Russell my man! Thanks so much for the review mate. I'm watching on a beach on holiday and grinning from start to finish. All points noted, especially about the crown, and I hope that future watches might impress yer Mrs a bit more 😂 Cheers mate!!
Hey Jody, have to say, when I first saw it I found it a bit too toolish for my taste. But it's really growing on me now! Gives me some U50 vibes too. BG9 is fantatstic, though personally I find lumed bezels a bit gimmicky. I like the red accents on the black dial, but if you had gone for orange instead I would have preferred it. Wishing you massive succees with this fantatstic entry and huge success 🧡
I ordered a purple one with the curved mid links and strap pack on launch day. I’ve been a massive fan of JOMW for ages now, and bought watches from Jody himself 2nd hand. I couldn’t help but support someone who is a great bloke, and has inspired me greatly on my collecting journey. Also the best value purple dial I’ve seen, and it’s a colour I’ve been wanting to add for ages. Super excited to take delivery of mine!
Wondering when yours will be shipped? Mine says March. A bit miffed that so many are avail for review and I have to wait 5 months. Purchased within 24 hours of release btw.
@@patrickhartmann1540 it’s march at the latest, will depend on sales etc I’m led to believe, and yes, these review watches are prototypes, the production models will have most of the niggles ironed out :)
I'm constantly anticipating the wife's review because I believe it's vital to obtain perspectives from everyday people who may not share a passion for horology. Reviewers should frequently include the input of regular individuals, asking for their initial impressions of the watch. 😁
I agree but I also think men have a very different opinion about watch design. Women generally speaking, aren’t into the more practical, toolish look as much as men.
I think it's a fantastic watch overall. The same thing from Seiko is about 75 more, so not too bad, IMO. I think people have last year's prices in their minds, because $299 is a fair price now. Yes, the movement could be better - a 9122 would be perfect -, but better movements jump up in price quite considerably.
To clarify - the lowest price I could find in the U.S. for a similar Seiko Dive ( Prospex SRPF03 ) watch of similar spec/movement, on sale from a legit local source was $379. Same movement, and by the looks of it, likely the same companies making the case and band - wherever Seiko is outsourcing those parts from. For those in the U.K., over at F&G ( MWC's favorite store he links to in his videos ), £332.50. So maybe not the killer deal over there, but here in the U.S.? Less money? Cool person we support and like to watch? Comes in many colors? Absolute winner! :)
The Seiko is Hardlex though you gotta go up way more than that to get Sapphire from Seiko. Not to mention several questionable design choices on that Seiko. The knurling on the bezel looks almost non existent and what's the point of crown guards if the crown is gonna stick out 12 lightyears past them? Not a good looking watch (in my eyes that is) and I generally like me some Seiko. After that it's nitpicky things but like no lume on the bezel for example. I know it's not always fair comparing micro-brands to the big boys as there's just certain things we expect with micro-brands and things we know the big boys don't wanna give us for whatever reason. But I wouldn't say that's a similar spec comparison if it's not Sapphire at the very least.
@@MN12BIRD Well, yes, it is clear that he asked for specific improvements to be made, and as such it really is a fine watch for the money. :) To me, the attention to the lume and the sapphire glass upgrade are bonuses :)
The more I look at it versus what it's based off of, the more I love it. :) I wish there was a light silvery white though - like Seiko does in the Grand Seiko faces. The colors are fine but the second hand is.. interesting. Not bad, but.. interesting. So a 2.0 that's a little more refined seems possible?
Wow, *major HELM Vanuatu vibes* ... While I respect him for taking the plunge as a new watch microbrand, he brutally criticized Citizen with the Promaster Challenge Diver re-issue for following the design of *their own watch* and being too boring, and now he's making a watch that is heavily inspired (putting it mildly) by *another microbrand* (HELM) ..
