Disclaimer: This watch was sent to me to review, and I do not need to return it after my review is complete. This watch was given to me without restriction and is not contingent upon a particular outcome for my review. All opinions here are my own, and Selten Watches had no influence over the opinions stated here.
Selten Salvage Bronze Vintage Wall: https://seltenwatch.com/collections/salvage-bronze/products/salvage-bronze-vintage-wall
Video
Review
The Selten Salvage Bronze, particularly in the Vintage Wall dial configuration, exemplifies the brand’s successful continuation of unique and creative dial designs, a hallmark that was evident in the earlier Selten Series 00 Meteorite that I reviewed which had a beautifully executed meteorite dial. Leonardo Tsai, the founder hailing from a family in the watch dial manufacturing industry in Hong Kong, has leveraged this expertise to craft dials that significantly contribute to the watches’ appeal. The Series 00 was particularly well-received, evidenced by 750 backers on Kickstarter contributing approximately $275,000 USD, prompting further production batches due to high demand.
Following up on the success of the Series 00 and Series 00, Selten introduced the Salvage series. This line features a dive watch encased in bronze with a three-piece dial that actively incorporates the patinating qualities of bronze into the dial itself, resulting in a distinctive, organically textured appearance achieved through hand and machine accelerated patina processes. This approach not only emphasizes the dial’s aesthetic but also allows it to evolve visually over time alongside the case.
The fundraising efforts for the Salvage series mirrored its predecessor’s success, meeting its goal with the support of around 175 backers who raised just over $80,000 USD, affirming consumer interest and approval of their style. The Vintage Wall dial variant, whose case I anticipate to develop a patina that complements the dial, stands out for its potential to offer a unified and evolving visual experience as both the case and dial mature together. This characteristic is particularly appealing for those seeking a watch with a dynamic appearance that changes subtly with time, as well as a dial that is unique to each customer. The Salvage Bronze has a retail price of $659 USD and is currently available to purchase in most dial variations (with a few on pre-order status).
Let’s check it out!
Case
The Salvage presents a robust and aesthetically pleasing case that measures 39mm in diameter, or 38.5mm across the bezel, with a 46.5mm lug-to-lug span and a 13.5mm height including a 20mm lug width. Crafted entirely from CuSn8 Bronze, the case material offers a visually appealing rose gold hue that I love.
The design of the case is relatively straightforward, featuring a slab-sided shape that incorporates wide brushed bevels along the sides to subtly alleviate the visual bulk. This design choice helps in moderating the perception of the case’s height. Approximately 7mm of the case’s 13.5mm height is attributed to the mid-case, and 4mm occupied by the bezel and crystal, contributing to a balanced profile.
The bezel of the Salvage is well designed and looks very visually appealing. It features a coin edge that is easy to grip and manipulate, and sports a brushed ceramic bezel insert. This insert cleverly combines the durability and scratch resistance of ceramic with the classic look of a metallic insert, fully lumed to enhance visibility in low light conditions. The bezel operates with 120 unidirectional clicks, demonstrating excellent action and firmness without any back play. At first I wondered how Selten were able to combine an aluminum bezel insert with fully lumed plots and markers – that’s how convincing the brushed ceramic is!
A prominently sized 7mm wide screw-down crown is located at the 3 o’clock position, detailed with excellent knurling for ease of operation. The crown is adorned with the brand’s logo, showcasing a blend of brushed and media blasted finishes that complement the case’s overall design. On the reverse, the watch features a solid stainless steel case-back, intricately screwed into the case, and embellished with a detailed embossed mermaid. The watch is rated for up to 200m of water resistance.
Dial
The Salvage showcases a dial that, much like the Selten Series 00 I reviewed, stands out as the highlight of the watch. While lacking the artisanal/boutique design aesthetic of the Series 00, the Salvage still exhibits a distinct sense of handmade craftsmanship, thanks to the unique patina layer of its three-layered dial construction. The bottom layer features recessed indices that the brand refers to as the “lume-gutter” the middle layer presents a hand-patinated dial, and the top layer is a sapphire plate with anti-reflective coating and printed indices. This multi-layered approach, especially with the inclusion of sapphire on the dial, adds depth and complexity to the watch’s face, and is particularly appealing to me as I’m a big fan of multi-layered dial constructions and sapphire dials in general.
The process of patination used on the Salvage Bronze dials ensures that each piece is unique. Controlled methods can produce varied hues like blues, greens, and golds on the copper-based dial, resulting in a one-of-a-kind appearance for each watch. This individuality is further emphasized in the “Vintage Wall” dial option, which mimics the natural aging process of bronze, excluding the verdigris, making it an excellent match for the bronze case that will also age over time.
Selten describes the “Vintage Wall” as embodying a plethora of memories through these organic and dynamic patterns, akin to a well-worn and cherished environment. The dial’s deep browns and amber traces simulate this concept effectively, adding a narrative depth to the watch.
The design features a beige outer minute track printed on the sapphire, with bold markers for each minute and finer railroad-style ticks in between. The 3D recessed hour indices are another highlight, with printed borders on the sapphire layer, lume filling in the bottom layer, and a rounded bevel on the patinated metal layer.
