NTH Näcken & Bahia Review - A Masterpiece of Detail | Armand The Watch Guy

In today's video, I would like to talk about some of the most discussed microbrand watches this year - the NTH Subs. Therefore, the pieces I have here today are the Näcken Renegade and the Bahia, two pieces with subtle cues to historical watches of the 20th century and with a level of detail and care which competes with watches twice their price.
Link to Page and Cooper, who very kindly lent the watches to me for the review: www.pageandcooper.com/watch-b...
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[@TheRunningManZ]

You're right, it's refreshing they do things to set it apart from being a Submariner copy. They've made them a Tudor copy instead!

[@iclogtoilets3483]

It is the poor man's Tudor Pelagos.

[@lonewolf30531]

TheRunningManZ funny

[@CaptainRambunctious]

But at least 2mm thinner than a Tudor which is slab sided...

[@wanda1396]

I'd much rather pay 1/5th the price for a watch with a tough 28,800 bph movement, 300 water resist, & better lume. If you wanna cough up $3500 for the Pelagos to make your ego feel better, you go right ahead, dear...

[@lowersaxon]

😂

[@NTHWatches]

Wow! Lovely intro to a very thoughtful review. Thank you for taking the time with them, Armand, and for the kind words! So glad you got to see them at last. Cheers, Merry Christmas, and best wishes for the coming New Year!

[@bigbarnwell]

Great review, and such great watches. The Näcken has become close to impossible to get one's hands on. What can us mortals do to get our hands on a piece? Are you working on scaling or otherwise trying to meet the demand - or is it part of your concept and strategy to keep supply low?

[@NTHWatches]

We are working to keep up with demand.

[@jsarmast]

David - Page and Cooper (where Armand got the watches) have them in stock if you are in the UK, both date and no-date. I just ordered mine yesterday. As a Scandinavian, I love the name and it looks so good. Hurry up and arrive already.

[@khronokraze]

Love the case design. It's perfect. The bracelet is also very well made and designed. Been really enjoying my NTH Nazario Sauro. Although I try to avoid buying multiple watches with essentially the same case and movement with only an aesthetic change, I am so impressed with the quality and REALLY like the Renegade, date or no date versions. Seriously contemplating finding a way to add the Renegade to my collection. That dial! Interesting you mention Tudor briefly.. There's enough differences in the NTH design, but I dare say it greatly improves what could easily be compared to a modern Tudor Black Bay* in 41mm which is a bit large, if not definitely more than a bit too thick than it needs be. NTH just does that general design better than Tudor, imho. Sure, the movement is a Miyota 9015, but that is definitely not a bad thing. Keeps cost down without sacrificing a solid and very reliable automatic movement. My example has happily been running consistently at +1 to +2 seconds per day. And, I have to say I think the bezel action is really precise with no play, at least on my NTH Nazario Sauro example. Solid clicks. New, it may be a bit stiffer than you may be normally accustomed to, but once you've used it a few times it eases up and is a pleasure to work when needed. I would compare it similarly to my experience with Christopher Ward Trident line which is a good thing. If I were to get another style, I also really do like NTH's Devilray model as well. * Tudor does have their new fifty-eight which they've finally brought the BB line down to a better case size, and more importantly not so thick. BUT,they only have the 1 gilt model for now. Undoubtedly there will be more variations as that's what Tudor does with their BB line. Still, the price you get an NTH watch for and the quality and performance and style, it does what essentially Tudor is doing with their BB line better in spades.

[@ivankerr3570]

Nice watches and great review but very overpriced for watches with miyota movements. Steinhart can do eta and charge much less.

[@rockon21ful]

As always a wonderful review. Never really noticed these pieces until you put a spotlight on them!! Great value Micro Brand..

[@amoulet69]

The Nacken is very nice, I just can't decide between that one and the Barracuda. Both are similar but only one can come home. Thank you for a well-detailed video.

[@noelmurphy3450]

Thank you for the very accurate review Armand. I own the NTH BAHIA no date (as shown in your video) which I bought from the great team at Page & Cooper and it is a beauty. NTH is a wonderful watch brand. I also own the NTH Nacken Vintage MK 1 which is a great watch too and gets lots and lots of wrist time. Many thanks Noel

[@jimbegin6554]

Yet again Armand, another great review for what appears to be a great value watch! Like the drilled lugs, which I prefer regardless of style - strange comment, I know!

[@paulnelson9239]

Great review, I've got a nacken renegade to open on Christmas day from my better half. Looking forward to it even more now.

