Denmark is the home to some iconic designers. Now, the latest Scandinavian minimalist watch has arrived: the Henry Archer Sekvens.

Henry Archer Sekvens Review

The oddly anglicised name aside, Henry Archer has produced a distinctly Scandinavian watch design. It’s a minimalist dress watch – but this one offers something more than the usual identikit quartz designs. So what are you buying for your €399?

Presentation is spartan but more than acceptable, with the watch attached to a foam cushion within a two-part cardboard box. The instructions are printed on high quality, thick paper in full colour—a good first impression.

       jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handledIMG-3103

Case

The case of the Henry Archer Sekvens is well finished, with nice angles around the lugs and a lovely screwed-in case back. It’s powered by a Seiko NH35A – one of the most popular movements in this price range (and indeed a little above it, too). Henry Archer has added a gold coloured rotor which makes the movement a lot more appealing through the open case back. At the front is a domed sapphire crystal which – despite apparently being anti-reflective coated – is extremely reflective. In fact, I found it impossible to capture photos or video of the watch without any reflections. Before you roll your eyes, check out the brand’s website – they couldn’t photograph it without a reflection either! It is not too bad in real life, but reading hands against the dark dial was harder than I expected whenever there was a bright light source anywhere in the vicinity.

               IMG-3104     IMG-3106
               

The crown is – unusually – a square shape. I have never seen a square crown before and soon found out why. It is easy to pop it out into time-setting position, but it dug into my fingers when attempting to turn it to change the time or wind the watch. Looks great, but not so practical.

Dial and Hands

There are several Henry Archer Sekvens dial colours available. I chose the green when the brand offered to send me a watch. I found that the reflective crystal masked the sunburst effect somewhat. The polished steel markers are applied straight; the hands are brushed. There is no lume on the watch (and that is fine for a dress watch) and it looks good on the wrist.

IMG-3110                          IMG-3112

Overall? I like the look of the Henry Archer Sekvens. It’s pleasingly free from fussiness, and the little touches like the skeletonised hands and the diamond date window work well.

Strap and Buckle

At this price point, you can expect a good quality full-grain leather watch band and laser-etched buckle. And that is exactly what you get. The strap is a quick-release type, which I like, but I did find that seeing the strap release pins between the lugs and strap was a bit distracting. The strap was a good length but a bit stiff for my taste.

IMG-3109              IMG-3108

Honestly, I would recommend you budget for a replacement watch band if you buy a Henry Archer Sekvens. It deserves to be paired with a properly chosen strap. I would rather not pay extra for a strap I don’t want, but if this leather strap is not for you you can consider it a free extra as the watch is still good value at the current price of €299.

What I Liked

  • I really like the design – it’s unlike any other watch I’ve reviewed.
  • The build quality is very good, exemplified by the case back – where many brands would use a generic threaded option or pop-off back, Henry Archer designed their own
  • The price per pound is excellent; I think this watch can compete with far more expensive alternatives.

What I Didn’t Like

  • The crystal is very reflective. Not so much that the watch is unreadable, but enough for you to notice it in everyday use
  • The crown looks good, but a square shape is not very practical to use
  • I wish the brand had used a Nordic name rather than the Anglicised “Henry Archer.”

Henry Archer Sekvens – The WRUK Verdict

Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by the Henry Archer Sekvens. They currently have a sale with everything 25% off and that price drop really improves my opinion of the watch. If you can get past the brand name and the minor niggles with the crown and crystal, your €299 is buying you a very nice dress watch. I look forward to seeing what the brand comes up with next and can recommend this as a good choice of Christmas gift for a newcomer to mechanical watches.

Credits: https://wristwatchreview.co.uk/henry-archer-sekvens-review