The Promethus has been on my radar for some time. Your review has focused on details that i otherwise wouldn't have considered. I will be purchasing soon. Thank you Toni!
Fantastic review as always! I recently picked up one of these, albeit in baby blue with no date. The build quality is outstanding, the legibility even in low light is excellent, the lume is off the scale, and the overall design is wonderful - my local watchmaker was very impressed when he was fine-tuning the bracelet for me, and that guy is very rarely impressed! However, I do have some niggles with the bracelet. Like you, I find the overall finishing doesn't quite match the case and dial. The lack of articulation is also annoying - the end links around the lugs flare out, making the watch wear a little larger than its stated dimensions. I've got big wrists, so it's fine for me, but it also makes rehousing the watch in its box a bit of a squeeze. The worst thing though is the sharp edges on the links - I found that they scratched my wrist at times, making the wearing experience uncomfortable. Once I swapped out the bracelet for FKM rubber though, it's become my daily wear. Overall, I think it's a fantastic watch, especially for the price. It's really solid and will certainly last for many years. If Prometheus can soften that bracelet and make it articulate better, the Jacmanta could be damn near perfect.
Manta rays must be (among) the most alien things on this planet. Love them, such unique creatures! PS I always thought this is the brand Carlos is "playing" with, in a more personal way. Borealis on the other hand is the "selling" one...
I agree, Stavros, I watched a couple of videos on Manta Rays while documenting the review, majestic aliens, indeed! Yeah, I got the feeling Prometheus is Carlos' "baby" where he gets to express himself, while the Borealis is the safer, more commercial brand.
This is not the watch I want, but I can recognise that for a large watch this strikes a good balance. I have to agree with your observations on the bracelet's integration and stylistic coherence. It's clearly a realistic aim to improve this, so Carlos should attempt it in my opinion. It's always nice when the rugged and rudimentary impression of a watch turns out to be deceptive when appreciating the finish. This reminds me of Nadir, where that certainly seemed to apply. That too, is a larger watch, and I prefer the detailing Nadir offers. For a debut at a very similar price (if on a strap, not a bracelet), it reminds us how much we can now expect of microbrands and that we are spoilt for choice. Also, it strikes me that if we make an effort, that club of micros surviving 10-20 years may actually be growing quite rapidly. It's very difficult to keep track. Also, I think that probably most EU brands will (if not should) subtract taxes from the sales price when shipping outside of the EU. I personally wish it was the other way around, and that most brands would collect taxes and advertise prices including all costs to the customer. That would make comparing a lot fairer and easier. Really, isn't it especially large parts of the USA that are the exception where one can import up to 800USD tax free?
I can assure you there are quite a few EU microbrands that will sell outside EU with the VAT attached. There really are not that many brands active that were founded 10 years ago, let alone 15. I would say the average "age" of the "more established" micros is 6-7 years, which is actually quite spectacular, seeing how much has been achieved in such short time. This was my first contact with Prometheus and I was glad to see the Borealis quality is there, just in a bigger package.
@@watchyawantI don't think that kind of selling practice is excusable. With regards to the age, I'm noticing I get surprised more and more about how long certain micros have been around. Regularly, only more recent models have generated broader attention. Wise is such example, now into its 16th year. Bravur, which I hold dearly, is 13 already. Fellow countryman Epoch is 22. Formex is 25. But then, a brand like Monta is surprisingly only 8. The average age is sure to be low, as so many new brands start each month, it would seem, and many also disappear relatively swiftly.
