JeanRichard Aquascope Hokusai Special Edition 44mm Blue Dial Stainless Steel
$2,195.00
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The JeanRichard Aquascope is a handsome Swiss watch that combines a number of interesting design elements and speaks very closely to much of what has been happening in the watch industry over the last few years. Today, I review the JeanRichard Aquascope Hokusai ref. 60650-21M652-FK6A watch. A sub-brand of Girard-Perregaux and now owned together by the Kering Group.
I’ve recently heard reported that to some people, “JeanRichard is the new Panerai.” I don’t know about that, but in many senses new JeanRichard watches feel like scores out of Panerai’s playbook. While the concept feels derivative, you can’t help but enjoy the results. That means just a few core styles, with JeanRichard mixing and matching colors and materials to create new looks. The basic thesis of the design is to take a slightly more modern approach to the vintage-submersible style of your typical Panerai. JeanRichard first succeeds in a rather comfortable product.
JeanRichard next succeeds in a product that looks good, despite being subjected to a prodigious amount of little tweaks and changes. In steel with a black dial, the Aquascope, for example, looks excellent on most any strap color (similar to many Panerai watches) and dial color changes look equally acceptable. JeanRichard’s basic sports watch design is even so versatile the brand is able to produce a version with and without a bezel to make two distinct model families (the Aquascope and Terrascope), as well as modify the dial a bit to create the Aeroscope collection. Each has the same basic 44mm wide case structure, though JeanRichard does mix up elements such as color and case finishing.
In my opinion, some of the basic Terrascope and Aquascope models look the best. Not only do you get a coherent and versatile design (along with a pretty darn legible dial), but you also get what I think is the essence of the brand. In order to continually have new models JeanRichard plays with the basic concept and offers unique versions such as the JeanRichard Aquascope Hokusai collection that I debuted here. Click that link for a bit more background on the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. The watch features the motif of a famous Hokusai woodblock carving titled “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.”
Available in three or four different dial and strap color combinations, the Aquascope Hokusai in blue is perhaps the most appropriate given the subject matter. When I first saw this, I felt like it was a more playful way of doing waves on the dial of a dive watch, as made popular by brands such as Omega and Ulysse Nardin. The Aquascope is a dive watch after all, so producing a blue one with a wave-patterned dial is nothing strange. What is simply cool is using Hokusai’s waves as a means of doing such. Such a concept makes it clear that at modern watch manufacturers you have traditional watch designers working in close collaboration with more modern thinking graphic designers and artists.
In person, the Hokusai wave pattern on the dial of these JeanRichard Aquascope models is pretty cool. I wouldn’t say that the designs “pop” as much as they do in the marketing photos, but the theme of the dial as well as the Hokusai art are not lost and neither is any significant dial legibility. Being a bit of a Japan-lover (Japanophile), as well as a fan of Hokusai’s art and traditional Japanese woodblock carving, I knew that little could sway me away from disliking this watch. Especially since the JeanRichard Aquascope is a timepiece I’ve felt positively about for a few years now.
The Aquascope dial is remarkably legible but unsurprisingly so, thanks to the large applied hour markers and generously sized hands. I really like the combo of the very stately arrow-shaped hour hand and the sword-style minute hand. The dial is also generously lumed and well balanced, with an attractive flange ring where the minute markers are placed. Over the dial is a flat AR-coated sapphire crystal, and around it is a uni-directional rotating diver’s bezel. I also happen to like brushed steel rotating bezels – which the Aquascope in this form has..
As mentioned that despite the larger size of the Aquascope case, it is rather comfortable on the wrist. Part of this is due to the broad, flat caseback as well as the not-too-chunky case thickness of 13.5mm. JeanRichard matches the JeanRichard Aquascope Hokusai with a blue rubber strap that has a vertical linear texturing and has a deployant clasp. JeanRichard themselves actually sells some rather interesting straps, so I wonder what else would go with this particular watch. Price for the ref. 60650-21M652-FK6A JeanRichard Aquascope Hokusai watch is $3,100!!
Necessary Data
>Brand: JeanRichard
>Model: Terrascope Hokusai Ref. 60650-21M652-FK6A
>Price: $3,100
>Size: 44mm
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes
As-New JEANRICHARD Aquascope with the incredible Hokusai Dial! This Swiss Automatic comes in a 44mm Stainless Steel with just a jaw-dropping Ocean Blue engraved dial! Awesome presentation all powered by Swiss Automatic Movement. The watch is in As-New condition and comes with a total of 5 Straps/Bracelets!!
BRAND: JEANRICHARD
MODEL: Aquascope Hokusai Special Edition Blue
MOVEMENT: Automatic – Swiss
CASE: Stainless Steel
CROWN: Screw Down
SIZE: 44mm
LUGS: 24mm
DIAL: Ocean Blue Special Hokusai Dial
BEZEL: Rotating Diver
CONDITION: Preowned – Excellent!
BOXES/PAPERS: Original JEANRICHARD Complete Box Set – everything you see in the pictures including aditional straps/bracelets
WATER RESISTANCE: – 300m
STRAP/BRACELET: – 5 – Original JeanRichard Blue textured leather strap with signed steel buckle & additional Original JEANRICHARD black rubber sports strap with signed Steel deployment buckle & Additional Stainless Steel Bracelet with all links & additional Blue Rubber Dive strap with steel buckle & additional Blue NATO style strap with steel buckle.
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