Jody took the Tudor FXD bezel , Pelagos hour markers, bracelet from Ball, and used the same sword hands in my steinhart titanium GMT to make the Erebus. Looks ok 👍🏻
They went down the safe route as far as design. I agree with the wife the hands look a bit generic, broken toothpicks 😅... but overall its not a bad watch. Loom is great. I would not pay more than the current asking price. Cheers 🎉
Agreed I think for the first watch they could of went a little bit more to it. There's is SOOOOO many watches out there that are alot like this. I think Jody wanted to use his name in the budget watch world to sell this watch and brand instead of the watch doing the work
It’s a nice watch at a fair price, methinks. The branding puts me off, though. Erebus? Dark Lord? Sounds juvenile. Not for me but I wish Jody well and love his channel.
My first reaction was Helm vibes as well which I think is a very good thing in this case. I think they definitely have their own identity but the entire package at that price along with the overall design makes it an excellent alternative to a Helm piece. With their current waiting lists being right out of hand at the moment I can see these watches being very popular. I really wish Jody and his partner all the best with their new brand. ❤
Top notch Russ. Dial looks a bit flat for me and I’d prefer 39mm, if not then 40mm. Don’t dislike the watch and Jody is such a nice guy you gotta hope it goes well for him but for me it lacks a wow factor and isn’t making me have to try to resist getting my credit card out. Movement is no issue to me though NH35 is all good, reliable and super cheap to replace and readily a bailable if it goes wrong. Big question is…… did you place an order??🤪
It's got some Helm and Sinn vibes I really like. Never liked skeletonised watches because to me legibility is one of the prime features of any watch, so this one, oh hell yeah! I actually find the choice for the NH35 a good one. It's precise enough and won't break the bank in the unlikely case it should somehow fail. In my opinion Jody et al. have a winner here, especially at this price.
Loving the Eddie Izzard vibe. I appreciate your passion which is why I’m a subscriber. Just ordered both the purple fumé Ascent on the jubilee and the purple Origin 38 (since the light blue and pink ones were sold out…). Can’t wait to add these to my rotation. Thanks for thorough and entertaining review!
The watch is good value and appears to be well made. Positive points for the build, the movement, sapphire glass, and a good price point. For me (and this is purely a personal me thing) I find the colours and the face don't really pop and are bland and generic. I've viewed a couple of reviews now to see if it is a problem with lighting conditions but no it is the way the watch is. I am looking forward to seeing where Erebus progresses from here with other watch types/designs and wish them success with this first round of watch designs.
Hello Russell, you really pulled out all the stops for this review, including Kurt and Mr Pagani. Great! This is a lovely watch and , for me, the way the square of the second hand lines up with the hour markers makes it beautifully hypnotic.
Firstly a well deserved pat on the back to Jody, had a dream and made his own watch 👏, now it's a nice looking watch , like it being brushed rather then polished, love the doxa inspired hands , and overall a very strong 8/10 for sure but and this is just my opinion before anyone gets there knickers in a twist, its a bit same old same old, yes first watch , playing it some what safe blah blah, but it just slides ever to easy into the middle of an already very flooded divers watch market, i cant see anyone outside of these few channels really giving it a second look, of course i wish jody great success regardless with this new adventure 👍🏻
Put mine on order and the first hour or so it was available… I went with the orange, as I was just thinking recently, that I didn’t have much orange in my collection of way too many watches. Yes it looks a little bit like the Helm… however I have a couple of helm watches, and they are big, chunky 15 mm thick and 200 g or more… This will suit a lot more wrists I would imagine. The only thing I would’ve liked to have seen is something other than flat sapphire… Boxed or domed would’ve been nice… But I realize at 299 there have to be some trade-offs and this one checks all the boxes for that “ spec check.”
By and far my favorite watch reviewers are you and Jody whom I watch religiously. I so hope for the best for Jody and his partner (in crime). These watches are beautiful and maximum quality for the buck, but for me they’re missing those little details that make them unique. Some of my favorite micro brand watches that have those special unique cositas are Sherwood Commander, or Draken Tugela (Jody’s most recent review). But definitely “A good solid go” as said at the Design House.
Love JOMW and your channel, both have influenced and informed my watch purchases over the years. That said, this is a pretty vanilla offering from Jody. A lot of boxes were ticked, but at the cost of creativity perhaps? If Jody wasn't reviewing his own watch, he'd be pretty apathetic toward this mid looking watch.
