Henry Archer Akva Review: Even better than the Nordsø? This Danish brand is doing so much right

Рет қаралды 8,132

Күн бұрын

We previously explored the Nordsø and Nordlys and left impressed. Let's see if the Akva can live up to the high standards.
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More information is available here:
Henry Archer - henryarcher.com/en/
Tool Kit, Spring Bar Tool and Potential Strap Pairings:
Inexpensive Watch Tool Kit - amzn.to/3hLpIqI
(Recommend watching this video with sizing tips - • How to Easily Size Wat... )
Bergeon Spring Bar Tool - amzn.to/3O0xqM7
Helm Canvas Strap - Excellent quality and sufficient rigidity for heavier watches. Highly recommend and several colors and 20/22mm available: amzn.to/3ddWD60
Helm FKM Rubber Strap - Another fantastic bang for buck offering from Helm. Available in several colors and 20/22mm: amzn.to/3fKK438
Ritche Canvas Strap - Many colors and sizes: amzn.to/3vyo4PO
The popped up images of the different colorways belong to Henry Archer.
Henry Archer loaned me this watch to review. I did not receive compensation for filming this review. The statements contained within are only my opinion.
Included Amazon links are affiliate links and may qualify for compensation. Using these links helps to support the channel (even if you buy different items), doesn't cost you anything, and is greatly appreciated!

Пікірлер: 80

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Looking to make any purchases on Amazon? You can help support the channel FOR FREE by using my affiliate link: amzn.to/3O0xqM7 Using this link may earn a small commission for any items purchased, not just the one linked. Thanks for the support!

@petersimom 6 ай бұрын

I got this in the purple Spectral color-way. Absolutely love mine, excellent dial legibility and lume.

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Awesome! I've had the pleasure of checking out the Spectral DLC and that dial is gorgeous. Great shade of purple. Cheers

@AlexanderB. 6 ай бұрын

Henry Archer really is an aspiring microbrand. I agree, this watch is their best work to date. From some angles it reminds me of a Monta but of course without the price tag. Apart from the slippery bezel the minute hand is the only thing I personally would change by adding a bit of length. By the way, I really like their logo.

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Monta makes some excellent looking pieces too. The price is the only thing that's kept me from adding one. I really like their logo as well. The entire brand marketing presentation is always on point. Cheers

@michaelcienkowski3798 3 ай бұрын

I’ve been going back-and-forth all night on the different colorways but your review helped push me towards the coral green. Thanks for your efforts. Wonderful review.

@JonathanTReviews 3 ай бұрын

They never make it easy with so many attractive choices. This wasn't initially my top pick but I'm super happy with it and would choose the same. Glad I could help 😊 Thanks so much! Cheers

@dylanprodigypainting 3 ай бұрын

I just ordered this same color! Definitely something different! Love your channel. Great reviews buddy!

@JonathanTReviews 3 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! Awesome, you're going to love it! It always caught my eye in pics, but the color and range are much prettier in person. I regularly find myself looking at this one and the Vega (pink) Vesterhav next to each other 😍 Cheers

@Pixelpunch3 6 ай бұрын

Very well done and thorough video. I own a Henry Archer watch and wear it often, I’m a fan of the brand.

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! Agreed, Henrik is putting out some attractive and great quality watches for the money. Cheers

@44Magpie 6 ай бұрын

Excellent, comprehensive review! I have the purple dial variation with the beads of rice bracelet on the way and I'm really looking forward to it.

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for the kind words and support! You're going to love that Spectral! Cheers

@amoulet69 4 ай бұрын

Hi, that's just the combination I want to buy. Please let me know if you're happy with the choice and result in hand. Thank you.

@RobDTom Ай бұрын

I just ordered the blue meteorite. Can’t wait

@JonathanTReviews Ай бұрын

Very cool! You're going to love it! Cheers

@benferris3252 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for the review, I'm on the fence with the Akva Optic White or to skip towards a Vesterhav Raven. The wave dial reminds me of an aqua terra as well which is a huge plus

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

My pleasure! Tough call. I thoroughly enjoy this Akva, but am really looking forward to checking out the Vesterhav soon as well. Not sure which would be my choice, if it had to be only one. I'd recommend this Akva without hesitation, however, I expect the same will be true for the Vesterhav. Henrik is offering some extremely good watches for the money. The colors are incredible and the finishing far exceeds the price point. Cheers

@jimlittle5769 4 ай бұрын

Just bought this one. Same color, but with the other bracelet. Got their white rubber strap as well. Can't wait to get it.

