The truth about Islander watches... ISL-44 ISL-89 and ISL-155 review
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- Опубліковано 5 сер 2024
- NOTE -- Apologies for intro music volume. Fixed on the next video 🙂👍
Why Islander watches deserve your attention - featuring 3 of my own from the collection. A quick look and small review of the ISL-44, ISL-89 and ISL-155 sea foam .. and where I think the brand can improve further on what is already an awesome catalogue.
00:00 Intro
00:20 ISL-44
03:02 ISL-89
05:38 ISL-155 - Наука та технологія
Great video! Thanks for the fair shake. Wonderful photography as well!
Thank you 🙂👍 looking forward to future releases 🙌
Love y Manhasset! Your watches deserve the positive attention.
Can I ask you, when you purchase do you have to pay import taxes? This personally put me off. Nice video. Cheers
Please make a tritium version so my old swiss deep blue has company, marathon is in a marathon if price increases without more quality.
@@GOMAROMA I did a few years ago when I got mine, I think it was around £50
I own two Islanders and they won't be the last! Marc made no bones about why he began offering them after Seiko announced the termination of SKX models. But he's moved way beyond that now and the sky is the limit. He's even come out with a group of titanium divers, each with their own unique dial. What makes Marc somewhat unique is his ability to listen to the market instead of telling it what they should want.
Well said.
Yup.
Love mine❤️
I hear you, I'm at four and that Titanium Diver in black is next on my list.
@MichaelHong-um1ns did you end uo getting it?? What are your thoughts???
I also own an ISL-44 and like it a lot. Marc Frankel is an old fashioned customer service focused businessman who takes care of people. Great guy.
Agree. I only have 2 Islander watches, but have certainly. Experienced the great customer service that Marc offers. Personable and no problems at all.
FYI-that caseback is the famous lighthouse in Montauk at the end of Long Island. A reference to the “Islander” brand here on Long Island. With his $300 watch he checks off a lot of boxes. Also many Seiko fans often said that they wanted sapphire crystals and ceramic bezels. Mark did this with Islander at a crazy competitive price.
Even as an homage, the initial versions were built with better parts than the Seikos, albeit without the ISO certification. Mark runs a lot lower profit margin per piece than Seiko. And, he didn't start his line until Seiko killed the ISO certified SKX line, replaced by the non ISO Seiko 5s line, anyway.
Islander is a project and labor of love for Mark at Long Island Watch. Plus, he's TRYING to find American manufacturers who can cost effectively allow made in America pieces in the future.
I have emailed Marc with questions and he has responded each time, suuuuuper fast. I love his watches.
I'm so glad I found your video. I've been shopping around for my 1st watch and had been eyeballing Islander and your video just pushed it home for me, thanks a lot.
You can't go wrong with Marc. He is an honest business man who backs everything he sells. He'll answer any emails you send him and help you pick out a great watch to fit your needs and your budget.
I have 7 Islander watches in my collection. And I hope to have many more. I bought about 5 or 6 watches from Marc before he started his brand. I bought the very first ISL01 then several more. The latest one I bought was the Rangemaster collab with TGV.
I have to say that I think the collaboration with TGV is designed and executed very well, and I am excited to see their next collaboration. I got a Rangemaster while they were available as well, and it has become my goto GADA watch, seeing more wrist time than any other watch in my collection.
I just ordered the ISL #83 field watch with full lume dial. Waiting patiently for it to arrive. My experience with LIW has been great. I also ordered a LIW bracelet for my Citizen diver. Great product. Thanks for the vid. 👍
I own 4 (including the isl155). Love them!!!! I purchased 8 watches from Long Island Watches. I admire what Marc and Ryan are doing over there! Thanks for the vid
I now have 4 Islander watches and have been very pleased by all aspects of the watches and the business model Marc has created.
