The Moray 42 comes with two mounting options, a single-piece-link stainless steel bracelet and a rubber dive strap. The bracelet is especially nice for this price point, a single piece style (think Seiko Monster) that is fully brushed and features screwed links. The clasp is your normal signed fold-over safety job but it offers a total of five micro-adjustment points, allowing for a perfect fit on any wrist. The black rubber “Cuda” strap is similar to an Isofrane and long enough to be used over a wetsuit (more on that below). The watch, bracelet, strap and papers come packed up in a very nice zippered leather case that is infinitely more usable than your garden-variety watch box and has the added bonus of being great for traveling.

With my brain accustomed to 44 and 47mm Morays, I have to admit the 42mm looked really tiny as I removed it from its box. It was not until I had the bracelet sized and the Moray 42 on wrist that I discovered that the sizing is frankly perfect. The proportions are excellent and, for my taste and size preferences, Benarus has this design well sorted and easy to wear. It is a little too thick for a shirt cuff, but I believe this is acceptable for a 500m diver with the casual looks of the Moray. While not a light watch, the weight is good at 195g on the bracelet (sized) and 136g on the rubber strap. Between the 42mm width and the 50mm lug to lug, I would have no hesitation in recommending the Moray 42 to anyone who liked the style and preferred their watches a bit on the “small” side. 42mm is a sweet spot for my 6.5 – 7 inch wrist and it’s great to see that a style which works so well in a larger case size was able to be downsized for those of us who prefer their watches a bit smaller than the norm.

So how does the Moray 42 function as an actual dive watch? Really well actually. I got my certification a couple of months ago and took the Moray on a few wreck dives at Porteau Cove, a shallow marine park north of Vancouver. Fitted to the included black rubber strap, the Moray 42 was just able to be worn over my 7mm wetsuit, and man did it look the part. On the surface with 5mm gloves, the bezel was easy to use and simple to set in place.

The cool water around Vancouver is not especially clear until you get below the thermocline, but the large markers and hands on the Moray are easy to read, even when conducting a safety stop in seriously murky waters. Legibility is excellent and in darker situations a quick blast from your dive light will ignite the lume, which is super bright and quite long lasting. While these particular dives didn’t exceed 40ft, the Moray is good to 500m, which is well beyond any depth (purposefully) encountered by a diver. The simple display, strong lume, grippy bezel and rubber strap make the Moray 42 an excellent backup for a dive computer.

The Moray 42 is sold directly through Benarus for $680 USD (add $50 for the DLC black model) which is a very competitive price for a watch like this. With a chunky but practical wrist presence, excellent bracelet and reliable automatic movement, the sub-$1000 segment just got another hot competitor. Truth is, many of you who are interested in watches like those from Benarus likely already own an example (or many) from this segment. What sets the Moray 42 apart is its 42mm sizing, opening the line to a wider range of buyers. I have thoroughly enjoyed wearing the Moray 42 both while diving and while on dry land. If you like the look and prefer a somewhat smaller (but not small) diver, I don’t think the Moray 42 will let you down. Interested parties should act soon, as only 100 total units will be made, allowing for just 15 units of each version and public (non-pre-order) availability started on July 12th. benaruswatches.com

Necessary Data
>Brand:  Benarus
>Model:  Moray 42mm
>Price: $680 USD
>Size: 42 x 14.2 mm (50 mm lug to lug)
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Someone looking for a nicely sized everyday dive watch that doesn’t look like a Rolex.
>Best characteristic of watch: The more accessible sizing and well executed design