Islander Watches... Are They Any Good?
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- Опубліковано 14 бер 2021
- thetimetellershop.com
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I'll be honest, I'm nervous as heck to watch this. Thanks for taking the time to review!!!
I mean he really had to go out of his way to nit-pick. It's a great product and you should be proud of it.
It was a great review of a great watch!
I just bought one Marc. Can’t Waite to get it.
If you change the logo I'll become your loyal customer. Great stuff nevertheless.
I own 2 of these, say no more.. keep them coming Mark
Marc seems like a genuinely good guy and honest business man... it makes it a pleasure to patronize his site; his "Watch and Learn" series has been great too. I am the proud owner of a Red October Limited Edition... was thrilled to score one of those.
If you respond early enough, Marc will usually respond to your comments on youtube if you ask him any questions on his channel. Very cool!
I also bought an orange Islander. The pins broke while sizing the bracelet, and within 2 days I had replacements, and an encouraging word from Marc about the issue. He even gave me a few extras. Outstanding service, great channel/site, and the watch performs exactly as I expect it to.
So jelly
If I'm not mistaken, this bezel does let you track a second time zone, but without indication of AM/PM, so the user needs to have that in mind. Want to track a time zone that's 3 hours behind yours? Advance the triangle ahead by 3 hours, and now the bezel's numbers will be used as a reference indicate the time in that particular time zone. Personally, I have zero need for a GMT, but this does seem usable in that specific regard.
Since the dial just had indeces, it also gives you the hour numbers. When making that mild knock, we could mention that there are plenty of Islander models with minute timer bezels, so it's really a buyer's choice.
100% right. That's why it's called "dual time bezel". Sometimes nicknamed "poor man's GMT".
It seems usable, but not by me. I have no need for a GMT or 12 hour bezel so will never buy one.
is it really that difficult to add or subtract a few hours from the time?
@Mr. Shlock do you really have that hard of a time adding or subtracting a few hours? does nobody know how to do that anymore?
Marc seems to have done what every dive watch owner wants to do: put all the good things (lume, sapphire, ceramic, hacking, 200m, etc.) into a single watch, which for whatever reason the big manufacturers seem intent on NOT doing - at least not without charging a thousand or three. (The SKX pretty much had it all, which is why it was such a market monster.) Marc skipped nothing, skimped on nothing, and somehow did it for $300. That's a real achievement.
Marc is a great guy. I emailed him once asking if it would be cheaper to fix my 1st gen Orange Monster or buy one of his.
Instead of just selling me one, he sent me info on another person and now my OM is alive again.
And for that, I will one day own a Long Island Watch.
Would you be able to mention who repaired your monster? My father in law has one that is his favorite watch but the movement has given up on him after 20 years.
This is part of the reason I will be including many island watches in my collection in time to come. Business people like Marc set a bar that other good people don't want to deviate from.
I would also love a Monster!
@@MuscleBandit Marc just made a Monster/Islander watch.
@@alexanderlavoie5461 sure bud. I'm now waiting for his GMT release, all we know for now is that it's in the pipeline, hopefully for this year :)
That's very classy and says a lot about him as a person. As a native New Yorker, I plan on buying a watch from him as well.
The white date wheel here makes sense IMO because it creates more symmetry with the white rectangular hour markers.
That's true. Though, I've seen on the Seiko 'Bottlecap' watches where they did the date in black text with white background and reversed it for the day. Best of both worlds, and still has the symmetry of the hour markers.
I think a modded version is the wrong way to put it. It's more of an updated skx. An skx with all the upgrades everyone wished it had.
Yes ... and in turn, It can be Modded, further etc. etc. ;-)
Replacement for a soon obsolete SKX...
“An skx with all the upgrades everyone wished it had.” EXCEPT, it’s NOT a SEIKO, (that and it’s also not an ISO certified diver). But I get it,...sort of, just not my thing.