The branding is subtly handled with the logo positioned under the 12 o’clock double marker, and additional text above the 6 o’clock marker. The hands are brushed metallic bronze, with large luminous plots that harmonize with the sapphire’s printing. The seconds hand, un-lumed and finished in a rawer style, complements the overall distressed and aged look of the dial, which is rich in organic colors and patterns. The Salvage’s dial is not just a visual element but a narrative piece, telling a story of time and transformation that is both visually appealing and engaging. It manages to capture the romantic notion a lot of us watch collectors have of a wrist watch that ages and takes on evolving personalities, and building character over time like we do over.
Overall, I love the dial; and I love the distressed, aged and patina look of the dial along with the organic colors and patterns that have emerged as a result of their process. It is unlike anything I’ve seen before and Selten did a great job with the design and construction of this dial.
Lume
The Selten Salvage in Bronze utilizes Swiss Super-Luminova in the “old radium” color across its bezel, dial, and hands. This particular lume application results in the dial and bezel emitting a bright green glow, while the hands exhibit a slightly yellower hue, creating a visually distinct contrast that enhances legibility under low light conditions.
A noteworthy design feature is the sandwich-style base dial layer that the brand calls the “lume gutter”, which includes recessed indices. This construction enhances the depth and intensity of the lume. In terms of overall performance, the lume on the Salvage is commendably generous and effective.
While it may not rank as the best among all micro-brand watches I’ve reviewed in terms of luminosity, it holds its own with sufficient brightness for clear visibility throughout the night. However, it does tend to weaken slightly by morning hours. In a comparative time-lapse alongside watches like the Horizon Nemo, Zelos Helmsman 10th Anniversary, and Christopher Ward Twelve Ti, the Salvage’s lume performance is on par with the Zelos, affirming its capability in matching well-regarded contemporaries in terms of price and specifications.
Movement
The Selten Salvage in Bronze is powered by the Miyota 9039 automatic movement. As part of the Citizen Group’s portfolio of movements, the Miyota 9039 is considered to be one of their premium mechanical movements. Its ultra-thin design, measuring just 3.90mm in thickness, facilitates the creation of sleeker, more streamlined watch cases.
To speak more about this movement, I’ll echo what I recently wrote in my review of the Zelos Helmsman 10th Anniversary watch that uses the same Miyota 9 Series caliber, but with a date (Miyota 9015). While I have previously expressed reservations about this movement (mostly to do with the uni-directional rotor and its noticeable spinning sound), my extended experience with various movements in this price range has significantly altered my perspective. After handling dozens of watches with the Miyota 8 Series, Seiko NH35/4R35, Seiko 6R15, Seiko 6R35, Sellita SW200, and ETA 2824, I now hold a strong preference for the Miyota 9015, including its Swiss Made counterpart, the LJP G100 (which Zelos recently used in the Zelos Eagle 2 Ti that I reviewed).
Although the Miyota 9039 may not achieve the accuracy of a finely regulated ETA2824 or SW200, nor offer the low replacement costs associated with Seiko movements, its reliability stands out. I’ve yet to encounter any issues with Miyota 9 series movements, a personal track record that strongly influences my preference for them over both Swiss and Japanese alternatives mentioned above. In the Salvage, I’ve experienced good accuracy similar to the Zelos, with deviations within single digits per day. Given these factors, especially considering the watch’s price segment, the choice of the Miyota 9039 movement is more than reasonable, and reinforces the value delivered by it.
On The Wrist
The Salvage presents a comfortable fit with its 39mm case diameter and 46.5mm lug-to-lug measurement, making it suitable for a variety of wrist sizes, including my own 6.75″ wrist. Despite its relatively compact diameter, the watch conveys a more substantial presence due to the 38.25mm bezel width, which slightly amplifies its visual impact on the wrist.
The case height of 13.5mm is somewhat noticeable, attributed partly to the watch’s slab-sided design. However, the thoughtful construction of the bezel and case-back helps mitigate the perception of bulk, managing the overall height effectively so that it does not feel overly cumbersome. The included rubber strap enhances the wearing experience significantly; it is exceptionally supple, akin to silicone but without the tendency to attract lint, indicating Selten’s choice of a high-quality strap supplier. The strap is complemented by a matching bronze buckle, which is finished to the same standard as the case.
Overall, the Selten Salvage wears comfortably on the wrist. Similar to the Series 00, the Salvage is on the slightly thicker side, a characteristic that stems from its intricate and multi-layered dial design that utilizes a considerable amount of case depth. However, this trade-off is generally well-received, especially in a diver-style watch where a certain degree of robustness is expected. In the case of the Salvage, the thickness does not detract from the design or functionality of the watch, maintaining a balanced and wearable profile.
Wrapping Up
The Selten Salvage represents a well-constructed, finely finished timepiece that stands out in the market for its unique and creative dial design, which is not commonly found in the microb-rand or even broader watch space. Each dial is distinct, intricately crafted and assembled, adding a personalized touch that is further enhanced by the use of bronze – a material known for its dynamic aging properties. This aspect alone makes the watch particularly appealing to enthusiasts who appreciate watches that develop character over time.
Despite its distinctive features and competitive pricing, it is somewhat surprising that this watch hasn’t captured a larger segment of the market. For those who are drawn to its appearance and the concept behind its design, there are no significant drawbacks to deter a potential purchase. The Selten Salvage in Bronze is a robust and attractive watch that promises to offer both style and character, making it a worthy consideration for anyone looking to expand their collection with something a bit more special and unique than what’s available out there – and the summer months are perfectly suited for getting the bronze case immersed and ready to build character.