The quality of materials, finishing and fit of all components are exemplary, easily surpassing most Seikos I own. I've been very pleased by the accuracy of the Seiko NH movements in the watches. When I queried Marc as to whether or not they regulate them he made a casual comment that they try to insure they're "within 15 spd". Mine have all been in single digit range, with my oldest, an ISL 02, consistently running in the 2 - 4 spd range over the 3 years I've owned it.
I had a problem with the movement in a recent purchase. Marc immediately, and personally (!), directed their watch repair contractor to replace the movement. Done and done - no problems with new movement, quick turnaround, and no blemishes anywhere on the watch.
The singular most impressive element of dealing with Island watch is the founder, owner and spokesperson, Marc Frankel's personal involvement in resolving any questions or concerns of his customers. Oh, if only other microbrands would do this it would make taking a chance on a micro a lot more enjoyable, and less risky
Great reviews, I have to get an Islander into my collection. Great value and so many designs to choose from.
Nice collection! I can't remember how I found them but I've had 3 Islanders since. The latest being the blue/white Northport. They do it all; selection, quality, and value. Great review.
Great video, I have 4 islanders and love them all. And yes, I too missed out on the 155, but I'll keep trying. That said, the real reason I like dealing with them is Mark himself as well as his team. Mark has gone to extraordinary lengths to bring tremendous value to his customers and these days people like him are unfortunately few and far between.
Great topic!
I own Marks OG pilot watch. For $200 it is a good value with a nice blue dial and is very accurate. The strap was to short for my BIG WRIST, but I have too many straps laying around to count, so that's fine.
I opted for the green dial "B" style with tan leather strap. The strap is much nicer than I expected at the price. The lume is amazing.
Mark is a good guy and I wish him much success with his watch line. A lot of thought and effort goes into these watches and they offer a very good value.
Great video of the great value propositions and unique stying of LI Watch Co. I've become a fan.
I have been holding out for an Islander watch for some time. Living in Australia with the exchange rate being not great I find Citizen watches better value locally. However your review of that beautiful sea foam finished dial has convinced me to research further into costings. I prefer a nice Silicon strap on my watches and would invest in one of Marc's many straps. I do think Marc should supply a silicon strap in the correct colourway to the dial. Great review and love your collection of Islanders.
I have four Islanders that I have purchased from Marc (actually have a Hemel also from him). The first Islander was the Seafoam, then an Abalone dial diver, then the Rangemaster, and recently the white Sands Point Titanium full lume. All have been great. Really can't get better value anywhere else.
I own two divers of his. Wear them all the time (especially as my nomos is in Germany for servicing right now.) Right now I have been wearing the mint green "monster". It's gorgeous. I also bought one of the first run 43mm pilots watches from him for my dad. He loves it. Runs great.
Great guy, great company, great team, etc.
Excellent video presentation - subscribed man !!!
You nailed it with your comments on the sea foam Northport! Exactly the same situation as I was in, in fact I lusted after that darn watch throughout the time it sold out and was restocked. Talk about service and attention to customers demands, their marketing of this line was awesome. As soon as it was back I received an email and away I went, clickity click! Lol. A great looking watch at a decent price point!
I love Islander watches. The ISL-02 is the watch that caused my addiction. Best of luck with your new channel. Cheers!
You're tempting me to pick up an Islander now, if it has to be one it'll be one of Marc's divers for sure. great review
I currently only have one Islander. It is a great watch and was an incredible value. Marc does things right!❤️
The sea foam green Islander is a stunner, the case is based on the design of the case of the Seiko 62MAS & the recent re-issues / 'reimaginings' of that watch.
Islander watches offers unparalleled value. Marc and his team are knocking it out of the park. I have four Islanders and many more will be coming to the collection.
Nice bunch of watches. I really like the Islander brand. That green was is lovely. The others too. I wish I could actually get them but shipping from the US is a bit of a nightmare to Istanbul. But one day hopefully. Excellent video. 👍
I picked up the same 155 when it came back into stock, and it's a favorite. Just about the only thing I'd look to change or improve is the bezel lume. The white half of the bezel has amazing lume, but the green half just goes dark. Either white/lume numbers instead of black on the green half or making the green color lumed would be an improvement. As it is, half of the bezel is useless in the dark, and that half includes the first 15 minute markers that most users will naturally want to use to start short timing periods. That nitpick aside, the 155 really highlights all of Islander's strengths as a brand. Striking, well-thought-out design, quality materials, excellent workmanship, tight tolerances.
