You won’t have heard of Brellum unless you are a serious watch enthusiast. Brellum was only founded in December 2016, and the name is actually an anagram of the letter B and Muller. B is for Bonfol, the village from which Sébastien Muller, the founder of the brand, hails. Like so many other ambitious watchmakers, Muller aims to offer high-quality Swiss-made watches at affordable prices. Fortunately, the brand has enjoyed some success with its Duobox and Pandial collections. Here, Brellum is introducing the new Pandial Marina 2 — a new colorway in its Pandial collection.
The new Brellum Pandial Marina 2 follows the same specifications as the other watches in the Pandial collection. It has a stainless steel case that measures 43mm in diameter, and it features a brushed top and polished sides. Additionally, the lugs have wide polished bevels. Unfortunately, the Pandial Marina 2 is a thick watch at 15.9mm. Boxed sapphire crystals used on the front and back, along with the movement, are the reason for its thickness. Water resistance is a useful 50 meters.
Not surprisingly, the Pandial Marina 2 shares many similarities with the earlier Pandial Marina. The main difference is that the newer watch has a silver dial with matching silver registers, while the older model has a deep blue dial. Both watches have orange accents and a thin, deep blue aluminum tachymeter bezel. Inside, on the outer ring of the dial, is a telemeter scale, and at 6 o’clock is an unobtrusive date window. The two also have large pump pushers to operate the chronograph mechanism. Overall, the aesthetic of the two watches is decidedly sporty with a dash of vintage flavor but also with aquatic aspirations because of the use of blue and white.
With the registers arranged at the 12-9-6 positions, experienced watch-lovers will have guessed that the Pandial Marina 2 utilizes a Valjoux 7750 movement. Indeed, it does, but with some twists. Turning the watch around reveals a rather unusual boxed sapphire crystal caseback, which provides a more expansive view of the Caliber Brellum BR-750-1 movement. This movement is based on the ubiquitous but reliable Valjoux 7750. However, Brellum decorates it with perlage and Côtes de Genève and also adorns it with a partially skeletonized rotor. As if that’s not enough, it is also COSC-certified, so the Pandial Marina 2 is a bonafide chronometer.
The Brellum Pandial Marina 2 comes with a handmade Alinghi Marina strap or a Milanese stainless steel mesh bracelet. It is 2,305 Swiss Francs with the strap and 2,360 Swiss Francs with the bracelet. Looking at the prices, it’s hard to argue that the Pandial Marina 2 isn’t good value. Looks are subjective, of course, but the hardware is almost faultless. You get a nicely constructed case with various finishes and a high-grade Swiss movement that’s decorated and also chronometer-certified, all for well under $3,000. I can’t think of many other watches that can match the new Brellum Pandial Marina 2, spec for spec. For more information, go to www.brellum.swiss.
