The “Daily Beater” costs £74.99 and is available from the NOTO Strap Store. At 38mm and with a very slim case this really is a watch you can strap on and forget about. Powering it is a Seiko VH31 quartz movement which was a real surprise to me. It was a surprise because I had forgotten what was running in this watch after I ordered it and for the first couple of hours I presumed it to be a low-end mechanical movement.

Using this particular quartz movement is a really smart idea because the second hand sweeps, albeit not particularly smoothly, and it fits the design of this watch which is purposefully a tool.

Not a penny has been wasted on packaging. You get the watch in a card envelope and a bit of plastic, and that’s it. I like this because a box does nothing apart from sitting on a shelf and I never look at my Omega Seamaster box, why would I?

Readability is superb as would be expected for a field watch and with no logo or branding to get in the way, it feels more like a tool than most other watches will. It’s the first watch I have worn where the lack of a logo doesn’t give a sense of wasted space and overall I cannot criticise the design at all.

Three years ago I reviewed the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical which is bigger at 42mm and absolutely loved it. However, to pick one up today you will be spending £755 unless you can find a discount which makes this watch just under 10% of the cost.

You can see the likeness between the two watches and I would argue that the ‘Hamilton’ branding is not enough to make the difference in cost worthwhile. The reality is that unless you have an Omega, Rolex, Breitling, Patek and some other select brands, there is little brand cache in the likes of Hamilton, Tissot, Longines etc. You may as well go for the watch that you will wear for many years and which you can be proud of, and have another watch for all of those occasions when you are not able to wear it; visiting London and doing some serious competitive sport come to mind as two examples.

I only have one criticism of this watch and that is the strap. It is a personal feeling and you will likely disagree, but I don’t like the shade of green. I appreciate the matching sandblasted hardware on the strap, but there is something about the colour which doesn’t quite match the watch for me.

My battered lighter green NATO seems to fit the watch design much better, as does my soft leather strap below.

The design of this watch means that almost any strap will work so you can potentially turn it into any look you need. This is particularly true of the sandblasted steel case and the domed sapphire crystal (anti-reflective as well) which are exceptional for the price. On a side note, the 10 times more expensive Hamilton has no anti-reflective coating at all and can be difficult to read.

I’m not quite sure what to think of the case back because it is plain with some strange finishing near the centre- I don’t know if this is meant to be like that or if mine has a finishing problem. Either way, I can’t say I am too bothered because it is rarely seen.

The pumpkin coloured lume is an excellent touch and one that adds more personality to the watch, an authentic vintage feel, and despite the size of the watch it works well on my quite large 7.25″ wrist.

Excellent accuracy, a no nonsense design that has personality, 100 metres of water resistance and a sapphire crystal is ridiculous for just under £75. I have bought and sold many, many watches over the past few years, but I can say that after only a few hours this is the best value watch I have ever seen. Stunning!

Categories: Watch Reviews, Watches