Hands-On: The New Laventure Marine Type 3

March 30, 2015

Just in time for summer, Clement Gaud presents us with the lightest and smallest Laventure watch to date. The Marine Type 3, available with either a black or full-lume white dial, features a case crafted from Grade 23 titanium. Like all of Clement s watches, the Marine Type 3 s design takes inspiration from vintage timepieces. This time, we find design cues from 1980s marine chronometers by Omega and Patek Philippe. However, not only is the design well thought through, but the new Laventure Marine Type 3 is also a very capable sports watch with a 300m depth rating and an antimagnetic soft-iron cage. Patek Philippe Naviquartz - Image: Collector Square Omega Megaquartz - Image: Royal Museums Greenwich A marine chronometer is a clock used on ships to determine their position in combination with celestial navigation. Clement, educated as an industrial designer, describes them as technical precision instruments?with dials,?numerals?and?graduations?of pure?graphic?design and exemplary?legibility. When you look at examples like the Patek Philippe Naviquartz and Omega s Megaquartz, you can see the resemblance to the Laventure Marine Type 3. Let s take a closer look at what Clement has created.The Laventure Marine Type 3 in Grade 23 titaniumThe new Laventure Marine Type 3 s design may take inspiration from clocks, but its 38mm case still looks familiar. It feels just as angular and streamlined yet muscular as the brand s previous watches. It features the same wings on the flanks, and, of course, there s an oversized 8mm screw-down crown at 3 o clock. The case itself has an 8.9mm profile and a 46.2mm span from lug to lug. In good Laventure fashion, the crystal over the relatively small dial is Swiss-made Plexiglas, with a 2.3mm dome proudly protruding above the fixed bezel. That bezel features engraving with the 60 markers for the seconds and the model s name. The black lacquer inside the engravings improves readability and narrows the bezel.We find the most essential characteristics of the Marine Type 3 engraved on the back of the lugs. That s also where you ll learn that the case is made of Grade 23 titanium. Blancpain also uses this titanium alloy for its Air Command, for example. It s purer than Grade 5, with lower oxygen, nitrogen, and iron content. That s why it has superior corrosion resistance, fatigue strength, and hardness. The Laventure Marine Type 3 features a stone-washed finish, resulting in a rugged dark gray look. A different approach to the dialWhen you scroll through Laventure s previous models, you ll notice almost all of them feature the same maxi-layout sandwich dial. The new Marine Type 3 bravely breaks with that tradition. While the dial still has a multilayer construction, it s a bit different from what you might expect. The visible dial is not two pieces. Instead, it has a recessed center, with numerals for the hours and minutes, the markers, and the logo pad-printed on the two levels. The real second layer is the non-visible soft-iron bottom plate, which protects the movement from magnetic fields. You can choose between a black or a white dial. On the former, all the printing is white Super-LumiNova, just like the tips of the three white hands. However, the white version features a full-lume dial with black printing and non-luminous sandblasted black hands.In our office, most Fratello team members had a strong preference for either the black or white version. In either case, you can customize the look of your Marine Type 3 with a rubber or an elastic textile strap in the color of your choice. We already know those rubber straps in black, dark and light green, white, and yellow from previous Laventure launches. However, because the Marine Type 3 is so light, it feels perfectly at home on a one-piece elastic strap in either yellow, white, khaki green, black, or khaki sand. When you order the watch, Clement includes two straps of your choice. Unfortunately, there s no bracelet option for the Marine Type 3. Clement explained that it s difficult and costly to create a titanium bracelet for watches as limited as these.Gold-plated Sellita insideInside the Laventure Marine Type 3 ticks caliber 4, which is a highly customized Sellita SW300-1 automatic movement. It runs at a frequency of 28,800vph, features 25 jewels, and holds an increased power reserve of 56 hours thanks to an optimized barrel. The movement s plates, bridges, and skeletonized rotor received a layer of 3N gold and display a mix of Geneva stripes, perlage, and soleil finishing. As mentioned, the movement sits inside a soft iron cage, helping it stay resistant to magnetic fields of up to 4,800 A/m. That s more than enough for it not to be bothered by daily encounters with smartphones, for example.The movements are also COSC-certified chronometers, which means they re accurate to +6/-4 seconds per day. As for the cases, the engraving on the prototypes we had in for our review still mentions a 200m depth rating. However, in the meantime, the watches have been officially tested per the ISO 6425 standard and are, in fact, resistant to water pressure equal to 300 meters. All these characteristics make the Laventure Marine Type 3 a very capable daily wearer that you don t have to worry about at all.On the wristWhen I first saw the press shots of the new Laventure Marine Type 3, I was surprised by how different it looked from the brand s previous models. The wide, fixed bezel, the relatively small dial diameter, and the titanium case give it a very distinct look. To be honest, I wasn t completely sure about what it was going to feel like in person and on the wrist. But once again, Clement has created another very attractive timepiece. The 38mm case sits very comfortably on my 17cm wrist as well. I was a little afraid that the wide 38mm bezel and small 25mm dial would feel awkward together. Thankfully, the combination turned out to be very charming, and the chimney-like acrylic crystal is the cherry on the cake. The Grade 23 titanium case is much darker than steel. However, its uneven stone-washed finish and soft angles make it feel organic and easy on the eye. Even though the dial is small, I had no problem reading the time because both models offer very high contrast. My absolute favorite is the version with the fully luminous dial paired with the sage-green rubber strap. The full-lume dial even lights up during the day and pairs nicely with the light green shade of the strap. It s so much fun to see it glow when your surroundings become darker. As for the black-dial version, Clement is unsatisfied with the luminous printing on the prototype and says it will be improved on the production models.Limited to 100 pieces eachThe Laventure Marine Type 3 costs CHF 4,200 before taxes, and there are only 100 pieces of each version. That, as always with Laventure, brings us to the point of value for money. Many people feel that the prices Clement asks for his watches are quite steep. He defends that by saying that his production numbers are limited and that he uses 100% Swiss manufacturing. In that case, it s impossible to compete with industry giants like Tudor, for example.Whether you feel the new Laventure Marine Type 3 is worth its price is very personal, of course. However, if you appreciate impressive specs and thoughtful design with finesse right down to the last detail, then this watch is a complete no-brainer. A Laventure watch is kind of like a pair of selvage jeans. There are a lot of people who won t notice the difference from a regular, cheaper pair of jeans. However, if you enjoy the extra attention to detail and it makes you happy every time you wear them, why not spend the extra money?What s your take on the new Laventure Marine Type 3? Let me know in the comments below.Watch specifications Brand Laventure Model Marine Type 3 Dial Black with luminous printing or full-white Super-LumiNova with black printing, non-visible soft-iron lower layer (anti-magnetic)Case Material Grade 23 titanium with stone-washed finishCase Dimensions 38mm (diameter) 46.2mm (lug-to-lug) 11.2mm (thickness)Crystal Domed PlexiglasCase Back Grade 23 titanium with stone-washed finish, screw-in Movement Laventure Cal. 4 (Sellita SW300-1): automatic with manual winding and hacking, 28,800vph frequency, 56-hour power reserve, 25 jewels, 3N gold plating, C?tes de Geneve, perlage, and soleil finishes, COSC-certified chronometerWater Resistance 300 meters (30 ATM)Strap Two-piece rubber in black, dark or light green, white, or yellow / One-piece elastic textile in yellow, white, khaki green, black, or khaki sandFunctions Time only (hours, minutes, seconds)Price CHF 4,200 (ex. taxes) Special Note(s) Limited to 100 pieces of each version