Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve
Jamie WeissIt always amazes me how Switzerland, a famously landlocked country that’s home to only a few deep lakes, produces so many dive watches. Every Swiss watchmaker worth their salt makes a range of divers – but some brands are more dive-focused than others. Edox is one of them. Founded in 1884 in Bienne and having remained in continuous production since its foundation, Edox styles itself as “The Water Champion since 1961”, a reference to the introduction of the Edox Delfin, a historically significant early dive watch that was the first to use a double o-ring system in conjunction with a double caseback. Fast-forward to 2023, and Edox’s range remains dominated by dive watches, with the new Neptunian Grande Réserve being the latest piece to join the Edox family. Compared to previous Neptunian models, the Neptunian Grande Réserve trades off out-and-out water resistance for a smaller case size and a superior power reserve, making it a more versatile daily wearer.
The case
As alluded to above, the previous entry in the Edox Neptunian story, the SkyDiver Neptunian, features a 44mm wide and 15.6mm thick case. In comparison, the new Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve features a 42mm wide and 12.3mm thick case. That’s a big weight loss regime and makes the Neptunian Grande Réserve feel far less chunky on the wrist – in fact, the Neptunian Grande Réserve is even thinner than the SkyDiver Limited Editions that came out last year.
Indeed, as dive watches go, it’s eminently wearable: I have pretty large wrists but even those with less gorilla-like mitts than mine will find the Neptunian Grande Réserve less imposing than most dive watches of this size and type. The upshot of this smaller form factor is that the Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve is ‘only’ water-resistant to 300m compared to the SkyDiver Neptunian’s 1,000m rating. That said, 300m is naturally more than enough for most aquatic situations, and we doubt too many prospective buyers will be put off by that difference in water resistance.
The Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve’s case is highly conventional – but that’s not a criticism. On the contrary, it’s a nicely executed, inoffensively designed modern stainless steel dive watch, with a pleasant array of brushed and polished surfaces, a prominent and slightly pointy crown guard, a unidirectional, ceramic diving bezel, and a solid caseback with a stylised depiction of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.
The dial
Like its case, the Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve’s dial is also highly conventional (and again, that’s no bad thing). The black and dark blue references feature a slightly matte, uniform dial finish, while the light blue and green references feature a subtle dégradé finish… These latter two colours are my favourite (I’d get the green for myself), but the light blue is a bit unusual, which is cool. Arrow hands and Super-LumiNova X1-filled indices plus a date window at 3 o’clock complete the package.
One notable feature of the Neptunian Grande Réserve’s face is its deeply angled, anodised rehaut which proudly proclaims its 300m water resistance. It’s somewhat evocative of the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea… Thankfully, the Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve isn’t quite as chunky as that hefty watch.
The bracelet
The Neptunian Grande Réserve comes mounted on a pleasant three-link bracelet with a deployant clasp. The clasp is rather minimal, featuring a brushed finish and the Edox hourglass logo. This bracelet is thinner than most of its kind, and features relatively wide, polished centre links. These might be a bit of a magnet for scratches, but scratches look good on a tool watch anyway.
The movement
The movement is one of the Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve’s bigger selling points. The SkyDiver Neptunian might have an impressive 1,000m water-resistance rating but it’s powered by the Edox Calibre 80, their variant of the Sellita SW200-1, which only has a 38-hour power reserve – pretty paltry by modern standards. In comparison, the Neptunian Grande Réserve is powered by the Edox calibre 808, Edox’s version of the La Joux-Perret G100, which is not only a more robust movement, but crucially boasts a 68-hour power reserve – that’s why the watch is called the ‘Grande Réserve’.
Look, to be honest, making such a big deal about 68 hours seems a little strange. 68 hours is good, but when you’ve got similar watches like the Longines HydroConquest or the Certina DS Action Diver boasting superior power reserves (at an even more affordable price point to boot), it comes off as a bit self-important. Still, 68 hours makes the Neptunian Grande Réserve ‘weekend-proof’, which is more that can be said of other Edox Neptunian models or a majority of dive watches in this category.
The verdict
Dive watches of this type and at this price point are a dime a dozen, so why get the Edox? Simple. The Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve ticks all the boxes and features a delightfully thin case profile that makes it a far more versatile daily wearer than a majority of 300m water-resistant steel dive watches.
Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve pricing and availability
The Edox Neptunian Grande Réserve is available now. Price: from A$3,195.
| Brand | Edox |
| Model | Neptunian Grande Réserve |
| Reference Number(s) | 80801-3NM-NIN 80801-3NRM-NIR 80801-3VM-VDN 80801-3BUM-BUIN 80801-3BBUM-BUCDN |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 12.3mm (T) x 49mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel, ceramic bezel insert Black dial available with yellow gold bezel and indices |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Dial | Black, dark blue, dégradé light blue, dégradé dark green |
| Strap | Steel bracelet with deployant clasp |
| Movement | Edox calibre 808, La Joux-Perret G100 base, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 68 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Available now for enquiries |
| Price | A$3,195 |