Support me on Patreon patreon.com/user?u=80400579 Islander Bayport bit.ly/3BVu9ZC Check out my other channel TH-cam.com/cheapaudioman Most links are affiliate links which means if you click and buy I will get a commission from the sale and sales of other items purchased.
I have this watch. *The best value anywhere on Earth, no better dive watch for the price to be had anywhere.* *_Good bracelet: attractive, comfortable, secure. Ceramic bezel insert, sapphire glass, screw-down signed crown, 200m water resistance. The dial has some gloss to it, it is not matte, which I think is better looking than a flat finish._* It has the dependable, reliable Seiko movement which I had regulated after 3 months, now it keeps within 15 seconds a week.
Thank you for the review Randy. I have the Bayport in blue. I like the watch. I also like Islander and the excitement that Mark has brought to the market.
Very bright watch, that doesn't, ironically, catch my eye. I do, however, like the Long Island Watch Squale selection, but only a dream for now. Thanks for the review, your time and efforts to share this with us all.
It;s sold out now, but I got one of the last black-dial ISL-154 Northport. It has not left my wrist since getting ita month ago. Literally the perfect watch for the 62MAS hunter.
Great channel Randy! Sloppy bezel action is now a deal breaker for me. I own 5 Islanders and have been very impressed with them until I purchased the Southold. It too had a bezel that you had to go past the mark and pull back to get alignment. Luckily I got it on sale so I kept it. But at 325 bucks for an NH35 movement watch there are no excuses for poor quality execution except maybe a really good discount. BTW the Islander Southold is a 42mm that wears more like a 44mm. It is difficult to pick a watch on specs alone, you need to try it on just like a pair of jeans.
I bought a similar Islander last Black Friday and got an ISL-116 Southold. 42mm diameter, 165 grams with an NH35. LOVE it and there's no bounce to the bezel. Anywho... the Bayport is tempting.
Totally agree with all your points...the price of this one for an NH35 seems high. But if it had a really cool applied logo... better thickness in font, and a better bezel, that would work. Still, I think Marc makes really cool stuff...great vid.
Yellow dials are a lot of fun. Many years ago I modified a standard SKX007 using a yellow dial and black hands, sort of a Doxa style. I wore it quite a bit and then sold it to one of my friends who is also a watch enthusiast. He said he wore it when traveling and got a lot of comments about the yellow from people in airports and so forth. On that Islander I think there is too much yellow. I like to have contrast in the styling elements of a watch meaning the dial can be yellow but the lume on the hands, the hour markers, and the bezel markers should be white. You say you have a 7.25" wrist which I have also. I think the 42mm Steinhart is a perfect size and weight for me. A 40mm submariner homage is almost too small for me. Today I'm wearing an Orient Kano which has 44mm bezel and 45mm case, it is a good size for me too. I think the Kano is a perfect fit for the theme of your channel. The various Orient Mako models get a lot of attention but they are too small for me and I don't like some of the styling elements. The Kano is better for size and the overal dial/hand/marker design is simple and straightforward.
Randy, Thanks for making this watch available on your ebay store. I picked it up and found that the slightly smaller size works well on my 7" wrist. This is my first dive style watch so I have no point of reference for bezel feel so this is a good start for me. And the Yellow.. You can't really call it yellow. It's clearly a Yellow.
Just found your channel and I really love the vibe and how you present your content. I have subscribed . The Islander watches do nothing for me personally and just look like overly priced Ali Express pieces with a custom logo on them.
Nice review. Just to be a stickler, I'm pretty sure the upper on the clasp is pressed, not milled. Also, this is most definitely a beater and I think most watch enthusiasts would agree on that. I get that everything is relative, but $325 is relatively cheap in the watch world, especially outside of AX. You have your SMP - you already know this! :)
Hey Randy, I'm with you on Blacked Out Watchers... Though I am surprised or not you didn't have a Rado Captain Cook Centrix or The Black CC Rado...price wise etc.
Cheers Randy. I'm going to ebay to buy a few bits and put together an Nh35 based. orange face etc. It will turn out to be a lot cheaper than the Islander by a couple of hundred quid. Fingers crossed.