[@markplayford5836]

Nice watches that first came to my attention when TGV got his. From what I remember back then they do seem to have had a price hike to make them available in the U.K. Still great value and I was not aware they were that thin which is always a plus point for me. Great review and a Happy New Year to you Armand.

[@robertoviacava8091]

Great review and beautiful watches. Nice job!

[@grahamlawton6250]

Awesome job great review. Thanks again. My favourite is the Nacken modern Blue. Very Tudor-esque.

[@oxfordshirehammer7279]

Maybe a review of the Christopher ward c60 trident pro 600 a lot of watch for the money

[@operasinger2126]

I just ordered Nacken yesterday. First time I spent this much on a watch.

[@roygardiner2229]

Thank you for another review, of the same very high quality I have come to expect from you. I prefer the simpler and more uniform dial of the Bahia.

[@robinc3307]

Micro brands are the way to go...I'm getting out of my high end pieces and going micro... Looking forward to the crepas plongeur...haven't found a review of one yet

[@mrbacchus6127]

I love it, especially the thin profile and the fact it's not a clear homage. Yes I often feel KZbin reviews are biased especially when it comes to microbrands. Even if you are not payed if you keep the watch for free it can effect your review.

[@ivankerr3570]

They are all payed one way or another

[@roamy3605]

Thank-you for this outstanding review. I've seen these NTH watches before but not up close. They have a lot of features that do make this seem like an incredible value. Keep up the good work and Happy Holidays!

[@jimmatsunaga8318]

Up close and on your hand the honeymoon quickly ends!

[@wincrasher2007]

I have the Renegade. Wish I had seen your video first before I purchased - the dial is a lighter blue than they show on their website. The actual color obscures the lettering and takes on different hues depending on the lighting. Still a very nice watch, but not the deep blue I was expecting.

[@amoulet69]

You're right, it's not the deep blue other brands offer, it's a pale blue fade or some kind of white snow on a blue dial. Still nice.

[@jmskelly59]

It's a shame the Nacken is sold out on the NTH website. Most re-sellers are charging €100 on top of the RRP online.

[@animusolus]

Great review. I was close to pulling the trigger on the Bahia. As you skillfully pointed out, the case is beautifully done, and the bracelet articulates very well. My only quibbles are the cathedral hour hand (which I could have overlooked) and the lumed counterbalance of the seconds hand (which I could not). I'm not sure why a watchmaker would choose to lume the counterbalance of a hand, as it seems to actually hamper the functionality of the watch. Put another way, why would I want to know a thirty-second deviation of the actual time at night?

[@ElijsDima]

Better weight distribution of the seconds hand, meaning less strain on the movement (less torque required). Seiko does the counter-luming thing too. According to the iso dive-watch requirements, lume on seconds hand is not for timing, it's there just to have an easy to see indicator telling whether the watch is running or not. P.S. ... Why would you want to know the exact seconds during nighttime? It seems like such an unrealistic scenario. If it's anything at all important, you'd turn on the lights... and if not, what does +30sec even matter? As long as you can see hour/minutes, and see that the watch runs, it's all good, innit?

[@franknielsen2784]

Great looking watch :-)

[@lonewolf30531]

The NTH watch looks pretty cool. I would prefer a ETA movement in this price point . The Maen watch is good a comparison . Thanks for the review .

[@ArmandTheWatchGuy]

+TIMEFORFUN: Well, as it turns out, the review of the Maen comes next week...

[@Bierkameel]

Nice watches but for this price I would expect raised indices instead of a printed dial.

[@jaysikes4256]

Apart from the colour and date aperture, it's a Tudor Submariner clone. "Subtle" cues you say....If that's your definition of subtle, then how do you define "blatant"??

[@nickmorgan2990]

Can you review DWISS RC-1 as you are the best reviewer.

[@massimogaliero6878]

Great watch .. are you related to Jacob Rees Mogg ?

[@Zeratsu]

this watch is a knacker

[@bucknaked6674]

Does one?

[@edreumann8385]

Are watches overpriced? Well simple matter of what the market will bear. If people weren't paying the outragious prices and creating a market, the prices would come down to a reasonable level.

[@eyeheartsushi2212]

Where is NTH based out of?

[@NTHWatches]

We're in the US, with resellers in other parts of the world. nthwatches.com/pages/authorized-distributors

[@eyeheartsushi2212]

NTH Watches Thank you.