Another great review! I like the look of this one. Jodi did a good job! And I, for one, don't mind him choosing the NH35 movement. I know on paper the Miyota 9K series is a better movement, but I hate the thing. It only winds in one direction so you can feel it and hear it on wrist. It feels like the gears are made of rocks when you have to interact with it, and they seem much more fragile than the NH35 (I'm taking my Mitch Mason Maelstrom to the shop today, dropped it yesterday and it stopped working. Never had that happen with an NH35). Another great show Russell! Keep it up!
Great first watch! (for Jody that is, I'm not saying it's a 'starter' watch, although if you can afford the Erebus as your starter watch then more power to ya!). It's 2 or 3 mm bigger than I'd like myself as my wrist is only 7.25". I love the textured dial and angular 'faceted' cut to the case. I especially love the bracelet, it's got a little of that Sinn H-link vibe going on, and I'd buy that on it's own if it were available! On the fly micro adjust is just unbeatable for comfort, and once you've gone there, there's simply no going back. Great review, and watch 👍
Great review MWC and good one Jody for creating a watch. The black and blue models are the best. I’m saving for a Pelagos 39, so should love these watches, but it looks like a cheap copy, so I’ll save my £300 and stick it in the Pelagos fund
Great review mate. I purchased the purple dial when they dropped last week. There's a definite Helm Vanuatu vibe from the design, but hey, I don't have a Vanuatu, so it wont feel too similar to anything else in my collection. Jody and Mr.P were really smart with their first release. Sure, it's a tad 'safe', but the specs on it are definitely going to appeal to as broader audience as possible. No issues with an NH35 movement. Sure, a higher beat Miyota would have been better, but I have plenty of watches with both, and once again, it's a decision made to keep costs down, and I'm totally cool with that. Can't wait to get my purple dial. Love the textured look on it, and its just the right shade of purple. I'm definitely going to get my monies worth out of this watch, plus, I've spent the last few years enjoying watching Jody's content on RU-vid for free, so happy to give him a few bucks to pick up his new watch.
I think this will hit Helm hard. I waited over 18 months for a Helm Khuraburi and it wasn't worth the wait. By the time I got it, I'd moved on. Sold it. Was a nice watch but nothing amazing. I would order a blue of this and as long as you can get one within say a month...bonus! I might wait and see if a no date version appears.
I certainly see the Helm reference, although it reminds me even more of watches from Sinn. I would definitely have gotten the purple one myself if they weren't so much larger than what I prefer, especially with the bracelets jutting out so much, but very good value for money, that's for sure! Very entertaining review as well, cheers
It is not very often that I get to see reviews from several reviewers at the same time for exactly the same watch. First, I liked the watch so I bought one. I have been a big fan of Dr. Jodie for a few years. However, your review, though presented as silly, was more thoughtful, accurate, and on target than the others. Impressive review.
It's just Jodie by the way. This is coming from someone who has also completed a PhD. People only use Dr if they want some clout in the industry they're working in, which Jodie is not.
Best review as usual. You and Jodi are top tier imo when it comes to watch reviews! I think the watch is nice. Not a home run, but definitely a step in the right direction. I think as long as they keep it around this price point it will do well if they raise the price that will be an absolute mistake because this watch will not be worth it at that point. Or worth more than the Helm .So I’ll wait it out for a little bit and see what happens. Cheers!
Big Jody and JOMW supporter and fan. I bought Jody's JOMW logo Arcaido from his 2022 SOTC video and high bid on the MR-G when he drove in the charity rally a few months back. Always great interactions with him and he is a true gentleman! I've ordered four of the Origins - Black, Blue, Red and Teal - will keep one or two and give the others as gifts to some family and friends. Agree this is not a watch-community shattering first offering, but HUGE value for money. As far as comparisons to Helm - which I own several of - the massive difference is you wont be on a 18 to 24 month waitlist for an Erebus. Well done MWC and JOWM.
My only problem is the printed dial, I would have much preferred applied indices but it looks like it's been done to keep costs down and that's a deal breaker for me. I don't have any problems with the movement just so long as it's been nicely regulated. That name is a bit iffy though .. Erebus doesn't exactly sound very premium does it?
