Disclaimer: this video/review was not sponsored by Zelos or any other entity.
Zelos Spearfish Dual Time Carbon: https://zeloswatches.com/products/spearfish-dual-time-carbon-moonscape
Video
Review
If you’re browsing Beans & Bezels and reading this review, Zelos is likely a brand that needs no introduction. However, for the uninitiated, it’s worth noting that Zelos has had a notable presence in the watch industry for a decade now, crafting an impressive catalog of watches. The brand distinguishes itself with its use of exotic materials, innovative designs, and a commitment to keeping prices affordable — a notable achievement worth mentioning twice.. or three times, given the trend of escalating prices elsewhere in the watch world. Their exceptional customer service further sets them apart, ensuring a loyal and growing fanbase. Seriously, their customer service (and by that I mean Elshan Tang, the brand owner) is some of the best I’ve experienced in this industry as a whole.
I recently bought and reviewed the Zelos Eagle 2 Ti ‘Arctic’ and it left me very impressed. So, when I learned about Zelos’ venture into creating a watch with a sapphire dial and dual time functionality, I couldn’t resist reaching out to Elshan, who graciously agreed to send me a piece to photograph and review. This is the Spearfish Dualtime Carbon ‘Moonscape’, with its stunning smoked sapphire dial, showing off the Technotime TT651 module atop a Sellita SW300 movement. And yes, of course the dial is lumed.
Priced at an early bird rate of $1850, set to rise to $2200 post the initial roughly three-week period, assuming availability (I’d wager they won’t be around to see that price increase), this model comes in three titanium variants with matching bracelets and two carbon variants equipped with canvas/leather hybrid straps. Among these, the carbon variant under review has quickly become my favorite, possibly betraying a slight bias.. but Zelos had me at smoked sapphire + dual time + carbon case + tons of lume.
Let’s check it out!
Case
The watch has a well-proportioned case at 40mm in diameter, with a thickness of 12.5mm, inclusive of the crystal, and a lug-to-lug distance of 47mm, paired with a straight lug width of 20mm. This case is made of forged carbon, showcasing an intricate mix of gray and black tones from the carbon mixture that bring an unexpected level of personality to the case. There is a lot of design detail on the case through bevels and angular surfaces, and this is particularly notable when considering the often monolithic appearance of carbon cases, lacking many bevels or edges, as seen in watches like the Formex Leggera 41 and the Doxa Sub 300 Carbon.
The lugs preserve all the details from the Spearfish case, even in this carbon rendition. A vintage-inspired domed sapphire crystal, roughly 2.5mm thick, appears to fit directly onto the single piece mid-case, benefiting from ample anti-reflective coating and featuring a skillfully designed step that integrates seamlessly with the bezel and mid-case. The crown, possibly made of steel or titanium and finished in black, is easy to grip and operate. The crown action is good, and its screw-down mechanism is smooth. The watch is rated for up-to 100m of water resistance.
The case has a titanium (I think) case-back with a sapphire exhibition window that gives you a view of the Sellita SW300 underlying movement. On the titanium version, there is a forged carbon movement spacer to further reduce weight, whereas on this carbon version I believe the movement is fitted directly to the mid-case.
In comparing the overall case design, material, and finishing with similarly (and more expensively) priced models, such as the Formex Essence Leggera 41 and the carbon Doxa Sub 300, this watch clearly stands out for its attention to detail and excellent finishing. In terms of value, this watch is competitively priced among carbon case watches, and that is based on case alone. But this watch is so much more than just a carbon case, as we’re about to see.
Dial
The dial design of this watch, featuring a smoked sapphire overlay on an reasonably technical looking and sufficiently well finished module, sits at the intersection of modern innovation and traditional watchmaking. As someone with a particular fondness for well-executed skeletonized watches and sapphire dials, I’m not surprised to see this design polarize opinions. Modern or unconventional watch designs often stir up strong feelings among enthusiasts who lean towards more conservative aesthetics. This division is perfectly understandable and reflects the diverse tastes within the watch community. However, for those of us who appreciate and seek out innovation in watch design, this dial will stand out as particularly exciting. It’s relatively rare to encounter a well executed smoked sapphire dial, revealing some actually interesting mechanisms beneath, especially at this price point.
The dial layout is centered around the Technotime TT651 module, featuring a big date complication and a dual time sub-dial. The symmetry of the layout, from the centrally aligned gear beneath the Zelos logo to the dual time sub-dial, is quite pleasing even for a ‘busy dial’ like this one. The TT651 module beneath has been finished with perlage, offering a visually engaging backdrop that, while not reaching the pinnacle of haute horlogerie, aligns well with the elabore grade of typical of machine-finished movements from Sellita and ETA. I personally like the smoked sapphire dial more, as it subtly tones down the mechanics underneath, drawing more attention to the dial’s features themselves.
