Hands-On: the Baltic Hermetique Tourer

When you look at Baltic’s lineup, you may have noticed the absence of a field watch. After tackling dive watches, GMTs, and other platforms, all with an eye toward a specific type of vintage elegance, Baltic has released the Hermetique Tourer — their take on the classic go-anywhere, do-anything field watch. 

Field watches are great, don’t get me wrong, but when so many are built to a specific military specification, they start to get a little bit stale. That’s not the case at all with Baltic’s newest field-ready wrist companion. The Hermétique takes those classic defining elements of a field watch and elevates them with style to fit Baltic’s overall aesthetic. Let’s jump in and take a closer look at this fun, reasonably-priced, and feature-packed entry into a new category of watches from Paris’ own Baltic Watches.

Case

At first glance, the 37mm case looks surprisingly sleek. In case you missed it, the crown on the right side of the case pushes in to a point where it’s flush with the lines of the case, giving the Hermétique a largely circular appearance. While we tend to praise field and pilot watches for their large, accessible crowns, it’s nice to see something swing so far in the opposite direction. In reality, once your watch is set and you’re out on an adventure (or you know, just going to work or taking the kids to the park), it’s nice to have the crown out of the way. More later on how it wears, but having a case with no protrusions is a clean and functional look that I happen to really enjoy. You won’t be easily manipulating the crown with thick diving gloves on (shout out to that 150 meter water resistance), but for most people, that won’t be an issue. 

One other thing that stands out is how slim the case is. Measuring in at 10.8mm overall while maintaining 150 meters of water resistance is very solid. Especially when the gorgeous double-domed sapphire makes up 2.5mm of that height. You’re left with a svelte case that’s extremely comfortable to wear. The mid-case is quite thin and is flanked by the case back and a polished steel bezel that surrounds the dial. Both the case back and the bezel stick out roughly the same amount, making the Hermétique look symmetrical in profile. You’ll find drilled lugs for quick and easy strap changes, which is always a welcomed feature for me. 

Protecting the dial, there’s a really beautiful double-domed sapphire crystal that sticks up above the case by 2.5mm. Since it’s so clear, it doesn’t really contribute to the visual thickness of the watch. The crystal is really well done, evoking the shape of a vintage acrylic while retaining the scratch resistance and clarity benefits of sapphire. 

As for finishing, the case is brushed with a deep, heavy grain. The midcase features brushing that’s parallel to the case, while the top of the lugs is radial, following the curves of the bezel. They meet at a relatively sharp edge where you can see the two different directions of brushing meet. There are no beveled edges or anything, but on a field watch it makes sense. I’d say that the finishing here is elevated, but not over the top. I really like the addition of the polished bezel to give just a hint of shine when the light catches your wrist. 

Dial + Hands

There are three other available dial colors, which all look interesting as well. You can choose from a Beige, Dark Brown, or Navy in addition to the green shown in this review. Let’s work from the outside in. On the outermost edge of the dial, there’s a black railroad-style chapter ring. Moving inwards, you’ll find a bright steel bevel on both the chapter ring and inner dial. The resulting effect is a pair of slim, highly polished bands that add a very interesting element to the dial. The large open inner portion of the dial is a beautiful shade of olive green with a slight grainy appearance. Baltic’s wordmark finds a home just under 12 o’clock, while the model name and water resistance balance it out just above 6. 

We’d be crazy not to mention the application of indices/lume. The applied indices are made of Super-Luminova C3 X1 lume and float off the dial just a little bit. Since the indices are made of lume, they glow super bright, making for an ultra-legible dial in both light and dark conditions. Small circular plots are paired with numerical cardinal indices, while rounded rectangles fill in the gaps. 

Pointing to the time is a set of syringe hands with a polished outer border and a healthy application of lume inside. A slim second hand reaches all the way to the outer border of the chapter ring with a small circular counterbalance opposite the point. Overall, the dial is clean and legible but has enough small details to make it interesting. If given the choice between this and a mil-spec field watch dial, I’m taking the Baltic every time. 

Movement

Keeping things ticking is one of Miyota’s 9039 Japanese-made movements. It features a 42-hour power reserve and winds via the movement of your wrist or with a wind of the crown. Since the crown is so small, you’d be better off giving the watch a few good shakes to get started, and then popping it on your wrist for a day of wear. You can precisely set the time thanks to the hacking feature of the movement as well. Inside, 24 jewels keep all the parts running smoothly, while the 28,800bph frequency allows for a -10 to +30 sec/day accuracy. Baltic states that they chose the Miyota 9039 for its robustness and reliability — a key consideration for a field watch. 

Strap + Wearability

The Hermétique ships on either a tropic-style FKM strap or one of two bracelets. The FKM is included in the price, but choosing a stainless steel bracelet will run you an extra 65 Euros. I only had the chance to check the watch out on the beads of rice bracelet, which looked and felt great when paired with the Hermétique. The bracelet features two brushed outer links with three polished “beads of rice” in between. It gave the watch a more vintage look and feel. I like beads of rice bracelets because of their high degree of articulation, which really just equates to a more comfortable on-wrist experience. The 20mm lug width and field watch looks lend themselves to be compatible with a wide range of aftermarket straps as well. Since the watch is so thin, you won’t really feel too much of a difference with the added thickness of a NATO strap running between your wrist and the case. Green dials can be a bit challenging to pair with, but a gray, tan, or even black strap would work great with the Hermétique. 

On my 6.75” wrist, the 37mm case wore really well. There’s really not much else to say. I love the size, I appreciate the thinness, and the integrated crown made for a sleek look. There’s a lot to like about a classically sized field watch, and the Baltic checks all those boxes. 

Conclusion

Baltic has a strong track record of delivering quality timepieces at affordable prices with their own unique styling and the Hermétique is no exception. At right around $590 on a strap or $660 on a bracelet, the Hermétique justifies its price. The svelte case with subtle elements of shine, a beautiful domed sapphire crystal, an intricate but restrained dial, and a reliable Japanese automatic movement all round out this 150m water-resistant field watch. 

I like field watches because they are the perfect grab-and-go watch. Baltic’s Hermétique takes this a step further with its class-leading water resistance, really giving you peace of mind if you do end up jumping in that lake at the end of your hike. Another thing I like about Baltic is their clearly defined design language. When you take a look at their lineup, you can clearly see the brand’s DNA running through each piece, and this addition of a field watch to their collection is no exception. Baltic