Battle of the 36mm Explorer homages : Octopus Kraken vs Cronos (new logo)

[@ruedalejo2562]

Finally someone did the comparison. Thanks!

[@slimwrist]

Which one you like better?

[@ruedalejo2562]

@@slimwrist Almost pulled the trigger on the Cronos but Im leaning towards the Octopus now.

[@gabytro]

There is at least one more video comparing those

[@KP-wp5sz]

Nice job on this! I like how you essentially left cost off the table. I think too many reviewers focus on relatively small price differences to justify major issues with watch. Again, nice work!

[@slimwrist]

Thanks! Yeah cost difference is fairly minimal, I mean it is like one doordash order difference.

[@TXLogic]

Useful, thanks, especially the case thickness comparison.

[@sonickautschuhe]

This video helped me to decide. Gonna go with the octopus!

[@aethelwulfwarlord1475]

I have the Cronos, Octopus vintage air king (same case as explorer) and the Baltany. The Cronos is what I reach for and wear 9 times out of 10

[@jeffifyke800]

10:33 is where I think you see the AR coating difference in favor of Cronos. Most of the video though due to the lighting the Octopus actually looks like it has better AR IMO.

[@slimwrist]

Thanks, it is really noticeable in person but my lighting made the Octopus looks more clearer. I think my semi reflection on the Cronos added to the lack of clarity of the dial.

[@cedarcanoe]

I have compared them as well with all plenty of other 36mm Explorer homages, and chose the Octopus in the end.

[@slimwrist]

If Steinhart made the adventurer in 36mm with thinner case via flat solid caseback I would buy that in a second. But for now I think Octopus is the best bang for the buck.

[@barryscott990]

I got the octopus a few weeks ago and love it. Only niggle is the crown is small and somewhat difficult for me to screw in first time, but maybe that will improve over time

[@slimwrist]

Hey Barry you are definitely right. Crown is much flatter on the Octopus, not much of an issue for myself but I can see how it can be annoying to anyone with larger hands / fingers.

[@julianarbelaez2928]

Thanks a lot for doing this video, I'm looking to get my first explorer in my collection and I'm having a hard time choosing between this two.

[@slimwrist]

All good brotha. Leave a question if you have any about these two watches.

[@elijahf]

Id love to see more of these as a feklow slim wristed guy

[@slimwrist]

Yeah! Slim wristed crew unite!

[@apostolosgalimanas8274]

i see that Octopus Kraken is the winner of all homage explorer!glossy dial and fantastic quality!

[@slimwrist]

Yes Sir!

[@probablywatches]

I agree, i like the Octopus more too because it is much more accurate to the original. Octopus is the first to get the thickness of the bezel right as far as i can see, and same with the thickness of the case is mkre accurate to the original, also the octopus logo and writing looks more like the rolex logo and writing at a distance

[@slimwrist]

Although it wasn't coming across on the video, Octopus also got the lack of AR coating right.😂😂

[@probablywatches]

@slimwrist1143 I wonder if they really did it on purpose to stay true to the original 🤔 😂

[@doobeedoo2]

Can you edit the video to make this point ​@@slimwrist

[@cfbmma]

I received the octopus, you are right about everything including the lack of anti reflective coating.

[@WatchSniper]

Perfect review. Subbed! And we have the same wrist size

[@slimwrist]

Nice! Slim wrists crew in effect!

[@wirpranoto]

do these two has ghost date? or it's a fixed no date pt5000?

[@slimwrist]

Yup ghost date exists for both.

[@zainalazzan]

I’d love to have that Cronos if you’re getting rid of it 😄 great comparison by the way! Definitely Cronos for me as I prefer the brand name & logo.

[@slimwrist]

I would have offered it to you but it is already gone. Lasted a day before someone bought it. Go to 11.11 sale and see if you can find it on good sale.

[@ericarghirudis3462]

your measurements are exactly what i was hoping for. i own the 36mm cronos on my 7.1/4 inch/ 18.5 cm wrist, which is pushing the limits . the bigger dial makes the difference for me but i love the jet black dial. it's seems the only option is to swap the sapphire for a better one with good AR coating. what do you think? of course we wouldn't have this conversation if someone would produce a 37 / 37.5mm explorer. i didn't mention i own the 39mm cronos, don't like it at all,way too big. thank for your reply and the great video

[@slimwrist]

Yeah I had the 39mm Steinhart and it was just too big on my 6.5 inch wrists. I would say go for it if you owned the Octopus but AR on the my 36mmm Cronos is really decent. You do you though and do whatever makes the watch better for you brotha.

[@ericarghirudis3462]

@slimwrist1143 i do own the cronos and it looks small on my 7.25 inch wrist. that's why I'm interested by the octopus and its wider dial. Just worried about the ar coating

[@slimwrist]

@@ericarghirudis3462 Oh okay now I see what you are saying. Yeah Octopus definitely is better for me in terms of sizing. Honestly I thought of replacing the crystals too, I would have to pay someone though because when I mod watches those crystal replacement don't go to plan at all.

[@aronchas]

A bit out of my reach for now $$, what do you think about the watchdives versión?

[@slimwrist]

I think it is great option for the price, I have the new WD1969 Pro shipping in. I just prefer the smooth sweep of PT5000 vs the bit choppy VH quarts movements.

[@Kr00zA]

I watched a fair few of these videos comparing the Cronos to the Octopus. And I went with the Cronos for the following reasons... It looks slightly more compact... and a bit more like my preferred Rolex Explorer. It was available with a NH35 movement. Which is a movement I'm familiar with. I don't really like the name 'Octopus' lol. Which might sound strange. I just think it sounds more suitable for a company making 'fun and wacky' watches, than one making serious homage watches. With the Cronos... no issues with it apart from the corners on the clasp. On the second day, I took a small jewellery file to it and rounded off the corners slightly. Which solved that issue. And I also disliked the highly polished surfaces on the side of the case and side of the clasp. So a careful rubbing with some fine glass paper sorted that out.

