When the Spinnaker Croft 42 Skeleton Automatic landed on my desk, I immediately thought of two watches. The first was a skeletonized Rado Captain Cook in various guises. To be fair, this isn’t a bad visual reference. The second one was a little closer to home. In the 1990s, my brother owned a Swatch Irony Automatic Diaphane Skeleton and I loved it. Although the Spinnaker is inherently different in that it is a stainless steel diver’s watch, it still brought back some great memories from over 20 years ago that made me smile. But can the Croft 42 Skeleton Automatic stand on its own? Let’s find out!
Spinnaker is a brand with a wide collection of diving and underwater themed watches. A while ago I reviewed the Spinnaker Dumas GMT Ocean Blue. This is part of the Dumas collection, which consists of large, colorful, and muscular divers. The brand’s Croft collection is much more traditional in its look and ticks many of the boxes of a traditional dive watch. However, there are some exceptions. The first is a group of models with colorful dots on the dial. The second is a series of skeleton watches that are a more futuristic version of traditional diver’s watches.
Details of the new Spinnaker Croft 42 Skeleton Automatic
The subject of today’s review is part of that range. This new Croft 42 Skeleton Automatic joins the mid-size version with a 40mm case. Ultimately, this size allows this watch to have even more of a presence on the wrist than smaller watches. Let’s take a look at the details. The watch features a 42mm stainless steel case with a thickness of 14mm, a length of 49mm, and lug spacing of 20mm. The case is water-resistant to 150 meters and features a screw-down crown at 3 o’clock.
The traditional shape of the case is combined with a stainless steel bezel that holds a green ceramic insert with a traditional 60 minute dive scale. This bezel insert includes a full set of luminous marks and numbers so you can read your remaining dive time during night dives. Admittedly, I doubt many future owners will take this watch on an actual dive, but if you have James Bond-like aspirations, this should do the trick.
Transparent dial and partially skeletonized movement
The top of the case has a sapphire crystal that protects the see-through dial below. This dial is made up of several separate parts. The first is a surrounding green chapter ring that holds white markings and applied luminous hour markers. Below that, a black ring sits atop a sapphire dial with white 5-minute marks/numerals, the brand’s logo on the top half, and the familiar specs-related text on the bottom half.
The open dial construction provides a nearly unobstructed view of the Japanese Seiko Instruments NH70 automatic movement. This model is based on the brand’s famous caliber NH35, which is featured in several affordable watches. The 24-jewel movement features a skeletonized main plate, runs at 21,600 revolutions per hour, has a 41-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, and optional manual winding. Another sapphire crystal on the stainless steel caseback also reveals the back of the movement. Features a customized black rotor with Spinnaker logo and monogram.
Croft 42 Skeleton Automatic Series
This green Croft 42 Skeleton Automatic is part of Spinnaker’s range of seven new variants. Two models have carbon bezel inserts, two have stainless steel bezel inserts, and three models, including the one we had for review, have ceramic inserts. One of the two models with a carbon bezel insert is also available with a two-tone bracelet. All other variants come with a regular stainless steel Oyster style bracelet.
The bracelet has a folding clasp with push button release and an additional safety lock for safety while diving. However, in terms of quality, the bracelet, especially the clasp, is mediocre at best. The engraved clasp has rough edges and sometimes requires force to open the small security lock. This is not strange in the sub-500 euro category, but we have seen better results in this price range.
Equipped with Spinnaker Croft 42 Skeleton Auto
Adjusting the size of the bracelet was very easy, but now it’s time to try out the watch. What I quickly learned was that 42mm in diameter is quite large for a watch. Some of you may know, but even though my wrist is 18.5cm, I am attracted to watches that are 40mm or smaller. That’s not to say I don’t like larger watches, but a 40mm version would have been nice in this case. That being said, a 42mm watch is definitely not too big, and many people prefer watches of this size or larger.
The watch sits securely on your wrist. Although the quality of the bracelet is not great, I found it to be a good balance with the watch. The Croft 42 Skeleton Automatic weighs 145 grams, which is not too heavy for a stainless steel watch of this size. In terms of appearance, of course, the skeletonization cannot be overlooked. Uncovering the inner workings of a mechanical movement is something special at any level of watchmaking. For those just starting to get interested in mechanical watches, it can be the beginning of a hobby, but a similar fascination with intricate movements exists in luxury watches.
Final thoughts on Spinnaker Croft 42 Skeleton Auto
Despite the dial’s open aesthetic, readability is not compromised. Although not as impressive as a regular dial, the spinnaker did a good job of making the time easier to read. Additionally, while skeleton watches aren’t for me, I certainly understand their visual appeal to many people. As proof of this, the Croft Midsize Skeleton has been a huge success for spinnakers. With that in mind, we have no doubt that the brand will also be selling quite a few new Croft 42 skeleton automatic models soon.
The green version we got for review is available for $435 USD, along with two other models with ceramic bezel inserts and a standard stainless steel bezel version. The stainless steel version with black carbon bezel insert and the version with sandblasted stainless steel bezel are priced at $465 each. Finally, a two-tone version with a black carbon bezel insert is available for $495 USD. This collection offers fans of affordable skeleton divers a lot of choice, and we think these watches will soon be in the hands of new wearers.
But what do you think about this new Spinnaker Croft 42 Skeleton Automatic? Let us know in the comments. To learn more about the new series, visit Spinnaker’s official website.
This is a partnership post. Read about our transparency here.
