The original Astor+Banks Sea Ranger released in 2019 was the 11th watch I ever reviewed, and if I’m being honest, I didn’t love it. The dial was lovely, the 12-hour bezel was nice, and the bracelet was killer. But the case featured a thick caseback, slim mid-case, and thick bezel, a nearly 14mm sandwich that didn’t sit very well on the wrist. The original Fortitude suffered the same issue, but it was fixed for the subsequent Fortitude Lite and Pro versions. Astor+Banks has evolved and matured, though, and it’s back with the second generation of the Sea Ranger. The new Astor+Banks Sea Ranger M2 features an entirely new case and a dial borrowed from the incredible Fortitude collection, and it may just be the brand’s best watch yet.

The first Sea Ranger (my review of which you can check out on The Time Bum) is nearly unrecognizable next to the Sea Ranger M2. The former had a single crown, and external bezel, a sunken 24-hour track on the dial, and an entirely different (worse) case. The only things that remain the same (or close to it) are the indices, the hands, and the bracelet — and I think that’s a good thing. The entire package is more thought-out and refined, and infinitely better on the wrist.

The Astor+Banks Sea Ranger M2’s asymmetrical 40mm case fares much better with its newer design; on the first version, the extra width seemed pointless, but here it is anchored by and serves as a bridge between the 2 o’clock bezel crown and the 4 o’clock setting crown. The case features a silky-smooth satin brushing and not a single hint of polishing. The message seems to be clear that this watch is meant to be worn and worn well. To that end, it also has a 1200HV scratch-resistant coating that proved invaluable for my tendency to wildly gesticulate and my penchant for encountering door frames. The watch gets a substantial 300m water resistance along with the sapphire crystal. The crowns mentioned above are both screw-down, though I was disappointed that the 12-hour internal bezel didn’t have any detents and rotated freely with the crown (which is helpfully labeled “T2”). It’s easy to set, but you need to be careful about rotating it further when you push in and screw down the crown. Talking to the brand, the option of having clicks was explored? But would’ve required a far wider internal bezel, which would have ruined the proportions. A worthwhile sacrifice, I suppose

While the Sea Ranger M2 case sports the same 40mm diameter and 45.5mm lug-to-lug as its predecessor, at 12.5mm tall, it’s 1.3mm thinner. The smooth brushing and the rounded case profile make this wear far closer to a 39 than its measured 40, and the heavily tapered bracelet (20mm to 16mm at the clasp) is extremely comfortable thanks to subtly rounded underside edges and the small, articulating links. I have been told by others that the gaps between the links, however small, can catch on arm hair; as one of the more evolved dolphin-skinned future humans, I didn’t encounter this issue. For the M2, Astor+Banks has changed the clunky ratcheting bracelet clasp (which ruined the profile of the watch) to a sleek double-push folding clasp with a NodeX micro-adjustment mechanism (from the guys at Nodus). At the push of the concealed button, the wearer can add up to 1/2 in (about 1.25 cm) to the bracelet’s length. I’ve used this mechanism on several watches now, and in its most recent iteration, it’s quite sturdy and secure. Of note, the watches also ship with color-matched FKM rubber straps.

The new model will be available in four colorways: black, blue, army green, and tobacco brown. Up front, I can tell you my pick would be the brown dial. While I like them all for what they are, brown dials are simply less common, and this one is done well. The dials bring forward the design seen on the Fortitude Pro, with the addition of the internal 12-hour bezel and a few tweaks made to accommodate it. The dial has a matte finish with an etched ring immediately inside the applied markers. Compared to the Fortitude dial, the indices have been moved in closer to the crease and the minute ring hashes have moved in line with their outer edges. This makes room for the internal bezel, which features color-matched numbers and the stylized Astor+Banks “A.”

I found the legibility to be excellent during my time with the watches, easy to read at a glance. Both the primary time and adjusting for the bezel-indicated time is easy, as there’s no conversion necessary. The only thing you have to remember is whether the second time zone is day or night. A few touches stood out for me. The first is the color-matched date wheel, which is so perfect in the beveled window that I sometimes missed that it was on a separate plane. The second is the accent colors, orange on the green, blue, and brown, and red on the black, that are seen in the dial text and tip of the seconds hand. The black dial also brings the red to the date wheel, which for me gave it a bit of an edgier look. When it came to lume, I was properly wowed. The hands, markers, and entire bezel are coated with X1 grade Super-LumiNova, the brightest available, and they glow quite brightly. Most remarkable, though, is how evenly the glow was across all three elements and how bright it was on the sliver of lume on the seconds hand.

Another upgrade that Astor+Banks has made is to the movement. The first version offered a Sellita SW200 in its basic spec — nothing to scoff at, but nothing to write home about. You may not feel inspired to put pen to paper for a letter to mommy dearest, but the Sea Ranger M2 is equipped with the La Joux-Perret G100, with Soignée execution, meaning it has additional decorations. You won’t be able to see them, as the watch features a sparsely adorned solid caseback. The LJP G100 has an impressive 68-hour power reserve at 28,800 vph, and Astor+Banks has adjusted each movement in-house to -/+ 8 seconds per day. On top of that, the case features inserted soft iron plating to achieve anti-magnetic resistance up to 20,000A/m.

I said up top that I think this is the best watch that A+B has ever produced, and I stand by that. Never mind that the watch is on its own without significant flaw — it shows the brand’s evolution and the establishment of cross-collection design elements that make its watches immediately recognizable. The Astor+Banks Sea Ranger M2 is priced at $1,395 USD, including a Horween watch pouch and an FKM rubber strap. For more information, please visit the Astor + Banks website.