Are you getting tired of dive watches? Boy, I’m not. I started my horological journey being fascinated by underwater timekeeping devices and I will probably end it the same way. Divers hold a special place in my life as I’m an aqua-man, otherwise known as someone who loves the ocean and all activities that exist surrounding large bodies of water: diving, snorkeling, fishing, you name it. (This definition might only make sense to me.) And since dive watches constitute one of the most popular types of timekeeping devices, one might think—at least I do—that it must be hard to come up with a design that would grab your attention. Because if you like dive watches you mostly have more than one. 

That’s why today’s review will focus on a straightforward, visually paired-down tool watch that seems to be more of an exercise in style than one in functionality. Although I will say right away here that form does follow function to some extent. Indeed, the limited edition Héron Marinor Ghost celebrates the distinct aesthetic of vintage military dive watches while being made in the 21st century. In other words, with good stuff that is well put together and which can be acquired for a reasonable price ($590 USD.) Once again, I would argue that this three-digit sum of money is a good one once you realize what you’re getting for it. So let’s dive in! (I’m not getting tired of this pun.) 

Specifications 

I’m not into reviewing mastodons of tool watches so you know to expect that the Héron Marinor Ghost comes with dimensions which some deem being universal: 39mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, 12.9mm thick including the boxed sapphire crystal, and a 20mm lug width. Perhaps we can agree that in 2024, these measurements are standard while five decades ago a 37/38mm diameter was what most brands offered. (Tastes and preferences change, unfortunately for small-wristed people like yours truly.) And what is also common nowadays is to see divers of these dimensions be endowed with 200 to 300 meters of water resistance on average. The Marinor Ghost is bang-on this trend as it comes with a 300-meter depth rating. 

The good stuff continues when looking at the caliber within—a Miyota 9039 (4Hz/42 hours of power reserve,) a smooth 120-click unidirectional bezel, a flat-link stainless steel bracelet with built-in micro-adjustment mechanism, hips of SuperLuminova BGW9, and perhaps more importantly for a tool watch, the application of a hardening coating on the case and bracelet. (Up to 1,200HV on Vicker’s Hardening Scale.) The latter means that the case and bracelet are virtually unscratchable, and in all experiences I’ve had with such treatment, that is generally the case. (Don’t worry, I didn’t rub a pointy, rusty piece of metal against the case just to test. I’m not into horological cruelty but others are.) 

What I’m into, however, are comfortable tool watches and the Héron Marinor Ghost is indeed comfortable to wear on my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist. This is due, first of all, to having the aforementioned dimensions, and second of all, to having an ergonomic case design. The Marinor Ghost sits flat on the wrist and the weight of the head is coherent with that of the bracelet and its construction. In other words, the weight is evenly distributed and I would argue (although I cannot prove it since I’m not an engineer) that the short lugs that turn down towards the wrist aid in making the watch sit comfortably on the wrist. 

Design

I would normally speak about the quality—or lack thereof—of the finish of a watch in the above section, however here I find that there is a deep and interesting correlation between how good the latter is and how the watch looks. Generally speaking, I prefer when the finish (whether you have brushed or polished surfaces) matches the intended functionality of the watch, and how well it is executed (again, depending on what kind of watch we’re talking about.) The Marinor Ghost is a straight-forward diver with a dial layout that the brand defines as “Anonymous” as it doesn’t bear any branding and that the dial looks simple. (Instead of “Anonymous” one could use the words “Non-descriptive” and yield the same result.) 

The finish of the Marinor therefore matches its design and, indeed, intended function. On the case we mostly find brushed surfaces where they are vertically finished on the case sides and horizontally so on the upper section of the lugs. Both areas are separated by thin polished chamfers. We do find additional polished accents on the bezel and crown, though to me there is a predominance of brushed treatment. A fact that is reinforced by the fully brushed bracelet and the fact that the links are wide and long—which accentuates the utilitarian finishes of the steel. In other words, and to get back to my initial point, I like the correlation between the bare-bone dial layout and the case shape and treatment. 

Now would be a good time to talk about the dial! And first you should know that the Ghost collection comes in two color variants: Seastorm Black and North Blue, the latter being reviewed here. Although I typically prefer black dials I’ve been in awe of the mesmerizing ice-blue, dégradé sunburst dial of the North Blue which makes me think—as I believe its name refers to—the icy cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere. And this effect is accentuated—not created—by the large, white hour markers and the general one dimensionality of the dial. I adore how “flat” the dial is and that is one of the key design characteristics of the “Anonymous” dial configuration. 

Therefore: large, white hour markers, mostly circular but in the shape of a pencil at the 3, 6, and 9, and the brand’s star-like logo printed big at the 12. The hash-marks of the minutes are also printed in white and mostly appear deformed due to the edges of the vintage-looking boxed sapphire crystal. (At least, it is so from most angles.) The handset is quite intriguing to me as it doesn’t match the dial although I think it looks superb. All three hands are polished and lumed, and though I find the Arrow-shaped hour hand to usually look best of everyday and/or field watches, it kinda works here. The minute hand does too, being in the shape of a majestic obelisk. 

The Heart of the Matter

At the heart of the matter is the fact that Héron created a beautifully simple-looking diver and a sober tool watch. The case has a profile that is rather classic but well machined and finished. And the contrast between the matte and flat dial and hour markers with the polished, elegant hands endow the Marinor Ghost with character. If the brand would have opted for fully brushed hands, I feel that something would have been amiss. Or at least, the case would have had to receive a fully brushed treatment to match the design of the hour markers. Conversely, if the hour markers would have been applied and completed with polished surrounds, then the dial would have looked a bit too intricate in comparison given the absence of branding. Am I making sense? 

Another element which contributes to making the Marinor Ghost feel visually complete and coherent is the Bund-style bezel where the only marking we find is a lumed dot. This design specificity is a heritage from vintage divers used by German underwater commandos who would stay under water for extended periods of time due to using rebreathers (devices which recycles the air breathed by the diver.) In other words, they could stay submerged for a few hours and therefore needed to track elapsed hours instead of elapsed minutes—by aligning the dot on the bezel to the hour hand and waiting for the dot to make a full revolution around the dial. 

This type of bezel, coupled with the straightforward dial layout, makes the Héron Marinor Ghost extremely legible and visually clean. When I look at this diver I think about the reasons why I generally prefer simple-looking objects (though their simplicity in design doesn’t preclude them from being mechanically and functionally intricate,) as it is easy to read the time—as it should always be on a diver. What makes this watch even more interesting to me is its price—$590 USD—which is at the reach of many watch enthusiasts and of serious tool-watch nerds like myself. I point this out because generally, brands find it ok to charge more, much more for a limited edition release because, well, they are limited and de facto rare. 

So you know, each variant of the Ghost collection is limited to 50 units (so 100 in total,) a fact that didn’t encourage Héron to increase the retail price of this limited edition compared to that of the regular production Marinor. And, you should also know that all 100 units are available for immediate purchase and shipping so if you like what you saw today, rush straightway to the brand’s website.

Conclusion 

I love divers. And I love how Héron transformed the Marinor collection to make it more purpose-driven and visually striking. My latest statement may now make sense to you—or you might not agree with it—but I feel that the simplification of the dial layout makes the Marinor Ghost stand out more than its regular production brothers and sisters. It is so because it’s more “in your face” although it is such in a good way. In such configuration, the dial is easier to read and makes more of a statement, and still according to yours truly, the Ghost collection has more of an edge than the regular Marinor collection. Anyway, I hope that any of what I said today makes sense. If it doesn’t, well tough shit. 

Thanks for reading.