[@slimwrist]

You can't go wrong with either. Cronos if you prefer the more modern version I would say.

[@johnvizzle]

“Whoever was doing it, needs AR coating on their glasses” 🤣

[@apostolosgalimanas8274]

Hello dear friend! Fantastic review! You believe octopus or cronos its bettee? Your opinion about Steinhart adventure? Really its big? I am thinking for Steinhart seriously...

[@slimwrist]

If you have wrist size of maybe 7 inches or higher than I think Steinhart Adventure is fine. It is bit too thick for my taste but far as the looks it is fantastic. My wrist is 6.5 inches and 39mm with explorer design just looked too big for me.

[@zp3dd4]

I love the octopus, but do wish the AR was stronger..

[@slimwrist]

💯💯💯

[@doobeedoo2]

how is it keeping time months later?

[@slimwrist]

No issues for the Octopus. Cronos was flipped so not sure but they both use PT5000 so I would assume it is okay as well.

[@doobeedoo2]

@slimwrist people have reported issues with PT5000, namely running fast after 3 months, & Ben of the Ben's Watch Club channel thought that the Kraken's crown movement was gritty in comparison with the Cronos and chose the latter on that basis. The big challenge with these videos is that they cover the superficial mostly and not how they keep time over time. Lower priced watches in the Stated are mostly quartz because people dont know where to repair or service automatics.

[@gabelov]

"People talk about the butthole logo..." 😂😂😂

[@slimwrist]

It does kind of look like it but you can obviously tell in microshots that it is suppose to be Octopus from the top down view. i would have made the legs bit more thicker on the logo to avoid the anus comparison but hey I am not a designer.

[@gabelov]

@slimwrist1143 lol you're right.

[@turnbasedtoddy7664]

The octopus looks amazing. You can really tell through the video how good it is but that logo and name are just terrible. If Chinese brands could get the names and logo’s right they would be unstoppable. Also THANK YOU for measuring from the male end links like you should. 90% of reviewers don’t do that and it drives me crazy!

[@slimwrist]

How about "Squid" watch? And the logo instead of being a butthole is a tentacle that looks like a penis?

[@dankmemenoobmaster]

octopus wins because of the better proportions of dial / hands / and slimmer case profile and bezel

[@danspanos]

Just out of curiosity, which one has better lume?

[@slimwrist]

Both use BGW9 but Octopus was better by quite a bit, to a point where I had to do additional application of the black light on the Cronos just to make sure I was doing it correctly since I am not a "Lume" guy. Somehow during edit I left out that whole part out. If I have the footage I will create a KZbin short comparison video.

[@danspanos]

@@slimwrist Thanks buddy! I appreciate the quick response!

[@eunc00]

Like the way you criticised the Octopus for having a squeaky bracelet as real Rolex Oyster bracelets squeak when brand new and it disappeared after a short time. Equally, the real AR coating is only on the underside so for a lot of the time it isn't that noticeable. Both of those make the Octopus the better knock off although it is let down by the overly long lugs but that is still less obvious than the thick bezel on the other.

[@slimwrist]

For the Octopus I don't think the AR is even in the underside, it is pretty bad. I have other watches with AR application on underside of the crystals and they look so much better than Kraken.

[@a.j.c.t.3904]

what's your wrist size?

[@slimwrist]

It is 6.5 inches. I talk about it excessively on my other videos but somehow forgot to mention. I will see if youtube will let me leave a comment on the video on the wrist shots.

[@yellowblue2479]

Just a note: I humbly suggest that in future videos, you list both the lug-to-lug measurement and the end link-to-end link measurement. It is incorrect and misleading to measure lug-to-lug including the male end links. This is a narrative that has caught fire in the watch community that because male end links "wear bigger" it should be factored into the measurement, and this is incorrect. In reality, it depends on the size of the male end-links as well as each individual's wrist shape and size whether or not male end links actually make any aesthetic difference or not. Regardless, it is the true lug tip-to-lug tip measurement that actually defines the proportions of the watch in relation to the case diameter. Thank you.

[@slimwrist]

Noted. Thanks for the info and tone of the suggestion.

[@Drega84]

Butthole on the Octopus Symbol, that's hilarious! 🤣 People really have imagination, well now, I can't unthink it 🤯 But on one note, if this was a very well-known Swiss brand, people would not dare to say that! 😅

[@Nachovalenti899]

I prefer the Cronos. Thanks for the video.

[@paulvon2378]

I can find a Timex or Casio for same quality for half the price.

[@eunc00]

None of which will let you pretend you have a six grand watch 🤣

[@paulvon2378]

@@eunc00 $6k watch only because people are dumb enough to pay it.

[@gabytro]

What were they thinking? “Octopus kraken” :(( that s the only thing holding me back. Also the lack of AR coating :((( I hate the milky look. Ruins the watch

[@slimwrist]

Milky is the best way to describe it. I am thinking of doing a video trying to see if I can replace the crystals on my own.

[@Martin94416]

And again, alot of untrained eyed in the comment section. The OCTOPUS is OBVIOUSLY better in specs... dont discuss

[@Uchoobdood]

Baltany beats them both!

[@slimwrist]

Maybe, but for me I didn't want the patina colors on the markers and wanted a bit more busier callouts on the middle of the dial to fill out the space.

[@zp3dd4]

I have them both and the octopus wears much better. Huge difference between 10.5 and 12 mm thickness

[@cedarcanoe]

I have compared them as well with all plenty of other 36mm Explorer homages, and chose the Octopus in the end.