For decades, the Marinemaster line of sports watches has been an enthusiast favorite and a cornerstone collection for Fortis, with a wide array of concepts, styles, and iterations through the years. For 2021, the Swiss tool watch specialist reinvents the iconic Marinemaster line from the ground up, creating the perfect outdoor companion with bold new modern styles, innovative materials, and a new high-performance manufacture movement. The new Fortis Marinemaster collection, including the Fortis Marinemaster M-40 and Fortis Marinemaster M-44, raise a new standard for sporty watchmaking and present both a sharp new face for the future of the brand and a great watch for any outdoor adventure.

Both the Fortis Marinemaster M-40 and the Fortis Marinemaster M-44 proudly use cases made from recycled stainless steel, a first in the luxury watch industry. Both watches take on the same clean modern form, but interpret this angular hooded-lug shape in different ways. The Marinemaster M-40’s 40mm case is sharp and function-driven, with aggressive industrial elements like drilled lugs and broad squared-off crown guards lending the design a do-anything ethos. The fully brushed case is not without nuance, however, featuring fine details like a smoothly flowing case side chamfer and a contrasting black finish for the gear-toothed edge of the unidirectional dive bezel. This ultra-functional look is backed up by serious performance, as the Marinemaster M-40 offers a robust water-resistance rating of 300 meters.

The 44mm case of the Fortis Marinemaster M-44 is even more capable than its counterpart, with broader, more aggressive proportions that give the design a louder impact on the wrist. Besides the bolder sizing, the most obvious change here is the 10 o’clock crown, which operates the Marinemaster M-44’s proprietary Fortis Lock System®. This durable element ensures that nothing can accidentally move the bezel out of position during strenuous activity, but allows the bezel to rotate freely in both directions when not engaged to allow fast and easy setting. The other major change from the M-40 is the water resistance, rated at a massive 500 meters. Both models boast finely engraved casebacks with an intricate compass rose design, along with a German inscription translating to “no appointments and the horizon ahead.”

The cleanly refined yet functional style of the Fortis Marinemaster series continues with its dial designs, combining sleek and ultra-legible layouts with a wealth of unique and charismatic stylistic touches. Both the Marinemaster M-40 and the Marinemaster M-44 follow the same elemental pattern, with bold applied rectangular indices coupled to handsome straight sword hands and a generous fill of bright Super-LumiNova X1 lume. While this classic combination is timelessly stylish and easy to read in even the toughest conditions, the Marinemaster line gives this layout a dynamic three-dimensional flair with its dial surfacing. Each model in the series uses a new proprietary guilloche texture inspired by the “O” of the Fortis emblem, giving the dials a sense of genuine depth and creating dramatic shadows in changing light. Fortis’ dedication to fine detail sets these designs apart, with details like a 12 o’clock emblem in Super-LumiNova X1 lume that reward close scrutiny.

The Marinemaster M-40 interprets this new design in four vibrant colorways. The Snow White model gives the design an added layer of stylistic refinement, bringing the highlights of the dial texture out in elegant silvery white tones. The graphite shades of the Rockstone Gray version offer the most straightforward and classically sporty look of the group, while the Woodpecker Green variant injects the look with rugged military flair courtesy of its olive green hues. The Serenity Blue model may well be the standout of the group, however, in a crisp cool ice blue tone that stands distinct from more common blue dial colorways. In keeping with its more purposeful and aggressive case design, the Marinemaster M-44 instead offers a single color option with maximum legibility and visual impact in mind. The Amber Orange M-44 begins with a main dial surface in stark black for maximum contrast and then highlights its most important elements for quick reading in blazing signal orange to create a natural and highly effective focal point. Beyond directing the wearer’s attention to the minutes hand and outer minutes scale, this two-color approach also gives the M-44 an eye-catching high-impact look on the wrist.

Fortis powers the Marinemaster M-44 with its new WERK 11 manufacture automatic movement. Developed in partnership with Swiss movement specialist Kenissi, the WERK 11 is a truly modern movement throughout with a robust shock-resistant traversing balance bridge and a massive weekend-proof 70-hour power reserve. The WERK 11 is also COSC chronometer-certified for accuracy, ensuring its place as a precise and extremely reliable outdoor adventure companion. For the Marinemaster M-40, the brand instead uses the extremely robust new UW-30 Performance automatic movement. Offering chronometer-level accuracy and a high-tech antimagnetic Gluycdur balance wheel, the UW-30 Performance promises dependable precision throughout its 38-hour power reserve.

Both the Fortis Marinemaster M-40 and the Marinemaster M-44 mark the debut of the brand’s stylish new Horizon Strap concept in rubber. With a comfortable ergonomic design and a raised texture echoing the “O” pattern of the dials, these sporty modern straps are smoothly color-matched to each dial variant for a cohesive look. For those that prefer the look of a steel bracelet, Fortis also offers the full Marinemaster series on its stainless steel Block Bracelet with an easy-adjusting slide clasp.

Combining sustainable materials, cutting-edge new movements, and a new modern style, both the Fortis Marinemaster M-40 and the Fortis Marinemaster M-44 are a massive leap forward for the brand’s iconic sporting line and a beacon into the future of Fortis. The Marinemaster M-40 and Marinemaster M-44 are both available now through authorized dealers at a starting MSRP of $2,850 and $4,150, respectively. To learn more, please visit the brand’s website, where your purchase will come with a five-year manufacturer’s warranty.

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