AEXTR
- The Arab Gatsby
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
A friend, a brother and at times a pain, Ali AlAbdulhadi (a.k.a @ae.kix) has finally pulled something many of us have been waiting for. He has designed his own watch AExTR, true to his taste in watches, it’s a steel diver.
The watch is something you would expect from a vintage diver, but new, it’ll make sense trust me. The watch completely from the case to the bracelet has been coated to look like a watch that’s been through tough times, the bezel is aluminum and faded to give it that vintage look. Which stands out but what stands out more is the fact the case is a Destro case, meaning it’s a left-handed watch. Similar to the Rolex Sprite and the Tudor Pelagos LHD, which I see a lot of in this watch but more wearable.
When I say more wearable that’s because the watch case is 39mm and the lug to lug is 47mm, not just that the watch sits at 12mm thick. Add all that together and you’ve got a watch that can truly be worn almost every day and almost on every occasion. With the watch having a destro case the worry of the crown digging into your wrist is something you don’t have to worry about anymore because the crown is on the other side.
Powering this beautiful watch is the Miyota 9000 Japanese automatic movement. Considered a work horse and an extremely solid movement, it has a 42-hour power reserve. The movement is usually compared to the Seiko NH movement, but it actually seen as a step above the Seiko movement by many collectors. Staying true to the origins of its diver roots the watch has a water resistance of 200m.
The black dial is beautiful, contrasted by two aspects of this watch. First, it’s the faded 24-click bidirectional aluminum bezel, which lends it to the vintage motif of the watch. Drawing from the Tudor LHD Pelagos the sword hands and the indices have painted lume on the dial, which is in this beige color but still very visible when the lights go out.
The caseback is engraved with a couple of things, including the issue number of the watch because the watch is limited to 50 pieces only. What engulfs the caseback is a giant pineapple. Yes, a pineapple. Odd I know, but I asked Ali on why there is a pineapple on the caseback and what the significance would be? His answer, and I quote “I love pineapples” such words of wisdom. Finally, engraved on the caseback is actual words of wisdom “Follow your path, not the noise.”
Do I love the watch? I do it resembles a watch that I really couldn’t validate purchasing but making it a piece that looks that has been tested through time, the Pelagos LHD. The build quality is something that is remarkable, and there is a reason for that because it was built by non-other than RCAPH, which I have talked about previously. Remember the watch is limited to 50 pieces, get them as soon as you can because from what I’ve seen these will be sold out QUICKLY.
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