I have the blue waffle dial one along with several others and they never disappoint. Great watches with good value.
I got one Islander and TBH I was all-in after my first purchase. Not only is the merchandise an outstanding value-for-cost proposition, esp. compared to the big-name inspiration for the OG Idlanders, (they come stock with all the mods a watch person would need to add to a Seiko, and everything lines up! Whadya know?) but Marc & his team at LIW provide OUTSTANDING customer service that makes me actually like giving th my money. I am now the proud owner of 💸six💸 Islanders that all get wrist time, and couldn't be happier about it. Zero buyer's remorse. The 38's are great, the Bayports are also great, and the Spinnaker collab is an absolute dime.
Islander ISL-021 38mm Emerald
Islander ISL-049 38mm Pepsi
Islander ISL-122 Bayport (green)
Islander ISL-123 Bayport (grey)
Islander ISL-151 38mm Pan Am
Islander P-5094-LIW11 (bred)
+ Spinnaker Croft LE Hi-beat
Next up: that sweet "Day-T" with a champagne dial 🔥🔥🔥
Enjoyed the video, want to spend more time looking at Islander now. The sound/volume difference between your voice and the music in this vid is pretty wild. Blew my ears out a couple times in my headphones, ouch.
Sorry to your ear drums - fixed for future and in the next vid 😅
Good stuff. I have owned several over the years and currently have two.
I have the Seafoam as well. The value and quality for money is incredible. I wear it on a rubber strap I also got from them. Highly recommend the brand. I'm also running about +/- 2sec which blows my mind 😉
What color strap you get? I got one and trying to figure out some options
I own two Islanders: ISL-135 and the ISL-153 “Rangemaster”. Both have been reliable timepieces, and I wear them weekly. I’d love to see him come up with his own movement one day.
I have some expensive watches but I can never seem to get the Rangemaster off my wrist! Such a great and comfortable daily wearer.
@@txmogger his watches are awesome indeed. but he'll never create his own movement, way, way too expensive
Creating his own movement takes years of development and accrues huge costs to the manufacturer in doing so. This why only the major brands appear to create own movements and is generally prohibitive to smaller independents and micro brands. Nice watches though.
I like lot of the Islander watches, it was good to see a review from an owner.
One of the best things about them is the colour options.
I have the 38mm in the emerald green and I just simply love it! I put it on a rubber FKM strap and it looks great. I love the sea foam but that thing sells out like hot bread lol. Good review!
Thanks - I must try mine on some FKM, will be great for summer!
What model # is the 38 emerald green?
Have the robin blue OP homage islander. Has a 9s miyota movement with a see through caseback. It’s my everyday watch and I love it. Will be buying another in a different color. Mark seems to really love bringing affordable quality watches. Shipping was 3-4 days. For the money think they are great.
I have two of the Islander "Monsters". Full DLC with a carbon fiber dial, and full lume dial with a DLC bezel. Both are super solid and great looking watches, perfect automatics for someone who mostly wears G-Shocks.
I recently bought my first Islander, it’s actually a collab with Spinnaker-so far so good. As you stated, for the money you get a better than decent watch that won’t break the bank. Great video.
Congrats they made some really nice pieces in the collab 🍻 😎
I’m currently looking to buy my first automatic watch. Was dissapinted when tried the Seikos 5, and even other in the higher price range (up to $450). The bacelets and clasps where soooo cheap. Links are hollowand felt like a toy. I have designer battery watches that are better built. Came across this brand turning an interest in “microbrands” and I’m really considering it for my first. I love the 43mm Automatic Dual-Time
Sapphire Crystal, and Luminous Sapphire Bezel. Your video is helping me a lot thak’s to no filters and great review. You have a very nice selection.