@JonathanTReviews 4 ай бұрын

Awesome! That BOR would be my pick too. The 3 link is comfortable but I think the BOR will be more so. I really like the way it complements the bright, airy vibe of this dial. The white rubber will work great too. I think you're going to love it! I look forward to your thoughts. Cheers

@timetowatch_francois 4 ай бұрын

Love this AKVA but the blue meteorite dial looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing. I feel HA watches are underrated and should have much more showcasing. Thanks for being one of them 😅

@JonathanTReviews 4 ай бұрын

Henrik definitely makes it hard to pick a favorite! Couldn't agree more, though I expect they're going to grow quickly as more people experience them first-hand. My pleasure 🥂

@timetowatch_francois 4 ай бұрын

@@JonathanTReviews 😎👍🏼

@spg5658 6 ай бұрын

Just found this brand recently. I like this model (and this green is the best color for it IMO) but I like the Nordso better (haven't pulled the trigger yet ). Nice review, as usual!

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Thank you! They're both great watches and you can't go wrong with either, depending on style preference. The finishing is pretty awesome for the price. Cheers

@andrea81 6 ай бұрын

I have the akva with the other green dial (the darker) and bor bracelet. fantastic watch.

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

That's a great combo! I've really come around to BOR bracelets and often seem to prefer them of late (particularly these Henry Archer Watches and the Direnzo Eclipse).

@SteveFWatches 6 ай бұрын

My pick would be the blue meteorite and would have liked to see drilled lugs too

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Meteorite will never not be cool! Drilled lugs are functionally nice, but I'm not a fan of the look, particularly on a more refined/dressy diver like this one. For what it's worth, the QR bars were easy to access and swap in/out. Cheers

@robertgoldberg2358 2 ай бұрын

Fantastic review. Looking at dark green as light green doesn’t seem to be available now.

@JonathanTReviews 2 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! Unfortunately, I think the last of this Coral Green just sold out. On the plus side, they look amazing in each colorway. Big fan of this watch. Cheers

@-Jakob- 2 ай бұрын

use the search function

@drkbarry 4 ай бұрын

A really good review

@JonathanTReviews 4 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! Cheers

@davidcopeland5409 Ай бұрын

If it had crown guards it would be perfect

@JonathanTReviews Ай бұрын

I probably prefer the clean lines without but wouldn't mind some smooth flowing crown guards either. Cheers

@gmotionedc5412 6 ай бұрын

Yep I love mine!!

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

It is great! Cheers

@laurablockley1269 6 ай бұрын

I really like Henry archer. I think they are doing great things for the price. I do agree with your cons though, that minute hand needs to be longer and I really like a date on a dive watch. Dive watches for me are tools/daily beaters so for every day practicality I like mine to have a date. Shame the Henry archer dive watches don’t have a date. Great they have added tool less micro adjust to the clasp now though :) Lots to like.

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Fair points. I like the clean aesthetic without the date but know what you mean about the tool nature of dive watches. I'm sure we'll keep seeing more variety coming from the brand based on their offerings so far (including the upcoming Vesterhav). Cheers

@laurablockley1269 6 ай бұрын

@@JonathanTReviews I will definitely be keeping an eye on what they do :)

@Great-Scott 3 ай бұрын

Great review! This one looks great! I do wish they would pretend it's a diver a tad more by doing something like tick marks on the bezel between 0 and 10 or something like that, like they did on the Nordso.

@JonathanTReviews 3 ай бұрын

Thanks buddy! Yeah, between things like that and the slippery edge, it really leans dress diver (though I love it and that suits my needs). The dial texture and colors are excellent, as is the finishing.

@Great-Scott 3 ай бұрын

@@JonathanTReviews OK, I just bought one! :)

@JonathanTReviews 3 ай бұрын

@Great-Scott Awesome! I look forward to your thoughts and pics!

@PH-kl5qq 2 ай бұрын

Out of the Akva/Nordso/verterhav, whatd your fave and why? Im looking to get one, maybe in a funky colour.

@JonathanTReviews 2 ай бұрын

You can't go wrong with any, depending on personal preferences. For me, I'm torn between the Akva and Vesterhav as my favorite. I do give the edge to the Akva in profile proportions. It's pretty much perfection. The Nordsø was a bit case back dominant. In addition to the color options, it would largely come down to whether I wanted a dive or fixed bezel. Cheers

@kdawson143 Ай бұрын

I just got the new nordso purple meteorite DLC. Beautiful watch and well made. Emailed them and Henrik Emailed me right away and answered my question and told me about the nordso. Saw it bought it and dealt with Henrik in person. Grand slam! @@JonathanTReviews

@Matthew-wn8oq 6 ай бұрын

I wonder what the profit margin is on an Artem loopless strap with clasp is?

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Interesting question. I wouldn't even be able to venture a guess, not knowing their overhead, production costs, etc. They make nice straps, but they're certainly not inexpensive either.

@Matthew-wn8oq 6 ай бұрын

@JonathanTReviews it bums me out because I love those straps but it's very hard to justify spending $250 on a strap.for a $700/$800 watch. It's irritating.

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Understandable. I'm in the same camp. Not a slight to Artem, pricing against the other luxury options, but I'm not generally a high priced strap consumer either.