[@matth8205]

Not too bad a price for a homage but still to similar for people to ask to see your Tudor or Rolex and then you have to explain it isn’t

[@412JFury]

It would be much more fun to explain why globalist corporations are the devil. And why you would much rather give your money to a small independent company. I look forward to people asking me these things anytime I wear my microbrands out. I love these conversations as the snobs get so mad because there's nothing they can do about it.

[@matth8205]

412JFury lol 😂 very true but I’ll happily give my money to Rolex or Tudor on the dive watch front. For an independent company to get my money they need to look very different and interesting.

[@412JFury]

@@matth8205 I agree with the interesting part but very different isn't an absolute requirement for me. But I'm not going to knock anything anyone else likes. As long as you like the watch that's what's most important. I just wish others would think the same way and stop hating on everything that comes out. I think it's just because people are unhappy in their own lives and have nothing else to do. I recently bought a zelos swordfish with a meteorite dial and it is by far my favorite watch I've ever owned. I'm really considering getting an nth next. No the nth isn't completely original but I love what it does even more than what the original does as far as case thickness, case shape. One day if I can easily afford a black Bay 58 I will grab one. But I can't now so until that day I will buy what catches my eye. And has good materials and pleasing Aesthetics. I have never and I will never think what's inside the watch is the heart of the watch. I'm all about case shape, case size, materials, brushing, beveled edges, I'm a big stickler for a clasp and dive extension that are well-made. One of the main reasons I want the black Bay is because of the ceramic ball bearings it uses LOL. Like that's literally a selling point for me. But have fun and cheers to you

[@matth8205]

412JFury couldn’t agree more if I like the watch and can afford it that’s what I go for 👍🏻 I’m a stickler for mechanical watches but aside from that I have £20 timex watches from the 70s to the Rolexes and omegas etc. I’m with you on the black bay 58 although I’m holding out to see if the GMT gets the same treatment I really fancy a gmt next ! Failing that a Seiko mini turtle padi also needs to find its way into my collection 😂 that’s the great thing about watches at any price point there is always another one to add to the collection 👍🏻 whatever you go for enjoy it mate

[@412JFury]

@@matth8205 I'm definitely a stickler for Mechanicals myself. I wasn't going that far into it when I was talking about the inside not being the heart. I would still rather the inside be at least a Seiko automatic movement or better. I absolutely love my skx but I wish I could manually wind it. But that is something easy to get past because I love the Aesthetics. I do have a Casio Duro which is a quartz and I do like that watch quite a bit. It's the ultimate beater. I also love my Citizen Nighthawk Eco-Drive which isn't a mechanical. It's impossible to have just one watch in mind at a time LOL. My Grail is the black Bay 58 in every way. But if I was a multi-millionaire I would probably be venturing into the types of watches that Robert Downey jr. Wears. Pretty Innovative and interesting stuff especially that one with the little globe and the movement next to it. Pretty wild watch, Google it if you haven't seen it.

[@astonmatthews4398]

You can see that the Häcken is very much influenced and targeted by the success of the size and design of the black bay 58.

[@NTHWatches]

Actually, the Nacken was developed in 2015, and revealed in 2016, two years before the BB58. It was inspired by the snowflake subs issued to the French Navy in the late 1970's.

[@astonmatthews4398]

@@NTHWatches my apologies I stand corrected

[@jimmatsunaga8318]

Verrry disappointed with my "HÄCKEN", although the well case finish is nice and the miyota movement is accurate, the hands are incorrectly set, the date changes well before midnight and the hour hand is tilted to the left. Also at midnite/noon the hour + minute hand do not perfectly overlap. Once seen ... these things cannot be unseen. Even the cases look like they are shared with other microbrands such as Raven for one ...

[@edreumann8385]

Yet another homage.sub.

[@andreivasileneamtu470]

Beautiful but I don't like their movements. That is my back-off and it is enough to say no... Cheers

[@adriancox-thesantjordigolf3646]

Ok, so they are not paying you.

[@jayh9144]

Sorry, not a fan of homage watches. What’s wrong with coming up with an original idea.

[@Hi_how_you_doing]

Nothing special to me. Looks like any other case I can buy on ebay with a cheap metal bracelet. The dial is very basic. The lume is not outline. Everything is printed on. The bezel insert is also basic. I can make this watch myself for half of what it sells for.

[@hksigman]

Beautiful watch but they lost me by not using a Swiss movement 😡😡

[@yannick2738]

Good looking plagiarism, I mean pelagos