Ps. Also loving 43mm Automatic Dive Watch with Sunburst Gold Dial and Maroon Accents #ISL-149 🤤 I have a soft spot for vintage looking things. They also have a waffle dial gmt with similar specs. Keep it UP. 👍
Thank you for the kind words - microbrands are definitely the way to go if you want the best value for money and Islander are a very safe place to put your money, good reputation and support incase you did have any issues. I saw the new waffle GMTs they look excellent actually - especially I like the white. Appreciate the comments 🍻 and let me know if you end up grabbing one exactly what you think... I still have my first one which must be getting on 4 years old now still running like a champ 🙂
I have the sea foam green north port aswell I love mine too great review man
Thanks! Yeah such cool design 👌
New subscriber here. Great reviews of Islander watches. I am a big Islander fan myself, and have the blue Bayport, the Black Hawkeye, the gold Penn, and the Rangemaster in my own collection. I had a Northport but it didn't click with me, so I sold it. Perhaps if I had the sea green foam instead of the turquoise...I recommend Islander to newbies all the time.
Thanks for the sub! I was very tempted with the Hawkeye, amazing value for money and timeless design...maybe I should go for it! Would you recommend it?
I recently purchased the ISL-18. It is my first automatic watch. Amazing watch!
I got my first, ISL-36, last week. Haven’t hardly taken it off. Couldn’t be happier, excellent value for money. I highly recommend.
That 155 is awesome.
Got an ISL-203 for Xmas, really like it. Picked up multiple Seikos/Orients from Marc in the past. He's a real watch guy and quick to get back to you. Recommend him 100%
Thanks for the video. The first two look like fairly run-of-the-mill Seiko mods, but the last one is a bit special with that sexy dial and bezel. All nice pieces.
I love that emerald dial. I have the ISL-18 with the blue dial and the ISL-2. I think the ISL-74 Batman will be my next purchase. Marc makes a great watch and the customer service is first class!
Good watches, nice review. The last one looks like the SPB053 case. The bracelet looks like Strapcode Miltat again.
Hey It’s Marc ! Hi Marc ! Great Video By the way!
I had the exact same thing with the isl155. Literally checked the stock every day till it returned 😊
Your vid just hit my feed tonight, but I'll chime in late anyway! I have three Islanders - the 141 Abalobe diver was my first early this year, followed by the 208 JFK GMT and the 226 ISL-TGV Rangemaster collab. I really like the 141 but I absolutely love the last two. They punch way above their weight class for workmanship, timekeeping, and value. Their design crew is doing great work, and Marc has put customer service front and center. Recently I inquired about buying some extra links for the 141 and 208 to better fit my gorilla wrists; next day they were shipping. No charge, no shipping. Who does this in 2023? I know I will be buying more Islanders...maybe that seafoam?
Thanks for the comments and great to hear you're having a similar brand experience 🙂👍 the fact they'll send free links is such a great touch. After Islanders I resent brands charging me for extra links. Anyway definitely get the seafoam 😉 and have a great week weekend 🍻
I have 12 Islander watches.all of which are divers.one thing I like about LIW is marc uses screw pins to size the bracelets.i came home to find my islander watch sitting on the porch from ups..i unboxed it and sized it before the watch had time to warm up from the weather outside..thats how fast and easy it is to size the islander.they even come with the proper screw driver for that bracelet.and it sure beats the pin and collar system that some watch brands use..
Nice watches. Absolutely need quick release bracelets and micro-adjusts as standard
To take the brand to the next level. Beautiful sea-foam. Would have to put it on an after market bracelet or white strap as it stands currently
Thank you for your video!
I love your Islanders. I have the islaber 144 the dlc monster with a carbon dial and i absolutely love it! Ive said it b4. They took the monster we all love and upgraded it. Its a new beast.
Yeah maybe Marc started as a homage but nowdays they have original design and superb quality. Did you see the titanium?? Pure joy..
