Black Magic "Light" Mini Review

[UB7]

A couple of people have asked me to write a review on my black magic light, i'm no By-Tor or Pugwash, in fact this is my first watch i've ever really "reviewed", so please bare with me..Well, what is there to say about this watch..The HBB reps are some of the best around, people fray away from it because of the expensive price tag but once you hold one in your hands you see what these things are all about. Here's my Black Magic "Light", upgraded with a polished ceramic bezel. It comes stock with the brushed PVD bezel and most will agree that it looks great as is, but unfortunately the genuine article comes with a polished ceramic bezel. So for the sake of accuracy, I decided to go for the ceramic bezel from Angus.

GEN:

REP:

The construction of the watch is quite remarkable. The rep factories obviously put a lot of time and work into getting this one right. And boy did they hit a home run, even JCB himself has said on TZ that some of our trusted dealers were using pics of gens, when in fact we all know they are reps..Yes, they are that good. The quality and build of the watch is undeniable.

Again, on mine I have opt'd to go for the ceramic bezel, and it is also equipped with a genuine flat strap, as opposed to the tire tread strap that it comes stock with. Many of us with HBB's already know that the clasp has proven to be somewhat problematic for people with small wrists, the clasp ends up digging into your wrist. Personally, I have a very small wrist and have figured out a way to remedy this. You need an H screwdriver, take the half of the strap with the holes in it and put it on top @ the 12 lugs, and put the part of the strap connected to the clasp on the bottom @ the 6 lugs, this has fixed the problem for many members. The watch actually wears quite comfortably, I leave mine on for days on end without any problems.

The case is a mixture of brushed, and polished PVD (or ALDC?) Not exactly sure what the polished parts are. And the stock bezel is brushed PVD. Overall, great construction and definitely has the feel and look of the gen. When considering this watch, you must take into account that the real thing can run you 8-20k depending on the model. So for well under 1000, you can have an amazing replica that is virtually indistinguishable from the gen.

The datewheel on the black magic light is black on mine, and when you order a genuine you have the option of choosing a white or black dw, so that is faithful to the gen. Another reason why people fray away from this watch is because they think it's big. I personally think it wears smaller than a 44m PAM, why? Well thats easy, because the panerai's are much thicker and the design of the HBB is much slimmer. Also the way the lugs are set up, integrated into the rubber bracelet gives the HBB a smaller appearance. I have a 6 1/2" wrist and it doesn't look overly big.

As you can see, the design of the case gives the watch a very slim and sleek appearance

As a rep, this watch is incredibly accurate. This is one of those watches that you can wear without fear of getting called out, they really are that good..If you are worried about the price, you can always go for the "Light" version and upgrade to a ceramic bezel down the road. Also the light version lacks the AR that the more expensive version comes with, but that can easily be fixed by one of our AR experts..Hope this mini review has helped people make a decision!

[lanikai]

thanx for the great review and time put into this post UB.. there definately is an attraction to black on black

[robertk]

Nice review of a verrrrry nice watch. It's one of the few Hublots I like.

[sssurfer]

Thanks for the great review!

And the strap tip is pure gold.

[eleley]

Thanks for the nice review.

So, if you have it AR coated, will it be exactly the same with "ultimate" version of 1000+ USD?

What was the final cost for your watch?

[Seadweller4000]

Really nice review!

I will buy either this or the ss/ceramic one. I am a little afraid that the pvd might come off... Any experiences?

Thanks for putting this up!

[UB7]

Yes, with the AR and the ceramic bezel this 1 is exactly the same as the 1000+ version..I paid around 315 for the light from Andrew, 300 for the bezel and screwdriver, and another 50 for the AR..So a little less than 700 all together and i'll have myself an "Ultimate" HBB

[alant]

Hi UB7 thanks for the breakdown in the prices! Looks like a pretty good deal compared to 1K off the shelf for an ultimate version. Wondering why the rep makers not lowering their prices after almost half a year since it last went up in price. The only reason I could think of at the moment is that there are still lots of people willing to fork out 1K for the ultimate versions. Look at it this way, started off around $500, went up to $700+ then up again to $900+....will it remain this way???

Back to the topic, personally I don't fancy the black magic but the more I look at it over here, it seems I'm falling in love with it. Nice watch UB7! Maybe I will take the same route as you, thanks for sharing! And did you get that un-textured strap separately or it comes with the watch? By the way, UB7 did you get the IWC Slevin on stainless steel strap too? Any chance for a review on that?

[vric]

nice review thanks.

Quick question: how long is the strap ? Having a 8" wrist, I wonder if I would be screwed or not

[dluddy]

Nice review UB7. I agree with Robert, this is one of the only HBB's I like. Teriffic way to build one.

Thanks for sharing.

[FxrAndy]

A nice HBB and a good review but i still dont think i could wear one, but you wear yours well! enjoy.