I think its a great micro band watch. It hits ALL the right notes with the date at 6, a good size, screw down crown, at the hints of color on the hands and dial (that red REALLY pops on the black dial version) and most importantly on the fly adjustment on the clasp..
Your wife should have her own show, always spot on with the critique. The logo looks like a reversed Thomas Earnshaw and the hands are straight from Casio's. But otherwise the watch is good.
Great first diver from Jody. Looking at my Cestrian dive master I realise how similar the case shape is. Specs are also very similar although the Cestrian is rated at 300m. Quite fancy the blue Erebus.
Ouch! Your wife, as always, has the edge. Love to hear her thoughts. Agreed on the Erebus on all points (just from seeing it). I hope he sells loads of them...
Ordered a yellow one. It gives me a rugged look wich i love. It will be a unicorn among all of my Casios and my only analog😅 But i fell completly in love with it
Well, I don’t have a single watch with an NH-35 inside so there’s no movement fatigue here. Since orange is my favorite color outside the watch realm I pre-ordered that one. Happy to support Jodie’s efforts with the EREBUS.
I wish both Jody and Steven all the best and continued success for many, many years to come. To my taste, the pale blue seems to be the best looking one (second only to the purple). In addition, I like that they decided not to go with a display case back b/c the NH35 is not the type of movement you really want to see … it’s kind of dull. As for the etching on the case back, it adds more character to the watch. Nice Summer colors too … even if, in my neck of the woods here in Canada, Summer has come and gone 😢 Thanks for this great show Russel 😊
I appreciate an honest review, and the detail about the movement was very on point. Not a big fan of purchasing online so far, but I think I'll go for that blue dial, it speaks to me. Price seems fair to me.
Great review Russ! Ya know, all things considered, that wasn't the worst review I've heard from Mrs. MWC. For a first watch, I'd say that's actually pretty good! :-)
I like that he is delivering watches. But for me a cheap version of the pelegos, not keen on it especially those massive crown guards. I prefer applied indices and prefer 9000 series movements, and not keen on the seconds hand flag, looks massive on the wrist, I have the nth Näcken so don't need these but really interested in his next models that i hope are more unique design and adventurous.
I have to say that I almost one hundred percent agree with your review and especially the Mrs. Love the look and the blue color which is also the sweet spot for me, as it reminds me of the Tudor Pelagos, but the crown and especially the movement kind of hold me back from pulling the trigger on the purchase but good luck to Jody with it as I'm sure there are many fans of his channel, who will take the plunge.
The instant I saw the black dial it immediately put me in mind of a black dial Helm Vanuatu and the instant I saw the blue dial it immediately put me in mind of the blue dial Helm Khuraburi. So I guess I'm trying to say they look Helm inspired?
@@bgav That's business. If someone can go from a dead stop to out supplying the other, then you have to wonder what on earth the other company is doing. If there are two similar products and one can deliver in two weeks and the other takes two years... That's a long time in watch collecting. I know...I did it. Wasnt worth it.
Comprehensive and fair review! Though I can't afford a purchase at the moment ($300 US is my upper limit), the Erebus seems like a great value-for-money proposition. I wish Jody the best in his venture!
Lovely watch. I think the black variant's dial doesn't need the red tick marks at the major indices, e.g. 5, 10, 15 min etc. The pop of red on the second hand and "20 ATM" text are plenty enough to be tasteful. Also, can't hate on the NH35. It's a workhorse.
Jodi nailed this watch. Everything that he rails against watches not having, he has made sure that these watches have it all. I know that his company is going to boom. Oh and the price is FANTASTIC! Cheers and great review.
