Hands-On With The Brand-New Baltic Hermétique Tourer
Today, Baltic introduces the Hermétique Tourer collection. This is an adventure-focused everyday watch that comes in four colors. As we have grown accustomed to from Baltic, the styling and proportions are distinctly vintage. Still, the lack of faux patina makes these watches feel fresh and current at the same time. And all of this comes at a price lower than the average regular Rolex service. Time to go hands-on and see what’s what!
If it all looks and sounds a tad familiar, that makes sense. The case shares much of its styling with the IWC Hermet case from the 1940s. Baltic subtly refers to this inspiration in the name Hermétique Tourer. Still, this is far from a straight homage. I got to wear the green and brown versions for a while, so here are my findings.
Baltic Hermétique Tourer specs
So, what do we have here? The Baltic Hermétique Tourer is a 37mm time-only watch, measuring 46mm from lug to lug and a svelte 10.8mm thick. That includes the heavily domed sapphire crystal with an antireflective coating on the underside. As the name suggests, you get robust water resistance at 150 meters. The case back is simple, plain steel with some specs lasered in.
Inside ticks the automatic Miyota caliber 9039. It beats at a 28,800vph frequency and has its accuracy rated at -10/+30 seconds per day. The power reserve is specified at 42 hours. You operate the caliber via the flat crown that sits flush within the case flank, as on the IWC Hermet.
But the most eye-catching features of these new watches are the dials. They are rather intricate and executed in beautiful matte colors. You can have your pick of green, blue, beige, or brown. Contrary to the current trend, none of them have a fumé effect, which I am glad to see. They do have a black outer ring, though, which is home to the minute track. Two narrow, polished bands divide the colored section and the black ring. The raised numerals and indices are solid lume blocks, featuring C3 on the green and brown dials and BGW9 on the blue and beige ones.
Strap and bracelet options for the Hermétique Tourer
If you know Baltic, you know that the brand likes to provide you with plenty of strap options. Things are no different here. And even if there is nothing standard to your liking, the 20mm lug spacing and quick-release pins allow for infinite switching. There are even drilled lug holes in case your existing straps don’t feature quick-release spring bars.
Baltic offers an FKM rubber strap in the vintage Tropic style and a range of colors. You can pick one that matches the dial of your choice, or you can go wild with contrasting options. If you prefer a stainless steel bracelet, you have two to choose from. There is a beads-of-rice or a flat-link bracelet that will both fit the watch.
I found the flat-link looked a bit cheap and shiny. In my humble opinion, it didn’t bring out the best in the watch. The BOR feels more substantial, and it blends with the watch’s style a bit better. This makes sense as the BOR is — like the case — a 1940s style, while the flat-link is more strongly associated with late 1950s and 1960s Speedmasters. Both bracelets come with a double-pushbutton deployant clasp. The BOR has six closely spaced fine adjustment holes, while the flat-link bracelet only has two. You will need a toothpick or something similar to use them.
Wearing the Baltic Hermétique Tourer
When I unboxed the two Hermétique Tourer watches, the dials and hour markers jumped out at me right away. The luminous indices are bold and bright, and while the subdued matte-colored dials play second fiddle to them, that’s not bad at all. The resulting combination is extremely legible, which is great for an adventure watch — or for any watch, actually.
On the wrist, the fit is great. The following is subjective, but 37mm is such a great size for a GADA-style watch like this. It is classically subtle but not decidedly small, just like many 35–36mm watches. On my 17cm wrist, I would call this size neutral. Unless you are an aficionado with particularly strong opinions on size, I think no one would ever comment on these being either small or large if they spotted me wearing one. The relatively long lugs add to the wrist presence, somewhat modernizing the diameter. I am sure many watch lovers would like to have a bigger option, but that’s just not the Baltic way.
The colors are subdued but quite particular nonetheless. If you plan to buy this as an actual GADA watch, I would advise you to take into account which one suits your wardrobe best. Otherwise, you may find them clashing a little more often than you would like.
The good and the bad
As mentioned, the Hermétique Tourer costs less than your regular Rolex service. And it packs a whole lot of punch for its €550 (on rubber) or €630 (on bracelet) price tag. The Miyota caliber is affordable but good. The dials are quite beautiful, and the 10.8mm thickness paired with 150m water resistance is downright impressive. Furthermore, even though the case should be considered a bit of a homage, the overall design still feels original and fresh.
So, is it all great? Well, of course, some corners need to be cut to deliver this much at this price. Let me start with the dials. The indices may be ceramic lume blocks, but upon closer inspection, there is some roughness here and there, and I saw some small alignment issues. Then again, you don’t expect perfection at this price, so I am not saying this is subpar by any means. I am merely stating where you are conceding to maintain this price in today’s market.
Lastly, operating the crown isn’t the greatest tactile experience. There is quite a bit of resistance due to the seals. Being this narrow, it doesn’t provide a lot of grip, and it is a bit sharp. However, this is also completely explicable. You cannot have the Hermet-style case with the flush crown and a comfortable touch, much like you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Closing thoughts on the Baltic Hermétique Tourer
I feel that Baltic is adding another great watch to its collection with the Hermétique Tourer. Looking at the existing lineup, this new model fits in seamlessly. It is right on-brand in every respect and should certainly resonate with the Baltic fanbase.
Baltic excels at choosing the right compromises to make a compelling offering. A reliable movement and solid build matter a lot more than the tiny refinements I mentioned above. Those are the kinds of diminishing returns you get once you start looking at much more expensive watches.
Would I recommend the Baltic Hermétique Tourer to potential buyers? Certainly. If its outspoken style and vintage spirit speak to you, I don’t think you can go wrong here.
Pricing and availability
Excluding VAT, the Baltic Hermétique Tourer is priced at €550 on the FKM rubber strap and €630 on the steel bracelets. In true Baltic fashion, the first 200 pieces of each color are individually numbered. They will go on sale in the Baltic webshop on October 10th at 4:00 PM Paris time (CEST). Delivery will take place in early November.
What do you think of this new Baltic release? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
