For a while now I've had a yearning for a German pilot style watch. I've always liked the clean simple lines and easy to read face. The issue for me was size; the Steinhart (aka debaufre) at 44mm is still a little large and, besides, I wanted an automatic movement. The Archimede fits the bill.
Archimede is a brand name of Ickler. They are a small family watch company based in Pforzheim Germany. They have been in the watch manufacturing business since 1924 where they produce the Limes brand, the one handed DEFAKTO brand and the Archimede. All their cases are made in-house which I find attractive since I have little interest in companies that simply act as a marketing outlet.
The Archimede Pilot comes in 3 sizes 45mm,42mm and 39mm. The watch I selected was the 42mm Pilot Titan, a titanium case with ETA2824-2 movement. This movement allows for a fairly thin case at 9.9mm. This combination results in a watch that fits my spindly 'sparrow' wrists quite nicely.
Overall finish on the watch is excellent, the case has a satin finish but is easily recognized as being titanium. It is light, really light; at 65grams it's 11grams lighter than its steel counterpart. I've worn it several times playing golf and I hardly know its there.
I was surprised to find no serial number on the watch but I guess it's only required when the manufacturer wants to dispute your warranty claim; the warranty is 2 years by the way.
The watch sports a sapphire crystal front glass and a mineral back glass. The base ETA movement is pleasing to the eye although I would like to see the manufacturers name engraved on the winding weight. No AR, but with the black face it really doesn't seem to need it even though the crystal is flat.
The strap is a thin, high grade, leather strap with removable titanium buttons. The inner surface of the strap has a synthetic lining which, Ickler claim, is beneficial to people with skin allergies. I couldn't comment on that other than to say the proportions of the strap suit the watch. I have PAM's with thick straps which seem to suit this style of watch.
The lume is quite good although I have always found this to be novelty factor since I have never seen lume (and I have several Tritec equipped watches) that realistically last more than a few minutes unless deliberately charged under a floodlight.
Cost, well with shipping and VAT it was $584. I believe this is somewhat higher than it was a few years ago but I suspect this is a consequence of the significant increases we have seen from ETA. Customs did not seem to take any interest in it and it was delivered in around a week by fedex.
Almost all the watches I've purchased I've been pleased with but some watches seem to get more wrist time than others. Having passed the initial pleasure phase of this new watch I can say that this will definitely be on the frequent list along with my PAM 177, DSN Fifty Fathoms and Oris Gen. What makes a nice watch is clearly in the eye of the beholder since few people know, or care, about the difference between a Timex and a Rolex; present company excluded of course.
Enjoy!
Archimede is a brand name of Ickler. They are a small family watch company based in Pforzheim Germany. They have been in the watch manufacturing business since 1924 where they produce the Limes brand, the one handed DEFAKTO brand and the Archimede. All their cases are made in-house which I find attractive since I have little interest in companies that simply act as a marketing outlet.
The Archimede Pilot comes in 3 sizes 45mm,42mm and 39mm. The watch I selected was the 42mm Pilot Titan, a titanium case with ETA2824-2 movement. This movement allows for a fairly thin case at 9.9mm. This combination results in a watch that fits my spindly 'sparrow' wrists quite nicely.
Overall finish on the watch is excellent, the case has a satin finish but is easily recognized as being titanium. It is light, really light; at 65grams it's 11grams lighter than its steel counterpart. I've worn it several times playing golf and I hardly know its there.
I was surprised to find no serial number on the watch but I guess it's only required when the manufacturer wants to dispute your warranty claim; the warranty is 2 years by the way.
The watch sports a sapphire crystal front glass and a mineral back glass. The base ETA movement is pleasing to the eye although I would like to see the manufacturers name engraved on the winding weight. No AR, but with the black face it really doesn't seem to need it even though the crystal is flat.
The strap is a thin, high grade, leather strap with removable titanium buttons. The inner surface of the strap has a synthetic lining which, Ickler claim, is beneficial to people with skin allergies. I couldn't comment on that other than to say the proportions of the strap suit the watch. I have PAM's with thick straps which seem to suit this style of watch.
The lume is quite good although I have always found this to be novelty factor since I have never seen lume (and I have several Tritec equipped watches) that realistically last more than a few minutes unless deliberately charged under a floodlight.
Cost, well with shipping and VAT it was $584. I believe this is somewhat higher than it was a few years ago but I suspect this is a consequence of the significant increases we have seen from ETA. Customs did not seem to take any interest in it and it was delivered in around a week by fedex.
Almost all the watches I've purchased I've been pleased with but some watches seem to get more wrist time than others. Having passed the initial pleasure phase of this new watch I can say that this will definitely be on the frequent list along with my PAM 177, DSN Fifty Fathoms and Oris Gen. What makes a nice watch is clearly in the eye of the beholder since few people know, or care, about the difference between a Timex and a Rolex; present company excluded of course.
Enjoy!