@@bondpit8750 - I understand. But that, is the crux of it. Isn't It ? I don't care if It's Not a "real" Seiko.(The last Seiko I bought, was the SARB 017 Alpinist, just before the Prices went Crazy / now just over a $1000 !) Seiko's new business model, is leaving me for "greener pastures". But you can see just from this one example. Plenty of other Brands are willing to take it's place. Cheers !
@@RoaroftheTiger I mean Seikos made 1 affordable dive watch called the skx and now there are changing because they no longer produce it... Do you hear yourself!?
Marvel: "Infinity War is the most ambitious crossover event in history"
Me:
5 seconds into the video, the answer is yes. I own a 38mm Islander and I love it.
what size wrist do you have and are those male end links a problem for you? thanks
the problem is that his watches only come in kid's size. no grown up sizes.
@Mr. Shlock 44 is too small, not too big. it not not a clownish fad, not everyone is a pencil wristed tiny little thing. if your wrist is 8"+, 44 is too small.
@Mr. Shlock my opinion was not formed by anything on wall street, i don't give a fuck about fashion trends, and even the rolex reps at the rolex store said that wearing a 40mm watch is not an option for me, it looks like i am wearing a toy. 48mm citizen and bulova looks just about right. as far as custom tailoring shirts, that has to do with the thickness, not the diameter. doesn't make a difference to me, i have never worn a suit or a shirt. just because you have a pencil wrist, don't assume everyone else does.
Mark is such a cool guy, his watch brand has really taken off. Delighted for him 👏
Huge fan of yours and Marc's both, I'm stoked to see how this goes!
For those who travel to other time zones the dual-time bezel insert is quite valuable. Also, my son works in radio and he uses the dual-time bezel insert on his ISL-11 quite often, since some events occur at greater than 60-minute intervals.
What the 5kx should have been.
But I mean the 5KX is $180-200 which is a much easier entry than this at $330, but Seiko should’ve made both versions 5KX and King 5KX I guess.
😅
I really like Marc’s Islanders. I haven’t pulled the trigger on one yet, but I did buy a really nice Squale from him. Great service, & I’d buy from him again!
Squale GMT? I bought from Marc, as well!
@@halldl5 yes, that's the one! It's a great watch.
Squale watches are awesome 👌
....instead of writing Island Watch Company on the dial, they could have gone with something simple like, "IWC"!
Lol I hope that's a sarcastic comment
That’s a good one😉
Oh dear oh dear oh dear
Eh it's probably to good for the IWC Logo 😜
Marc makes a solid product, it appears. His reputation precedes him as an honest businessman who happens to be a watch freak. I can't wait until I have an ISL-018 in my collection :) Of course, I'll have them mod it with a red hand. :)
My co-worker has this watch in the 38mm variant and it is pretty fantastic for the money! We are both pretty new to the watch game and this is, I believe, his favorite. Great strong dive watch at a reasonable price.
The logo has finally grown on me. Those qc issues are fine if not visible with naked eye let's not pretend that more expensive watches don't have qc issues.
Especially at this price point for what you are getting
I like the bezel. As a truck driver who goes through many time zones, it’s easy to set the time zone of where I’m going. That makes it easy to keep up with delivery and pickup appointments.
That bezel is 12 hours though, so yes you can use it to track a second time zone.
it's called the idiot bezel for people unable to add and subtract easily.
Yes huge fan. Have had my islander 38mm for 6 months now and it’s my go to daily wear. Perfect substitute for me who couldn’t afford a Seiko skx. Shout out to Marc
I strongly disagree with you about the 12-hour bezel. In my opinion it is MUCH more useful than a timing bezel. I don't dive and I have never used the bezel for timing purpose. My phone does that job much better with the sound and buzz to alert me. A 12-hour bezel allows me to tell the time in a different time zone quickly and it's super handy for me as I have family and business partners in different countries!
Also, an hour counter.
I totally agree. Makes a lot more sense than the traditional dive bezel.
