Hodinkee
In a market still full of 42-44mm divers, this almost austere 39mm creation feels like a dive watch for guys and gals used to wearing more dressy pieces. I have a seven-inch wrist and the Bonaire fits perfectly. Oddly enough, in photos or even in hand, the 12.5mm thickness can almost feel too thick for the width, but on wrist the Bonaire feels great, neither too small nor too big. With short lugs and a solid steel caseback, the Bonaire sits nicely and works with a wide variety of straps, including a NATO.
The enthusiast-driven philosophy does not stop with the design either, as the Bonaire features a Swiss-made STP1-11 automatic movement. A true dateless movement, there is no phantom date position on the crown. Sourced via Fossil, the STP1-11 is the brand’s ETA 2824 competitor and ticks at 4 Hz, with hand-winding, hacking, and a power reserve of 44 hours. While I’ve never reviewed a watch with this movement the timekeeping appeared entirely acceptable and the functionality felt identical to an ETA that had been modified for a no-date application.
Thanks to the special way that Kickstarter works, Méraud has priced the Bonaire following a tiered system. To keep it as simple as possible, especially for those of you who read about the Bonaire long after the Kickstarter campaign has ended, the retail price of the Bonaire is €849. That’s about $980 (at time of publishing) and includes all three straps and a strap changing tool. The first 100 backers willing to take the plunge will get in for €635 (~$730) and the standard Kickstarter price will be €655 (~$760). All Kickstarter editions will also include a numbered caseback.
