Halios Universa Review — Collectors' Perspective

May 13

May 13 Halios Universa Review

It feels like 100 years now that I have been hearing or reading people talk about Halios Watches from Vancouver, Canada. Beautiful designs, they say. Fantastic value proposition, they promise. Having been on the mailing list for a few years, when I got the email that orders for the new Universa were opening up soon, I decided this was the time to jump in and see what all the fuss is about. I set a calendar reminder and it’s a good thing I did, because by my calculations, my desired Pastel Blue version sold out in about 60 seconds for this first batch. Word around the water cooler is that this is a common theme for Halios launches, but luckily I got my order through in time on my very first try. Such serendipity.

Quick background on Halios for anyone not in the know: Started in 2009 by watch enthusiast extraordinaire Jason Lim, Halios has been making some of the most desirable and sought-after indie or “micro” brand watches ever since. Generally in the 38-41mm dive watch category, besides the aptly-named and gargantuan 48mm “Puck”, the new Universa represents a move slightly away from dive watch territory and into the more general sport watch category. Four weeks after braving the slightly clunky ordering process from Halios’ sparse website, a small DHL box arrived at my doorstep.

Presented in a very nice and minimal leather travel case, the first thing that strikes you about the Universa is the design and finishing, and how the two work hand in hand to make a pretty unique piece, in a world full of microbrand Seiko-alikes. The case and bracelet are all flat surfaces and hard angles, mixing a well-executed fine brushing with polished chamfered edges. Lim said in an interview that the loose design inspiration is the Lamborghini Countach of the 1980s, and you can definitely see that here. The result is a watch that has a lot of play with the light, bouncing it around off all those differing surfaces and angles in just the right amount. Too little and it’s boring, but too much and things get chintzy real quick. The Universa sits right in the sweet spot. It’s 38mm in diameter, with a lug-to-lug measurement of 48mm. If you think that sounds a bit long for a 38mm watch, you would be correct, but when coupled with the 11mm thickness (thinness?), the result is very wearable, even on my mockably small 6.25” wrist.

The Halios Universa on the author’s wrist.

On to the main event, the Pastel Blue dial. The dial, like the rest of the watch, seems to change depending what kind of light you throw at it. Outdoors in the sunlight it takes on a rich, saturated, near-teal tone, while indoors under controlled lighting it has a much paler hue, more akin to an Easter egg. It’s an interesting and fun effect. What will my watch look like today? The hands are thin and straight, baton-style hands, and the running seconds has a playful little orange arrow, right at the tip, just for kicks. The indices are another high point here. There is something about applied, raised arabic numerals that just look fantastic (see the Fears Brunswick from last year for proof), and that’s what Halios did here for the cardinal 3,6,9 and 12 numerals, to a splendid effect. I find myself twisting it all around daily, just to observe them from different angles. The interim indices are no slouches either, also being raised, applied markers, and all the markers are fully lumed with an elegant, polished, silver border.

Down in the engine room you will find the Sellita SW210-1 running things. This is a hand-wound, no-date mechanical movement that beats at 28,800vph, featuring hacking, a Nivaflex hairspring, and Incabloc shock absorption. Word over on the forums is that people find the crown a little bit uncomfortable and difficult to turn, and while I can vaguely see that perspective, it is a very miniscule complaint. I enjoy the engagement required with a solid, hand wound watch, and it is very well executed here.

Let’s talk about the bracelet. We’ve gone over its flat surfaces and angles, and in general it feels very solid and well made. It also has a fun little feature that I was not expecting, and one I will want all watches to incorporate, henceforth and forever. The clasp has a small, circular Halios logo, pretty standard as far as bracelet design goes. But, upon further inspection, the logo actually doubles as a push button for an instant 6-point micro adjustment. It is a brilliant little addition, one that I am sure exists in other watches, but I have never encountered it before, especially at this price point. As our wrist sizes fluctuate slightly during the day, due to weather or activity or sodium intake, it’s a no-brainer to be able to make small adjustments on the fly to a material that has zero give at all as a selling point. Kudos to Halios for including this when I’m sure it would have been easier not to and no one would have complained, since up until now we have all been brainwashed by Big Bracelet, thinking the standard bracelet is the best we will ever get.

So does Halios live up to the hype? For me, the answer is a resounding yes. The level of design, finishing, and build quality are really astounding, and something I would have expected to cost at least twice what it does, a very reasonable $735USD. To quote Ferris Bueller: “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”

Written and photographed by Derek Haager

IG: @derekhaager