Marc is such a nice guy. You two are pretty much one of the reasons why I got into watches! Thanks for sharing this review.
PS: Wearing my Islander while watching this! 😃
That would make them two of the reasons then
Jory, you really think sapphire is overrated? Man, I gave up on anything but sapphire (and the occasional acrylic since it can be polished) a long time ago. Maybe it's just me, I'm pretty rough on my watches, but every Hardlex or mineral glass watch I've ever had gets absolutely mauled fairly quickly (I've even made small scratches on sapphire). I can deal with a scratched up case, but the crystal has to be pristine.
Shure but if the watch I like doesn't have a sapphire crystal I then I live with it. A glass can be replaced if needed, I never had to and have several watches with mineral, hardlex and acrylic. The Omega Speedmaster Pro is the best example. Yes you can get it with sapphire, but then it's thicker and the dial looks much cleaner with the hesalite. But that's subjective and I totally understand what you mean.
I've Never scratched a crystal ever and I use my watches outdoors MTB riding
I agree and most just don't look the same esp after getting scratched. I believe these LI watches are just chinese ali express hommage watches bought in bulk and rebranded with the LI logo.
@@airenesivad2975 I don't think you're getting Seiko NH36 movements and a sapphire crystal on AliExpress.... if you think that than you clearly don't know anything about LongIslandWatches
@@deejay1534 Dead wrong!!! Seiko movements and sapphire are almost the norm in most mid-range Chinese watches on ali-express including Heimdallr, San Martin etc. Hell even Pagani Design has NH 35 offerings .
This makes me very happy. I love Marc's channel as much as yours, and love watching people review his watches, so this is a great and wholesome video.
I've got two islanders and love them! Thanks for another great video!
Kudos to Marc. I've purchased several watches from him, and learned a great deal from his channel. Thanks T3.
Mark is the epitome of "Due Diligence",very careful thorough very!He spotted a huge hole in the market that Seiko left wide open,and has and is filling that void very nicely.It is always nice to see success take place in front of the viewers eyes.
Fair and honest review. Rockin my ISL-63 today. I have three of Mark's divers. Hoping for more colors in the smooth bezel hi-beats. Love supporting good folk.
Another follwer of both you and Marc here.
Great review! Nice to see more of the Islander line appearing on other UA-cam watch channels. Great watch! I've purchased 2 Islanders in the last year or so. The ISL20 and the ISL 28.
👏👏👏👏👏👏
Islanders are some of my favorites. I own 3 different styles of his watches: SKX, Turtle and an interpretation of the Yachtmaster (ISL-44).
Something owners will like about the Islander bracelets - screwed links.
Later models come standard with milled clasps.
I've got the 38mm version of this watch and I have to say it's amazing.I shopped around for skx013's and as the prices kept rising, the value proposition dropped. Along comes Marc with a watch that basically includes all of the upgrades that many owners make or wish for, what should've been the next generation, IMHO, at a pretty reasonable price. Other microbrands with nh35/6, solid endlink bracelet, saphire, ceramic insert could easily go for over $500. For the average joe who isn't going to subject it to the loupe, this watch is damn near perfect. Also, mine came with a milled clasp instead of pressed. The only real problem is that now I feel like I have to buy more. I gotta see if the pilot and field watches are just as good. ;-).
ETA: There are a wide variety of bezel insert choices, so you can get a dive timer if you want. I love the dual time dial which allows you to track 2 time zones without a gmt complication.
These are hands-down the best bang for the buck on the market right now. Huge fan.
Very cool to see u review an islander watch! Really enjoy watching both of y’all as channels! I picked up an islander isl38 a couple months ago and I’m really enjoying it! It’s the date just/sarb style with blue dial/flutted bezel and the miyota 9015!! One of the smoothest threading crowns in my small collection
I have been wanting to see one of these! Thanks for doing this. Beauty diver!
Watching from Long Island NY Jory, love the content.
