Héron updates its Marinor, a well-deserved refresh and refinement of its best seller
Andrew O'ConnorMontréal based brand Héron’s Marinor dive watch has been a big success for the brand. Not only has it been a top seller, but Héron is proud that the model has facilitated several collaborations and limited editions, allowed the brand to open its own showroom, and expand staff and production. Héron felt the Marinor deserved time and attention, and that is why they discontinued the model while the refinement process took almost an entire year. With the right mix of vintage design cues and modern features that enhance durability, comfort, and functionality, why mess with a winning formula? Not one to rest on its laurels, Héron found that the Marinor deserved some refinement, while keeping what isn’t broken.
The case
The Marinor MkII maintains a 39mm diameter for its 1200HV hardened stainless steel case, but elements have been tweaked. The lug-to-lug has been shortened from 47mm to 46mm, and the thickness has been reduced from 12.9mm, including the boxed sapphire crystal to 12.2mm. Without the crystal, the reduction in thickness is more obvious, going from 11.3mm for the first generation to 10.6mm for Gen 2. The shortened lug-to-lug will improve the wearability, and the reduced thickness will increase comfort, especially when worn with long-sleeved shirts.
The uni-directional, 120-click bezel features a lumed timing insert covered by a domed sapphire crystal, and a prominent coin-edge to provide grip for easy turning. The screw-down case back features an engraved pipe-smoking captain, and the coin-edge screw-down crown is embossed with an old-school wooden ship wheel featuring a north star logo at the centre. The case is mostly brushed, with a slim polished chamfer on the outside of the lugs.
Héron has applied perlage finishing to the inside of the case-back, which is a nice finishing touch that displays its attention to detail, even if that finishing is never seen by the wearer. While previous versions of the Marinor were rated to 300 meters, the new Marinor has 250 meters of water resistance, which is hardly a dire concession to make for increased wearability, and still keeps it in proper dive watch territory.
The dial
The dial refinements for the second generation of the Marinor include a cleaner dial, which was achieved by removing the logo at 12 o’clock, and utilising only the Héron text logo. The proportions were also tweaked, making for a more balanced appearance overall. Héron increased the lume for the dial and bezel, making the new Marinor a nocturnal light show.
The applied north star index at twelve o’clock remains, with applied circles for the five-minute markers, and rectangular indices for the fifteen-minute markers, all of which are filled with either blue Super-LumiNova BGW9, or old radium yellow for the Black & Gilt and Rainbow models. Matching lume caries over to the lumed bezel insert as well. The broad-arrow hour hand, baton minutes hand, and lollipop seconds are also lume-filled. The bottom of the dial has the Marinor model name and the 250-meter water resistance rating printed.
The new Marinor comes in five dial colours, including the Black & Gilt, Caribbean Blue (light blue), Atlantic Blue (dark blue), Rainbow and Menthol Green. The Menthol Green is Héron’s cheeky nod to the pipe-smoking captain on the case back, a fun detail that should win a few fans. The Rainbow variation is Héron’s tribute to vintage divers with decompression scales (à la Mido), carrying over the bright colours seen on these models that made for easy reading of the scales. While the vintage models usually saw these scales printed on, Héron executed the Rainbow Marinor with a sandwich dial, adding more visual depth to this particular variant.
The movement
The movement inside the Héron Marinor remains the same as the previous generation. Inside is the Miyota 9039, an automatic winding movement with 24 jewels, 42 hours of power reserve, a 28,800 bph beat rate, and is rated to -10/+30 seconds a day. The Miyota 9039 is noted for its reliability and compact dimensions, making it an easy choice for a compact diver.
The bracelet
While the overall brushed flat-link style bracelet design remains the same, there are a number of tweaks that Héron made. Overall, the bracelet is slimmer, and the double push-button deployant clasp has been reduced in thickness, improving the balance of the watch on the wrist. The micro-adjust clasp has been updated, including a push-and-glide system that allows for easy and quick adjustments of the bracelet. The bracelet features screwed links and quick-release spring bars, making strap swapping a breeze. The bracelet is coated with the same hardening treatment as the case, keeping pesky bracelet and clasp scratches at bay, especially for the polished bevelled edge on the clasp.
The verdict
It is difficult to stand out in the sea of micro-brand divers that are available. With a series of refinements that improve wearability, combined with the 1200HV hardnened steel case, the new Marinor feels like an elegant diver that can really take a thrashing. Especially in the Rainbow configuration, Héron manages to balance utility and fun. Priced very attractively, it seems that Héron maintains its track record of offering a whole lot of watch for a reasonable sum.
Héron Marinor MkII pricing and availability
The second-generation Héron Marinor is available for pre-order now on Héron’s website, and will ship in June of 2026. Price: US$640
| Brand | Héron |
| Model | Marinor |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 12.2mm (T) x 46mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel with scratch-resistant hardness coating |
| Water Resistance | 250 meters, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front + sapphire bezel insert |
| Dial | Black & Gilt, Caribbean Blue, Atlantic Blue, Menthol Green, and Rainbow |
| Bracelet | Three-link steel bracelet, deployant clasp with micro-adjustment |
| Movement | Miyota 9039, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, unidirectional diving bezel |
| Availability | Pre-orders available now, June 2026 delivery date |
| Price | US$640 |
Made in partnership with Héron. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.