Spot on - it's growing so fast as a brand! Monsters are wicked too, and the new titanium looks like an amazing every day wear... I also heard some rumours of NH34 GMT islanders coming soon too... I'm going to end up bankrupt haha
Great video, it's nice to see some Islanders that have been used rather than just unboxing/reviews.
One point for future videos, the transition screen music is loud/jarring. The music comes through much louder than your voice, so it's hard to set a comfortable volume.
Thank you bud. Absolutely agree fixed in the next video - it was a bit of miss on my part! Sorry for any ear drum pain!
Wearing my Islander ISL-83 Mitchel field watch right now. Love it! I also have the Pepsi dive watch (ISL-19).
Nice video, nice watches. I like Mark’s brand
Great review mate .
thank you bud 🙂
Most of the parts from Mark's first releases could be bought on aliexpress to build your own skx mod for fairly cheap. But i will say he has came a long way from those first couple of releases. The last year or so he has been doing more unique watch designs.
I think Islander watches fill a huge hole in the market, and the watches themselves are magnificent. Had and sold their baby ice monster version, and still have an ISL-09 and a Brookville in green aventurine. The Brookville is probably my favorite watch :)
Islanders are great watches at incredible prices. I own 6 of them and will be looking at a couple more.
I own three Islanders( one skx style,one field and one that is similar to a date just)……all three are awesome.Great customer service as well!
As for me I really like the islander line up of watches. Mark is a nice, personable person to say the least. A number of years ago I ordered the isl 15 when I had a little more money to splurge mark treated me right ordering it,and it's still running great. No problems with my purchase at all. Try it you might like it.😊
Do you know if the end links on this bracelet can be swapped?
The end links can be swapped but you'd need a suitable jubilee end-link to fit as a replacement. I assume they are primarily only swappable for Islander to change the end pieces for different watch cases they produce.
Marc is absolutely incredible! You’d be hard pressed to get better customer service anywhere else. I had an issue once, that wasn’t even his fault, and he took care of it incredibly fast. Before I even knew what was happening. He made me a customer for life. They are beautiful watches and incredible value for the money.
Yep, the customer service especially stands out for me having dealt with quite a few brands now 🙂
I really enjoy Marc's watches. He seems like a really good guy also. Thanks for this review, you got a new sub!
yeah definitely agree - it feels like he genuinely understands the community as he is a proper watch lover himself. Thanks for the sub!
@@nextonthewrist I have the same Speedtimer also. I went for the blue, I pre-ordered it so paid way too much. Yikes. Lesson learned 😆
That deep green is a beauty! I wish the colour looked better against my skin tone.
I'm sure you can pull it off 😎
I bought a German "Trias" pilot pvd full lume dial from Marc in 2005-ish (can't remember exact year). Best purchase and introduction to automatic watches. Every really dumb question I had was answered personally by him. 👍
I have 4 of my own. Great watches.
Islander watches are a tremendous value. Beautiful dials and solid quality. Marc rocks!
I have the emerald green Islander with the white ceramic/stainless bezel except mine was the ISL 173 ?…..ISL 175 ? It is 38 mm and looks like a mini- Yacht Master :-) I bought my 38 mm , 1963 Chinese Pilot’s Watch from Marc as well. Great Customer Service, superb watches with a huge dose of QC. Fine vid. Just subbed! Thanks
Great choice 🙂👍... It is definitely piece of mind knowing you're buying from a business run by someone who is truly passionate about watches I think not just a faceless corporation. Cheers for the sub 😎🍻
Hey just some feedback since I notice you're a new channel - the music in the transition screens are really loud compared to the rest of the video. Otherwise, very enjoyable video.
Thanks bud, appreciate the feedback -you are spot on, more like a jump scare when it kicks in! I've tried to fix this in the second video just uploaded today. Hopefully onwards and upwards. 🙂
I have the ice blue waffle dial samurai, might be my favorite watch in my collection period.
Question: im looking for a 40-42mm diver. What islander should i consider?