As you indicated your "bias" by stating how you are friends with Jody and acknowledge your familiarity and comfort with him as a professional and person (as have a couple of other reviewers I have seen review these watches), I will state mine. I have been into watches for only about 5 years now and JOMW was the first reviewer I came across. I appreciated and liked his reviews at the beginning until I started to get more knowledgeable and added several other reviewers to my portfolio. I am not so impressed with him as a professional reviewer these days - and I don't know him personally so that isn't part of my impression. Just a couple of my issues are that I think he is obviously biased against many "bigger" companies (especially Seiko) and likes to make snide comments within his reviews (usually in reviews of OTHER brands) and I really don't like his policy of accepting (many) free watches only to offset by "noting" that there is a promotion involved only to state that it has NOTHING TO DO with his totally objective reviews. While I think this is comical, I also think it is a borderline fraudulent practice and, at the least, he should offer these items as "prizes" to his viewers - as MANY other reviewers do.. instead of keeping all of these "gifts" for his own collection and use. These are just a couple of my issues with Jody. About his watch, at least you voiced the one major obvious problem that there is with these watches - they don't have any reason to exist as a brand. He has taken available, off-the-shelf type components (yes, not the worst available - except for the now outdated movement for a "new" brand) that we all could get - and put them together for us. Instead of going so much for "value" at the start, he should have gone with identifying a personality or distinction that gives them a reason for existing! If I wanted a "value oriented" , nice looking, good featured basic watch, I would absolutely go to AliExpress and get something more exciting and even cheaper. There is absolutely no compelling reason for this watch (or brand) to exist if they are just putting together base components with a bunch of colors and offering them at a relatively good deal - even if "fairly well done". Why does this deserve accepting so that he "might" actually offer a worthwhile watch "in the future"??!! And THAT is the elephant in the room. Jody, counting on his contacts and "friends" to push this watch brand out there based on his "biased" promotional instincts. The watch community wouldn't miss a beat if these watches never existed.
This is a very long message and I’ll try to reply the best I can. It is my understanding that because of the pandemic , Jody went full time into his channel. Part of his income will come from him selling the watches he gets for free for review if they do not fit his collection. That’s totally fine and he’s earned the right to do that from the thousands of hours it takes to build a channel like his up! He has never wavered on his strive to find value in watches in the 7 years he’s been running the channel and for just that alone, you have to see some worth in a watch he has created than just another ALIEXPRESS faceless watch with decent specs??? Also what we decide to review and showcase is our decision , you are entitled to do the same. He’s the one that will get caught out in the end if all us reviewers turned out to be giving biased reviews in order for him to ship a few more watches?! His reputation not only as a new watch brand but a reputable reviewer is on the line with this venture! Also, the only off the shelf component is the NH35 movement, everything else has been exclusively designed and produced for this product. Obviously this watch isn’t for you and it isn’t for me either , however this rant was deserving from a dude that has been open since day one?????
@@THEMADWATCHCOLLECTOR In your review you glossed over the elephant in the room which is how eerily close this Erubus brand debut watch is to the HELM Ventuatu. It's almost a carbon copy right down to the crosshairs logo... Not a great way to establish your own "brand" in my opinion. Put photos of them side by side, just a couple minor changes.
I think some of your comments are unfair. I am happy to be corrected but my understanding is Jody buys many of the watches he reviews so he is entitled to sell watches he does not wear or no longer needs, so that he can finance future watch reviews for his channel. Also you commented he is biased against some of the "bigger" companies. I see it more as a calling out of the lack of value presented by companies like Seiko who have not only pushed their pricing to the extreme but in many cases represent very poor value (for example Seiko's love affair with the awful "Hardlex" glass). JOMW has always been focused on the value end of the market and the promotion of micro-brands and Asian watch brands representing good value. We don't need yet another watch review channel promoting old man monstrosity watches like Rolex. As for his Origin watch it is not for me but I applaud Jody bringing it to market and it is good value if you look at the feature set. It may not be sexy or exciting but you know Jody has ensured QA on the watch so people are getting something that is well made and good value. I personally wish he had been a bit more adventurous with the design but then maybe this may have limited sales and may have been a risky move for a first watch release. Time will tell of course.