Nice. Mark has good content. On UA-cam and in his shop.
I like Mark - he’s definitely one of the good guys in the watch community. Really hoping for a positive review!
Marc is awesome! Love this review. Love this channel and Marcs.
This is like a SKX with all the typical mods that one would put on their SKX at a price point less than what you would pay if you bought a SKX and did the mods yourself. Also the chapter ring is actually properly aligned.
Right? It's the angle we see it at - looks good to me. That's a LOT of watch for the $. Couldn't do it cheaper unless you stole it.
That's the idea behind the product from the start.
Glad to see this video, I’ve been waiting for someone to go in depth on Marc’s watches.
Marc's field watches are awesome as well. He makes good looking watches. Nice video and support.
I love the bezel it’s great for flying and just setting for time zones. Especially multiple trips across time zones with landing back at the home time zone. What a great watch! Definitely grabbing this!
I will be buying the 38mm islander soon! however couldnt help but notice misalignment of the indicies to the inner trackring
Go for it, and if that happens... I’m pretty sure you can get a replacement. Not because one watch looks that way All are going to be the same. Mine is 100% aligned and has no details like dust or marks. As a person with OCD, this watch (in 38mm) is perfection in terms of quality.
Excellent review T3. I just got my Islander ISL-45 (Type-A Fleiger) about a month ago and it has quickly become one of my favorite grab and go pieces. If you're interested in reviewing another of Marc's models feel free to let me know and I'll send it your way for a few weeks. Be well Jory, thanks for all you do for our community!
Thanks for reviewing this. I like Marc and his channel, and I’m the owner of an Islander watch (#65 I think).
I honestly think that in bringing people into wearing real watches, he does a great job and his private brand watches are great. He also sells a bunch of other brands at great prices as well.
It can be tough that when the purpose of your channel is to sell your stuff, it is easy to be real sales oriented, but even when Marc says he is there to sell his shit, there is so much to learn.
If I could change one thing on the Islander watches, it would be to get rid of the day/date. These Seiko movements have a blink or you’ll miss it, power reserve and having to set the day and the time every time is a test of character.
Jory won’t say it, but he’s a little salty that this is an SKX homage. Seiko discontinuing the SKX and moving down market to the 5KX was the nudge for Marc to fill a market need. My King Samurai at twice the price, is the only Seiko in my collection that comes close to my ISL-01.
Eeeeh. If you can't actually see "an issue" with the naked eye - then I give it a pass. I just got my first Islander last week and I love it. I will absolutely be purchasing more in the future. Just waiting on that gray Islander Ice. 😉
Correct. put anything under a super microscope and you'll see imperfections.
I've just taken delivery of an ISL-67 and am very impressed. I look at it as Prospex specification at 5 prices. The bracelet is excellent - much better than equivalently priced Seikos. Very fair review.
Gorgeous example of a watch well done. Thank for a great review once again, and to Nathan for submitting his watch to make this review possible.
Mine arrived today and I am really impressed both with the feel of the watch and the quality which is so much better than many microbrand watches. Excellent product and service.
I love his watches, but dislike that logo...can't get over it.
I picked up my ISL-02 when they were first introduced. I absolutely love the watch. I just added one of the new elastic woven straps....super comfortable!
I have the Isl-54 on the bracelet and the Islander field watch, very happy with both of them and I am sure will be a customer in the future, great video and I hope you revisit his watches in the future.
Great review. I love both of my Islander watches. I have a diver and a pilots watch.
I love his watches! I have his Red October limited edition. Can't say enough nice things about it.
@@dicklarge1901 Red October was a limited production run of 200 pieces that quicky sold out in a few hours.
@@larrydalton2205 Yup. I literally pulled off to the side of the road to order it as it was released while I was driving. Almost had a heart attack too since my phone was acting up at the time.
@@WatchMeBURNFuel Similar for me, I missed the first release and ordered my Red October while in the middle of a meeting as soon as I saw the email from the wait list.
