm lug width makes it easy to change the straps (the straps sold with have flash pumps). On the spec side, I appreciate the integration of a Japanese Miyota quartz caliber, a screwed back that makes it easier to change the batteries and allows the 5atm water resistance, which is satisfactory for a dresswatch. The glass is made of flat sapphire, which provides robustness to the watch. I will finish with the negative points, which are not numerous: the 42mm diameter is too high for my taste for this type of watch and the date breaks the harmony of the dial in my opinion. In summary, despite its lack of prestige, I love this watch for my personal history with it, and I know how to find many intrinsic qualities in it. At €100, is it really less good value for money than some more prestigious watches? It costs 20 times less than a Nomos Tangente, that's a fact. Is it 20 times less qualitative than a Nomos Tangente? That's debatable. That's not the point, watchmaking is a matter of emotion, it's pleasure, it's not rational, and for me this Paul Hewitt is full of emotions.