@@THEMADWATCHCOLLECTOR Wow. I appreciate the thoughtful response. You are one of my latest reviewers to be added to my list as I found you less than a year ago. Honestly, I started cynically, but have grown to enjoy and appreciate your content. Also, if I am going to spend my effort to respond, I will do my best to build a case and represent my comments. I don't want to look like I am throwing out just random, generic or purely personal notes - so I write longer, fuller comments. Plus, you have to admit I am responding for, typically, 20 minute video presentations. Of course, a reviewer is free to review anything they want for any reasons, but I am also sure we agree that there needs to be certain standards in place if someone is holding themselves up to be a "professional" or objective critic....Yes? Actually, in your response to support Jody, you really reinforced my point. We know Jody (and all reviewers ) have OPPORTUNITY to use a platform and you gave him motive to use it for his own agenda by stating that he would naturally benefit from "accenting" a review to the positive side where he would personally profit. I am not trying to disparage anyone at all - I am merely pointing out something that I have also seen from product reviewers where they state they often won't accept anything for themselves as it, OF COURSE, diminishes credibility! I have a number of other issues that I could point out about Jody's presentations that give subjective value that slants his analysis and, potentially, conclusions but instead I am going to include a link to another reviewer's video that I happened on just today as an example of something I respect more than a comparable one from Jody-even though this also includes a paid promotion. I know that this reviewer often distributes watches he receives for free to subscribers as awards. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uE7rOeGg6Cg.html I know the watch is new release, but from an existing microbrand, but it also reinforces my comment about Jody's watch being nothing special. A watch can be EXACTLY the sum of it's parts OR it can be MORE. This is an example of a watch that went for more (and it costs $290). You are in a position to do whatever you want with your platforms, just be aware when you put something out as a objective review for a buddy and pretend it is something more than a promotional piece, you do run a risk of having that infringe on your "real" reviews! On the other hand, I will be drinking a congratulatory toast to your wife regarding her upfront objective review! Cheers - and I will continue to be a part of your subscriber base as well.
@@THEMADWATCHCOLLECTOR Just did. Risked a hunch that you wouldn't. YT reviewers stick together... sort of mafia like. Cudos to the Mrs for not pulling punches as usual. 👌
When I first saw the Origin, it reminded of the Determined diver a little while ago. Love the textured dial and handset / markers. For a first attempt, it pretty good. I'm sure the next release will be finished better and look more refined.
Good movement. General design is OK (similar to Sinn watches) but it looks generic. No brown, green or grey dial colour options. Overall: decent watch.
To me, the non-applied logo aka branding of the watch disqualifies it...this lack of detail but Jody is very smart about watches and this watch taps a lot of bases. Btw, I have the same knock against Long Island watches. I would gladly pay a little more for better branding/refinement of the logo. A painted on brand logo doesn't cut it. If cheaping out on branding aka painted on and not applied, no logo and brand name only is the way to fly. A bit surprised Jody missed this attention to detail as he truly is a watch connoisseur.
Amazing watches. I would love one, sadly my watch collection is too fat and life bills sadly have to come first. I would have re ordered one for sure. The blue looks amazing.
Thanks for the review! I feel like this watch ticks all the case except the wow effect because of its generic design. Can feel you salute the effort and specs but you’re not fond of it. I’m still thinking if I’m buying it or not, because with import tax and other things, this will cost me around 450€, and I’m also interested about buying the metal square sometime in the end of the year… Cheers !
To be honest, it's an awesome watch, but with the same internals, what's the added value compared to something like an Invicta Pro Diver? Okay the bracelet and bezel are better.
looked at the dial and thought "Tudor Pelagos" looked at the case and bracelet and thought "helm" no doubt its going to be good so i ordered the white one.
It's a nice looking watch, certainly a crowd pleasing James Bond looking diver, nice big crown, perfect size for my wrist (7.5") 41mm & a strapoholic lug width of 20mm. Good job Jody.
That was an informative take - thank you; I have pre-ordered the blue one. To my eyes its a Pelagos/Vanuatu cross (I have both those watches and theye among my faves - along with Nite's Alpha) so its basically watch heaven for me. Cheers.
I kind of knew it was going look like this after watching the pre release video. It's a good alternative to the Vanuatu if you don't want to wait 2 years. However, the Helm is still very hard to beat in the sub $300 tool diver class with it's individual ISO test certificate and hand signed thank you note. They also rarely attract import duty to the UK via FedEx but will the same apply to Erebus using DHL?
The logo means EB derived from its name EreBus. I love the purple/black one so much, but I just cannot purchase it from my totally sanctioned country. Jody's brand new watches are amazing!
the first thing I noticed is the minute hand - its too blocky/chunky for my taste, but I'm more into field watches so maybe thats just me, those colour options are neat though but overall you cant complain at that price
