Houtman Pilbara

Houtman Watches is new to the burgeoning Australian watch scene. Based in Perth, Western Australia, the company joins such microbrands as Gavin, Melbourne, Orange, and Second Hour; it’s one of only two that I’m aware of that’s brands based in the west of the country (I’m still waiting for a Northern Territory brand to pop up). The brand is a one-man operation, founded, designed, and run by Jason Liddell and the Pilbara is their first offering.

The Pilbara is a straightforward diver, and its Kickstarter campaign is already up and running. The Pilbara takes its name from a near-desolate region in Western Australia known for its ancient landscapes and beautiful scenery. The Pilbara communicates those facets of the terrain with its varied dial options supported by a well-designed case.

No doubt, the Pilbara pulls in the prospective wearer with its fumé dial, subtle layering, legibility, and balanced proportions. Don’t worry; it’s not actually touching the brick. I’m not that reckless.

The Houtman Pilbara sat quite well on my 7-inch wrist. And regardless of your opinion, it looks great with a green shirt. Also, did you know that my brother (who is not a watch person) had never reacted to any of my Instagram posts until I posted the Pilbara, causing him to comment, “Oh I like that one!”? Now you know.

This is one of my favorite shots to take of most watches because it shows so much of a watch’s character outside the dial. Here you can see great brushing and polishing that provides a perfect amount of contrast on the Pilbara. I was just having a conversation with a fellow watch nerd about how, early in our watch journeys, we paid little attention to a case’s design and profile. Instead, we evaluated watches almost solely on their dials and top-down appearance. But that approach leaves so much on the table, and now we both give as much if not more weight to the case.

One thing to say about the Houtman Pilbara is that it is a cleanly executed watch. Pronounced bezel ridges match those on the crown (which will have a slim beveled edge for operating comfort ), a flat sapphire matches the flat bezel (which turns with easily a satisfying click, and, for some reason, will have the insert set deeper into the bezel proper). The transitions between brushed and polished are clean enough, but  I would’ve preferred a notch more definition.  Drilled lugs would’ve been a nice add-on, too, but with the production straps featuring quick-release spring bars, I’ll give it a pass.

Did I mention the crown is lumed? The crown is lumed.

This is a straight-on take on fumé, which has a smoke-like quality as the light changes (hence the name). If you can believe it, though, this may not be the most enticing dial of the Pilbara. While the green and blue fumé dials are certainly engaging, the clear standout is the rock dial, made from actual rock, colored and compressed to resemble the rocky terrain of Pilbara. In addition, a black textured dial and a matte white dial will be offered.

Geometric consistency is a phrase I never thought I’d use (or maybe I just coined it?), but here we are. I love the applied chapter ring with the hour and minute markers, so clearly matching the clean, blocky handset. I’m a sucker for a bit of depth and layering on a dial – in fact, I strongly prefer it.

The lume is strong with this one. The highly legible dial stays that way in the dark, with crisp, well-spaced lume. And if you think it looks good there, it will look even better in production, as the dial markers will have their lume increased.

Bow wow wow yippee yo yippee yay. In high relief on the case back is Red Dog, the transient mongrel mascot of the Pilbara region. Under the canine wanderer is a true no-date movement, the Miyota 9039. As mentioned, the leather strap will have quick-release tabs, and the watch will also deliver with a quick-release 5-link bracelet.

I had no problem pairing this with plenty of my 22mm straps, which is saying something because my selection of 22s is quite limited relative to my overflowing line-up of 20s. I particularly liked it on the denim strap from The Watch Steward (the last photo).

Full disclosure: this is the second go-round for the Houtman Pilbara, which had a campaign last year that didn’t quite reach its goal, being as it was in the midst of a veritable sea of Fall/Winter watch Kickstarters. Perhaps its greatest weakness was its lack of an ostentatious and over-manufactured Kickstarter campaign or aggressive pre-launch marketing. Or the fact that at a glance, it’s a rather modest timepiece–the loudest watches and brands seem to get all the attention, don’t they? And that’s all a shame because the Houtman Pilbara is a genuinely good watch. It’s well-designed, well-executed, and balanced. And it’s worth a look, and I dare say your money.⬩