Kudos to Nathan Stewart for taking the time to lend his watch. What a great way to support the channel!
GReat video. I've been looking at one of these for a while. Considering the 38mm to diversify my collection.
I have this exact same watch. I got it as soon as Mark announced it and it was one of the first Islander watches he started offering. It's an excellent value and stays in my collection as a beater watch I wear when farting around in the ocean in Florida. It's gone down to wrecks around 90-100 meters with no issue. I also track GMT time with it for amateur radio purposes.
I've got it regulated down to about -1/+1 and the NH36 movement is easy to service in the long run.
Great looking everyday watch. Seems like just the kind of watch I was looking for. Thanks for the review
Great Time Piece. Thanks for A Great REVIEW!
Awesome review might have to buy one of these
Nice review. I really like Islander watches, since you like the SKX so much it's interesting to hear your thoughts on it.
David in Australia a very good review I have been thinking about an Island watch, this one looks like the one. I enjoy your channel keep up the good work.
Definitely getting one of these babies after this review. Good job Long Island Watch!
I have the white dial version of this watch, love it. Plan on getting one of those DPA's Islanders next.
Love that Mark wears two watches at a time, I want to but couldn’t pull it off LOL. Maybe if I owned a watch store‼️🤗 …my dream. Great honest reviews as always. Liking the Islanders more and more👍
Thanks for the videos man!!
I recently bought an ISL-05 a 38mm version of what you reviewed and it is perfect and I enjoy wearing it.
Ty for a great review
This is a beautiful timepiece! I can live with those tiny specs...
Great honest review. Fair points for a deep analysis/review.
I love @LongIslandWatch b/c I already acquired 2 Islanders i.e. Pilot (ISL-17) & Dive (ISL-10) and can't wait to press "Order Now" on my 3rd in the upcoming days (ISL-18 which is another spectacular Dive Watch).
Love all of Marks watches the hardest thing is trying to figure out which one to buy.
Great vid. I think it's almost perfect. If the logo was applied like the indeces, would have been super cool. Especially on the datejust homages Mark has.
Thanks for another thorough review!! It's clear that Marc's line of watches are of superior quality for the excellent price point. As you pointed out, Jory, you get so much more with these pieces than you do with a standard Seiko. Couple that with Long Island's excellent customer service, and you have a business model that cannot be beaten!! Very smartly done, indeed. I am certain that when I do business with them I will get what I paid for, and with excellent follow-up.
I actually find gmt bezels super useful! Nice way to add an extra function without alot of efforts or extra costs
Thanks for the review, Jory!
I have a few Islanders and love them. Id like to point out they now have signed crowns and a milled clasp.
My 007 has a dual time bezel from Marc. Love it! I know the time in cali. 😏
Great watch, great company and a great guy. It has raised and set the bar and is a lesson for Seiko to learn from. Well done Marc. Finally an ISL watch. Well done J.
I am a fan of Marc and purchased an Islander. Love the watch. It is comfortable and tells time very well. I have the islander02 model
Man! What a fantastic piece! Sapphire, decent non-rattling oyster links, great movement, perfect lume, threaded crown, 200m WR, ceramic bezel... I couldn't wish more from a watch under the price of a new "5KX". This is AWESOME!!! Minute flaws like those are acceptable/expected even on big brands.
Great review of a great watch! I love my ISL51.
Do you think this would be too big for a 6inch wrist? I just bought a 38mm version to replace the mako 2, hope I don’t regret it lol as I couldn’t decide between 38mm and 43mm.
So I have a Your Watch Your Way model SKX custom that I love a lot, it I DID have to send it back for a cleaning due to dust accumulation. It returned great but if I’m looking for it in the sun, I can definitely see dust.
Kind of let down, but I love it still.
By chance I got my isl-54 this morning, have to say first impressions very pleased with the watch , screw down crown (signed) sapphire with ar, 100m water proof, screw down caseback explorer style dial , I even bought the bespoke steel bracelet to go with it, yes I'm a happy camper!