@coalakida 2 ай бұрын

Can you tell me how big the Actual Clock face is on this watch. inside the bezel ?

@JonathanTReviews 2 ай бұрын

Just checked and the dial is approximately 31.5mm.

@JonathanTReviews 2 ай бұрын

Just checked and the dial is approximately 31.5mm.

@ThiHaGadgets 2 күн бұрын

I ordered blue one and on the way. 😊

@JonathanTReviews 2 күн бұрын

Very cool! I hope you love it! Fantastic watches, especially at the price point. Cheers

@ThiHaGadgets 2 күн бұрын

@@JonathanTReviews Thanks. Can't wait. On the way with DHL.

@JonathanTReviews 2 күн бұрын

@ThiHaGadgets I'll be curious about your preference between the Akva and Vesterhav. My two favorites so far and hard to pick a clear winner.

@ThiHaGadgets 2 күн бұрын

@@JonathanTReviews So many beautiful dial and hard to choose. I ordered Vesterhav - Vega first but later changed my mind to settle with akva blue. Green is also great. The reason not choosing Vesterhav - Vega is I feel the bezel is a tad big and plain without any texture.

@JonathanTReviews 2 күн бұрын

@ThiHaGadgets The Akva proportions are spot on and IMO the best visually balanced from the profile. The Vesterhav is still excellent though, if you ever decide to try one.

@smitty03281964 6 ай бұрын

I think the issue with the bezel is because he wanted it to be more versatile as a dress watch and not so much a dive watch

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Agreed, it's definitely an aesthetic item (and I like it in that regard). Since I don't generally use the bezel, and like the look, it's a non-issue for me (and it is still functional, just slippery). Still something I wanted to point out though as I could see it being an issue for some. Cheers

@blairdalgleish8247 2 ай бұрын

Does the bezel turn?

@JonathanTReviews 2 ай бұрын

It does and is demonstrated in the bezel section. It's 120 click unidirectional.

@chrisgrieves1468 6 ай бұрын

Fine presentation as always, Jonathan. This one not for me, those short hands would drive me nuts, the missing chamfer on the bracelet and the slippy bezel grip would also annoy. Different folks.... That said, the Vesterhav looks very promising, addresses all that. Looking at the pics, he says nothing about it but does that clasp have on-the-fly?

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Thank you! Fair enough 😊 I'm excited to check out the Vesterhav soon as well! I can't definitively confirm yet, but believe it features a similar clasp. I'll be sure to cover it in the review, once it arrives. Cheers

@benjaminvis 6 ай бұрын

The quality and different feel to the Nordsø are undeniable. This is not my colour though, especially not with this colder blue accent in addition. I also don't prefer that three link bracelet, although perhaps better suited to the Akva than the Nordsø. The dial, especially due to its markers is just a little crowded. That's deliberate, but it leads me to immediately preferring the style of the Nordsø, which somehow breathes more and maintains greater elegance. I do agree that the sunken case back on the Nordsø is its key weakness in wearing practice for me. I like its thin side, but perhaps the proportion could have been adjusted. The Akva manages without looking thick, but you do get that slightly utilitarian and cheaper looking vertical rise effect more than on the Nordsø, despite the nice chamfering. I can imagine for some this may be a close call and for others there will be an immediate preference between the two.

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Understandable, it's definitely a bold and polarizing colorway, though it really works for me. Yeah, the Nordsø and Akva hit very differently. You can't go wrong with either and I agree there will be proponents of each. Cheers

@dean4964 6 ай бұрын

Great review. I can't get past the short minute hand, too bad. I like most everything else

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Thank you! It fortunately hasn't bothered me in use, but I'd prefer it to be longer too. The upcoming Vesterhav may be of more interest and adjusts the length and style. Cheers

@guidine7 6 ай бұрын

We need date

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

I'm sure others will agree, but I'm personally glad they kept this one clean. It could get busy with an added date complication. Cheers

@guidine7 6 ай бұрын

@@JonathanTReviews everything fine 💁 i go to work and that is why i need date function. I even love daydate

@JonathanTReviews 6 ай бұрын

Understandable. I love a good date or day/date too. Speaking of the latter, I'll have one coming up before long with a cool day/date. Cheers

@AlexanderB. 6 ай бұрын

No we don't! 😄

@mountainhobo 4 ай бұрын

"We need date" -- Hell, no.

@bryanmurphy3035 9 күн бұрын

Wow I feel bad from Hendrick. Having you review his watch and not able to turn an easy dial is crazy with your greasy hands. The grease on your phone screen must be a thick blanket. Gross.

@JonathanTReviews 9 күн бұрын

Very classy. The [bezel] is flush, beveled, polished, and this one was a bit tight. I've turned hundreds and it's certainly not easy in relative terms. That said, as mentioned, trying to turn it under/around a camera exacerbated the perceived difficulty.