Honestly as they have quite a few variants now, I'd filter on the long island watch website and see what you like - they're all good 🙂
Marc saw a market for affordable watches and went full charge ahead and produced quality watches for less than most.
Seeing that seafoam for the first time blew my mind, I'm so sad they're so difficult to get
That ISL-155 is quite unique, in having the date complication shown at the 6 o'clock position.
I've been a customer of LIW for about four years now. I still recall one Christmas eve, a mate of mine was concerned about an Orient watch he had recently purchased. It was something to do with the movement and knowing Marc happened to carry this model, I decided to shoot him an email. It was late in the evening. Maybe ten or eleven PM on Long Island. My expectation was he would receive it after the holidays and I wasn't really concerned about it. It couldn't have been ten or fifteen minutes later I got a reply letting me know the watch was fine it was some quirk of that particular movement. I started hearing people mention having the same experience with him in their UA-cam videos . The guy really goes the extra mile for his customers and that also comes through in the quality of the Islanders.
great story, and exactly why I am happy to buy from LIW, service is key. Had some terrible experiences in other online stores and in the end regretted trying to save that last 10-15 dollars for the extra hassle. Thanks for taking the time to share!
What I don’t think people really understand about Islander watches is the incredible quality. If you ever see/hold one, you’ll finally “get it”.
Can you tell me how much it costs for delivery and customs duty to the UK? Thanks.
I live abroad, but best place to ask is reddit watch groups or watch crunch I reckon, someone will know in detail 🙂
Nice one. Are you a Brit based in the U.S or the U.K? If you're based in the U.K do you find the shipping costs reasonable? Thanks
I'm actually a brit based in Canada, so not much help on this sorry bud!
Thanks for the reply. Very impressive viewing figures for what is only your second video.
@@garryclarke7695 thank you!... totally caught me by surprise too 🙂👍
Islander watches are an upgrade from seiko watches. Sapphire crystal and regulated movement which blows away what seiko offers at this price point. Marc is absolutely killing it!
They look great
I would love to see them make the sea foam as a gmt, they only need to change the numbers on the dial and a gmt movement
Yes, they are more then SKX homages, they are homages to multiple Seikos. They are a better value than the Seikos they homage however. Looking forward to grabbing my first one.
Islander offer alot of watch/ specs compared to the Seiko 5 divers released. I did pick up my Seiko 5 for a discounted price. Umm, I think a Islander may be due in my collection soon.
I really like that sea foam one
Good video
Thank you 🙂
what do you think of Pagani Design homage watches? the specs are the same as Islander but the price is one third....
You'd be better off with a heimdallr. Still much cheaper, exactly same quality, sometimes better quality.
I've had a few paganis and they're great value but not as nicely finished as the islander, you can feel the cost difference especially in the bracelet and bezel movement 🙂
The watches look so good
Hi ive had a isl 18 for a few years now, my bezel seems to move in just normal wearing on cuff, otherwise a great watch, which often gets compliments .
Great looker the ISL-18 too! If the bezel is a little loose you can actually adjust the click-spring underneath for more tension, it pops off like a normal SKX bezel would and the click-spring has two that tabs can just be bent a little more upwards. I find bezels are quite tight going back on with the Islanders so do require a press to get it back on. I took mine off to try some different bezels a while back, might help anyway!
@@nextonthewrist Thanks for that, i will get will give it a go👍
Where are Islanders watches made? Thanks
I imagine they are assembled in shenzen and LIW would do final QC, but honestly I do not know, I'm only making an educated guess. They do have an American built quartz I think it's called the amerigraph, which is fully US.
Good to know that the quality is good, but I still can't see myself paying what they are charging. Maybe if they continue to inovate on the design I will change my mind...
The seafoam is outstanding
Marc is killin' it...
Sea-foam … 👍😊💥
The teal islander is amazing
Islanders are known for their lume amongst other things. Would be good to show lume shots in reviews. A reveiw is not really complete without a lume shot, other than that: good job.
The green looks awesome. He needs to improve his product photos.