The dial includes black applied hour markers filled with lume, designed to complement the watch’s stealthy aesthetic, alongside white minute markers that offer a stark contrast to the dark & empty space below it, resulting in excellent legibility. The hands, also generously lumed and finished in black, show off very good quality control. Surprisingly, the brand’s logo is applied directly onto the sapphire, which is not often seen since printing on sapphire is easier. Additionally, the large framed date window, intricately embedded within the sapphire (also not a very easy process), showcases the double-digit date from the respective date wheels below it. If you’re wondering why the left (10s digit) has an unusual distribution of numerals (four 0s, two 3s, two 2s and two 1s), this happens to be how the twin gear stack controlling the two wheels is programmed for sequential date changes through the month. If you’re interested in learning more about the TT651 module, I recommend checking out these two posts (this, and this technical doc).
Above the 6 o’clock position is a framed dual-time sub-dial that displays a couple of things – the two hand layout displays a second time zone in a manner similar to a GMT watch, where the hour hand can be set independently in one hour increments, and the minute hand is coupled to the main movement. Below this is a depiction of a globe (not proportionally and geographically accurate, but an artistic rendition only), with the outer section being split into two with a white arrow on one of them. This serves as a day night indicator. So yes I agree with those that will say this dial is ‘busy’, but it is packing a good amount of information, and information that I find particularly useful.
The dial of the watch stands out for its design, execution and the amount of information it manages to display within its intentionally complex design. It’s clear that this style, that some call a ‘hyper watch’ aesthetic, might not appeal to everyone’s tastes. Personally, I enjoy this type of ambitious and futuristic watch design. It is evident that a good amount of effort has gone into ensuring high standards of detail and quality control, a crucial aspect when working with sapphire dials since they leave little room for error, as any minor imperfection can be easily amplified. During my time scrutinizing the watch under a loupe, it appeared notably clean, with just a few particles visible only when under my macro lens.
Lume
Zelos is known for its distinctive approach to lume design — generous, unique, and by many accounts, iconic to those in the know. That said, the use of black-colored lume pigment for the indices on the Carbon ‘Moonscape’ variant introduces a bit of a trade-off. This darker pigment doesn’t illuminate as brightly as traditional lume-filled indices, which might lead some to prefer the titanium variants for their brighter indices. However, the date wheel and minute markers compensate with their potency, maintaining visibility well into the night.
The hands and the dual time sub-dial exhibit excellent luminosity, and they remain bright and legible throughout the night. This performance is especially impressive when compared to similarly priced watches, such as my MING 17.09. Despite MING’s use of HyCeram (a sapphire infused ceramic lume mixture) is known for its excellent lume qualities, the Zelos outshines it, staying brighter for longer. So rest assured that even in variants where the lume might seem less potent, such as this one with black-colored or orange colored indices, the overall visibility and functionality are still more than sufficient.
Movement
Among the plethora of off-the-shelf movements available, the Sellita SW300, and its variants are some of my favorites. They don’t suffer from the windmilling rotor issue often associated with the ETA2824/SW200 and are notably slimmer. Additionally, the operation of these movements is very smooth, rivaling the feel of movements found in much more expensive watches.
Zelos has wisely chosen the SW300 as the base movement, and adding to it a Technotime TT651 module. This combination introduces a big date complication located beneath the 12 o’clock position and a 24-hour dual time subdial above 6 o’clock. To put the value into perspective, Bell & Ross utilize the same TT651 module in a 42mm watch, pricing their carbon version (BR03-51 GMT Carbon) at $4900 and the titanium version (BR 03-51 GMT Titanium) around $4200. Other brands like Tag Heuer and Baume & Mercier have also used this module in the past on watches upwards of $3500. Value aside, that should give prospective buyers some comfort knowing that this module has been tried and tested over the last decade.
The TT651 module and the underlying SW300 movement are both finished to a high standard, featuring perlage and Geneva stripes, as well as a custom rotor design inspired by the North Star. This level of detail in the movement and module, alongside the overall finishing, exceeds what is commonly found in watches within a similar price range.
On The Wrist
The dimensions of this watch, with its 40mm diameter, 12.5mm thickness (inclusive of the crystal), and a lug-to-lug measurement of 47mm, complement my 6.75″ wrist size well. Notably, the thickness, while measured at 12.5mm, attributes at least 2mm to the domed crystal alone, contributing to the watch’s sleek profile. Moreover, the flat case-back plays a role in ensuring the watch maintains a low center of gravity, resulting in a sleek wrist presence.
The leather-backed canvas strap supplied with the watch was a pleasant surprise in terms of quality and comfort, to the extent that I felt no urge to swap it out for another. This feels like one of those straps that I would enjoy ‘breaking in’ with a lot of sweat and wrist time. But this watch is a loaner so I behaved myself.
Wrapping Up
This watch excels in its specifications, incorporating high-end and relatively uncommon materials such as forged carbon for the case and smoked sapphire for the dial. It features a practical complication, at least to me, presented in a distinctly Zelos manner, complete with the brand’s signature impressive lume. The build quality and finishing of the watch are commendable, and it is likely to fit comfortably on most wrists. Moreover, while the price range of $1850-$2200 may not initially seem like “value”, a comparison with other watches offering similar specifications or aesthetics reveals that this you’ll find that the Zelos is punching well above their weight class, and that is the Zelos way. So if you are into the transparent/skeletonized modern aesthetic, this is a pretty special watch and might be worth adding to your collection. I’m certainly thinking of adding one to mine.