Mark is an all ground good dude. Honest, ethical AD for anything he sells and will take care of you, sponsors other UA-cam channels just because, etc.
I wouldn't hesitate for a split second to buy another watch from him.
... and he's super honest in his own videos. I can't remember which one, but there was one watch he was showing, and he said something like "I don't get this one, it just doesn't do it for me, but you guys keep buying it, so here it is". 🤣
EXCELLENT and THOROUGH REVIEW VIDEO!!!!!! A buddy of mine bought one of this watches some time ago, and came to me to show it side to side to his Seiko SKX007 and boy, for me they were identical!!!!! And we, like you, also found some specks in the dial and some markings in the hour markers, but I opened it for a cleaning with Rodico, and those markings disappeared leaving a total clean look. But having that Sapphire crystal, and specially the NH36 movement, a vastly superior one to the 7s26, makes lots of difference. And something that I did when closing, the case backs were interchangeable!!!! So it appeared that this watch is actually made by Seiko, but I would like to see if that can be done with other Seiko-like models from Islander Watch. But IMHO, this watch is a way better purchase than the Seiko SKX007, no questions about that. And just in case, that Hardlex crystal from Seiko IS HORRIBLE!!!! Yes, it scratches easily and a lot. Many customers come to me asking to exchange the crystals on their Seiko's because they are scratched or chipped after a year of daily use, and when they break, they do into tiny little pieces, not like a Sapphire one that is way more resistant to scratches by the classical mile and almost totally unbreakable under normal use conditions, but also cleans very well with a simple wipe. Something that I did with his watch also was that I exchanged the hands for a Pro-Plof-like set, and the bezel insert with the diver's bezel, and it looks even better!!!!! The only one other independent brand watch that I would say is an even better that this one is the Ocean 7 Diver/Chronometer that is no longer available. But this watch has everything- PloProf hands, Ceramic Bezel, Sapphire Crystal, DLC, 2000 thousand meters rating, and a Helium valve, powered by a Chronometer-grade ETA 2824-2, for just 368.00 after discounts. But I too, like this Islander watch a lot!!!! Has lots of character on it!!!!!
Marc is a gentleman, --and a good teacher via his instruction series
Ive had watches costing many times the price with little imperfections on the dial Breitling and Omega. They are extremely small and would litterally have to look at it for quite some time to find it. I personally dont mid it a whole lot and im pretty particular. I actually know exactly where they are and its a way to know that it is indeed my watch if something should ever happen to them.
Hey Jory, what would the tax be to get one of these in the UK? Thanks for the reveiw.
Good review. I have purchased much from Marc @ Long Island Watch. I got the ISL04 - which is essentially the watch being reviewed with a black ceramic, stealth bezel insert. I like it! Consider some of his other designs - a cool field watch, a "datejust-ish" sports/dress watch, and so forth. Good vid. Keep at it!
Mark at Long Island is my go-to for tutorials. Tinkering with watches has been great for my mental health its a fantastic hobby and satisfied when I build a watch from scratch from Mark"s tutorials. That is a beautiful watch from Long Island.
Marc is a watch enthusiast at heart. Great person and great line up of watches on his site, Islander or others.
Jory thanks very much I'm loving micro brand Monday. A while back you showed off the LIV Saturn V in titanium and bronze with green dial. I loved it and precordered one. I joined LIV as a supporter and got the $999 watch for $666 so thanks for the tip. It's currently in production and due in april
I have one of the flieger style Islander and it’s great for the price. Replaced the strap as I didn’t really like it. Great fully lumed dial on my piece.
Bought my orient mako ii usa there. Interested in the brand. Thanks for the review
Marc is absolutely crushing it with these. The new mini turtle he just released looks incredible and I will definitely be picking one up.
is there lume missing on the top of the "3" on the bezel insert?
Thank you for the lovely analysis :) Regards