Second Hour Giant Stride Watch Review
On deck for today’s watch review is this absolute stunner from Second Hour watches: the Giant Stride. This dual crown diver is a real head turner with the specs and builds quality to match its good looks.
Of all the reviews I write, I struggle with watch reviews the most because, at heart, I love watches. It takes a real piece of garbage for me to thumb my nose at a new watch. I think mechanical watches are so cool and I definitely find beauty in the movements and details that make them up and, ultimately, I find it hard to not always sound like I have a masterpiece on my wrist. However, today, that is exactly what we have: a near perfect watch.
Second Hour Watches is based in Melbourne, Australia, and has a few very unique watches in its catalog. A few months ago, Peter Sargison from Second Hour reached out to see if I would be interested in reviewing the Giant Stride and was kind enough to offer a watch in my color choice. I forewarned Peter that I would be through in my review and post my honest opinion. That one phrase usually scares off over half of the brands that contact me for a review. But Peter was excited for the challenge and a few weeks later, the blue dial version of the Giant Stride was atop my wrist!
The Giant Stride Has Giant Specs
The watch industry only gets more competitive by the day and for a brand to bring a watch to market is no small feat and takes a bit of time. Getting the watch to market is only a small part of the challenge; the real hurdle for many brands is to offer something compelling that people will spend their money on. In this case, the Giant Stride is a compelling package indeed!
On one hand you could say they used an “everything but the kitchen sink” design philosophy, as the spec sheet is deep. On the other hand, all the design cues are subtle enough that you need to study the watch to see the complete picture. There are dial details, impressive finishing, plenty of lume, and an original overall look to capture your attention. If you’re a watch guy that finds yourself just staring at your watch for no reason, then you can stop here and simply go buy a Giant Stride. If you need to know a little more, read on.
A Swiss Movement on the Inside
Let’s start on the inside, where the Sellita SW200 lives, and then work our way out. The Swiss Hi-Beat moment is a solid choice and really elevates the watch into a high-caliber time piece. The internet is chock-full of deep dives into this movement so I won’t re-hash what we already know, but just stress the fact that you won’t be disappointed with the movement choice.
The 42mm wide, 316L stainless steel case has been surface hardened to 1200 Vickers, you can read more about the Vickers Scale here (Science Direct), but what it does, in simple terms, is go beyond scratch resistance to make it much stronger in resistance to deep marks and scrapes. The overall height is just 13mm, including the domed crystal, so it’s not too tall but it’s meaty enough to have a prominent wrist presence.
The case, lugs, and bracelet all show attention to detail in the finishing. While most of the watch has fine brushing, there are some slender polished lines on the case that really catch the eye. I would have gone with 22mm lugs rather than Second Hour’s choice of 20mm, but the lug profile melds into the endlinks and still carries the heft of the case into the bracelet for a sharp overall appearance.
Locking Dual Crowns
What sets apart the Giant Stride, and part of what gives it its charm, is that it’s a dual crown diver. Not only a dual crown, but a screw-down dual crown where both crowns screw and lock down tight. Many of the compressor/dual crown divers out there in this price range don’t have both dual screw down crowns, usually the second crown is non locking. I really think this is a nice touch that’s also very functional in the real world.
Lots of Dial Details
The case is topped off with a domed sapphire crystal and underneath its anti-reflective surface is where you will find the star of this show, the beautiful embossed dial. There are a lot of details, layers, and textures going on, but it stops just shy of being busy. I absolutely love the dial and how the markers float around the outside and meet up with the sloped chapter ring. Second, Hour has a pretty cool logo, and on the Giant Stride it sits just under 12 o’clock. At the bottom, above the 6 o’clock position, is the date window. I wish more manufacturers would move the date window down there, as it really makes for a well-laid-out dial.
Plenty of Lume to Go Around
The markers, batons, hands and inner rotating bezel all have a healthy dose of Swiss SuperLuminova BGW9. This guy really lights up the darkness. Another nice touch with the lume is that the logo and marker on the crowns are also lume-filled. The time setting crown has the Second Hour logo while the bezel-locking crown has a triangle marker letting you know the position of the crown from being opened or locked down.
A Solid Bracelet
The bracelet on the Giant Stride is very nice and well done. The screwed links are easy to adjust and the links are a little smaller in length so it’s easier to get a good fit on your wrist. That, and the four holes for micro adjustment in the clasp, means you can almost guarantee the watch will wear well for you. The bracelet is also brushed and the end links are almost negative, meaning they drop straight down from the case to make it wear impressively on the wrist.
Overall Impressions
If you can’t already tell, I like the Giant Stride. Second Hour Watches really brought their A game with this release and packed a lot of bang for your buck into the watch. While we’re talking about bucks, the watch retails for $620 in USD. Since Second Hour Watches is Aussie based, their website pricing is in AUD. So at around the $600 mark, you get a lot of watch for your money. It’s easy to see why micro brands get so much love: look at the specs you get here for the price. You’re not getting anything from Seiko or the other mainstream guys with so many boxes ticked on the spec sheets.
I have worn the Giant Stride for more than several weeks since I got it, and it’s a keeper. What I really love about the watch is its unique and original look and understated finishing. I personally don’t like high polish and flashy watches and the Giant Stride fits my style perfectly. It’s got enough head-turning traits that you can dress it up, but the brushing and rugged tones can also make it the perfect sports watch.
Second Hour Watches
Whitty Street
Sunshine, Victoria
Australia, 3020
https://www.secondhour.com.au/
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Blair Witkowski is an avid watch nut, loves pocket knives and flashlights, and when he is not trying to be a good dad to his nine kids, you will find him running or posting pics on Instagram. Besides writing articles for Tech Writer EDC he is also the founder of Lowcountry Style & Living. In addition to writing, he is focused on improving his client’s websites for his other passion, Search Engine Optimization. His wife Jennifer and he live in coastal South Carolina.
