Hands-On With The New Méraud Bonaire MkII In Green, Blue, And Black
About four years ago, I was looking for the dive watch with the best blue dial out there. The maximum budget was somewhere around €1,500. Even though the Méraud Bonaire sold for “only” €635 then, it still made the final two, together with the Zodiac Sea Wolf Topper Edition. Ultimately, I chose the Zodiac because it had a quirky checkered bezel. Today, Méraud launched an updated version of its Bonaire that would most definitely win against the Zodiac.
The original Méraud Bonaire, which was launched on Kickstarter, looked very nice, especially for that price, as it also had a Swiss STP movement. But to me, the proportions on that watch were a bit off. The bezel was a tad narrow, and the dial had a bit too much open space. Also, while the case had a respectable 12.5mm thickness, it still looked quite chunky. However, I’m very happy to tell you that Stijn, the founder of Méraud, addressed all those points on the new Bonaire MkII. Let’s take a look.
The new Méraud Bonaire MkII
The Méraud Bonaire MkII
The name of the Méraud Bonaire is inspired by an island in the southern Caribbean, right off the coast of Venezuela. Judging by the pictures I saw when I googled the place, this is one of the best spots to dive and enjoy the underwater wildlife. It’s exactly the kind of place where this watch, with its heavily vintage-inspired diver’s design, would feel most at home. It’s almost like you’re looking at a reincarnation of the Blancpain Bathyscaphe MC4. But that’s something Stijn is very honest about. And hey, if Blancpain isn’t making the dive watches we’re waiting for, why shouldn’t other brands try to do so?
The Bonaire MkII’s circularly brushed stainless steel case is 39mm in diameter and measures 48.6mm from lug to lug. At 12.2mm thick, it’s a little slimmer than its predecessor, and the design of the mid-case has been adjusted to also make it feel this way on the wrist. The lugs still have an elegant polished chamfer and practical holes to make strap changes a breeze. Slightly overhanging the case, the 40mm bezel has a sharp coin edge and an acrylic insert with lumed markers and numerals underneath. The top-hat crystal above the dial and the exhibition window on the case back are both made of sapphire and feature a colorless antireflective coating on the underside.
A Maxi dial
As I said, I felt like the proportions on the previous Bonaire were slightly off. This was most noticeable on the dial. The hour markers just seemed too small or placed too far toward the edge of the dial. The bezel was also thinner, so in the end, there was a lot of blank space in the middle of the dial. It all felt a bit naked. This is something that Stijn addressed on the Bonaire MkII. The applied markers, including the numerals at 12 o’clock, are now much bigger and fatter. It looks like a Maxi dial, and with the wider bezel, everything is much more balanced.
The Bonaire MkII comes in three different colors. The Gloss Black and Moss Green versions both feature a glossy dial, while the Marine Blue version has a sunburst dial. Both the green and the blue ones have white printing, white Super-LumiNova, and silver hardware. On the other hand, the black one features gilt-colored printing and hardware with Old Radium Super-LumiNova. Finally, the double-pointed baton hands also look more substantial than those from the original Bonaire, and there’s a lollipop seconds hand now. After seeing the three versions side by side and on my wrist, I think the green one is my favorite.
La Joux-Perret G101
I mentioned that a Swiss STP movement powered the original Bonaire. The Bonaire MkII also features a Swiss movement, but this time, it’s made by La Joux-Perret. And if I believe my dear colleague Thomas, who’s building his very own watch right as we speak, the quality of LJP movements is slightly above that of Sellita, quite a respected movement maker. So in addition to the refined design on the exterior, the Bonaire also got a significant upgrade on the inside.
You can operate the automatic caliber G101 through the signed screw-down crown at 3 o’clock. If you fully wind the watch, it’ll have a comfortable power reserve of 68 hours. The movement also features 24 jewels, runs at 28,800vph, and hacks, allowing you to precisely set the time. Oh, and did I already mention that the watch is also water resistant to 200 meters? The Bonaire MkII certainly isn’t all about the looks because, as you can see, it’s also a very capable watch. And I didn’t even mention one of my favorite features — the riveted bracelet.
You can choose to get the MkII on a stainless steel Oyster-style bracelet or a Tropic-style rubber strap. And just like on the original, that bracelet features actual rivets (did you hear that, Tudor?). In addition, it now also comes with an on-the-fly micro-adjustment mechanism.
Final words
And that brings us to the price of the new Méraud Bonaire MkII. With all those design updates, the movement upgrade, and a new toolless micro-adjustable clasp, this watch certainly won’t sell for €635, right? Indeed, it does not. Nevertheless, I still think that a price of €925 (excluding taxes) on the Tropic-style rubber strap or €1,025 (also excluding taxes) on the bracelet is still very acceptable. And because the price difference between the two is relatively small, I would recommend getting the watch on that magnificent bracelet. You can always buy yourself a rubber strap if you don’t have one lying around already.
I can confidently say that the Méraud Bonaire MkII is a properly grown-up version of the 2018 original. The overall design feels more balanced, it has an excellent automatic caliber inside, and the bracelet is even better than before. What else would you want from a watch that costs you somewhere around €1,200 total? Well, as a nice bonus, and as you can see from the pictures above, it also wears very nicely on the wrist.
The Méraud Bonaire MkII is available as of today from the official Méraud website. Please also click that link if you’d like to know more about it.
What do you think of the Méraud Bonaire MkII? Let me know in the comments below.