I don't own any of the Islander watches yet but have purchased from Long Island Watch and Marc is definitely a class act. Many of the aspects are subjective but I feel there is a trend towards smaller watches. I think that in 2023, 39mm is the new 42mm. I'm not sure what the cost differences are for applied logos but they really go a long way in my opinion. As for the 'Automatic' and the '200M' being larger... I dunno. I'd call that a 50/50 thing at best. I don't think I'd prefer those being bigger. The biggest negative issue - in my opinion - in your review is the bezel action. I literally never use a bezel. I don't dive and I don't boil eggs. I line it up and that's it... BUT I do like a quality feel to the bezel action. Even the cheapest new watch I've bought in the last couple years, a Steeldive SD1953 Sub homage, that was $76 shipped has flawless bezel action. Better than any sub-$500 Seiko I've ever owned. I'm not sure how Steeldive/Addiesdive/San Martin have such perfect feeling bezels but they sure do. On the other hand, if one wants a bright yellow dive watch that is doing its own thing and not being too strong of an homage, I don't know of a better choice. Good video.
A pretty nice looking piece...but it does not set me on fire. I don't like that bezel much - think a matte finish would look much better, and the yellow doesn't quite match the dial to my eye. The dial is almost there, but as you mention, the text could be bolder, and I just don't like the Islander logo/branding. I think that H link bracelet looks great, especially with those female end links, but would like to see more micro adjusts (or on the fly).
Maybe with a thinner bezel, making the dial a bit wider, it would wear a bit bigger. The RZE GMT is 40 mm, but having a thinber bezel, and a wider dial, it doesn't wear as small. All said, for me and my roughly 7 inch wrist 42 to 44 is a good measure for divers, if the lug to lug isn"t too much and are well designed for a good fit.
He really should be selling these for $200, or just under. He probably has nothing in these and honestly, they seem to be just moderately better than a modded SKX. Which is basically all these are. Mark is a good guy and I’ve bought other things from him, but I just can’t justify getting one of these, especially with his brand all over it.
In convict times in Australia, yellow was seen as the color of cowards and homosexuals. Guards would put a yellow coat on convict prisoners as punishment, and men would rather die than be seen in it. Some even hung themselves in it - such was their distain for the color yellow.
Support me on Patreon patreon.com/user?u=80400579
Islander Bayport bit.ly/3BVu9ZC
Check out my other channel TH-cam.com/cheapaudioman
Most links are affiliate links which means if you click and buy I will get a commission from the sale and sales of other items purchased.
I have this watch. *The best value anywhere on Earth, no better dive watch for the price to be had anywhere.* *_Good bracelet: attractive, comfortable, secure. Ceramic bezel insert, sapphire glass, screw-down signed crown, 200m water resistance. The dial has some gloss to it, it is not matte, which I think is better looking than a flat finish._* It has the dependable, reliable Seiko movement which I had regulated after 3 months, now it keeps within 15 seconds a week.
Thanks for the content. I was missing watching videos on the channel, and it has been a treat to see the one ones you have dropped recently!
Marc makes great watches. I'm surprised about the bezel actions. Marc is always willing to keep his customers happy.
Dude your killing it!!! Already one of my go to watch channels on TH-cam. Brilliant!!
ha. well thank you. tell a friend!
Thank you for the review Randy. I have the Bayport in blue. I like the watch. I also like Islander and the excitement that Mark has brought to the market.
Great review sir.
Very bright watch, that doesn't, ironically, catch my eye. I do, however, like the Long Island Watch Squale selection, but only a dream for now. Thanks for the review, your time and efforts to share this with us all.
Honestly, for these prices, no watch should ever have a bad bezel. Should be aligned and should work properly.
It;s sold out now, but I got one of the last black-dial ISL-154 Northport. It has not left my wrist since getting ita month ago. Literally the perfect watch for the 62MAS hunter.
Great channel Randy! Sloppy bezel action is now a deal breaker for me. I own 5 Islanders and have been very impressed with them until I purchased the Southold. It too had a bezel that you had to go past the mark and pull back to get alignment. Luckily I got it on sale so I kept it. But at 325 bucks for an NH35 movement watch there are no excuses for poor quality execution except maybe a really good discount. BTW the Islander Southold is a 42mm that wears more like a 44mm. It is difficult to pick a watch on specs alone, you need to try it on just like a pair of jeans.
I bought a similar Islander last Black Friday and got an ISL-116 Southold. 42mm diameter, 165 grams with an NH35. LOVE it and there's no bounce to the bezel. Anywho... the Bayport is tempting.
Totally agree with all your points...the price of this one for an NH35 seems high. But if it had a really cool applied logo... better thickness in font, and a better bezel, that would work. Still, I think Marc makes really cool stuff...great vid.
Yellow dials are a lot of fun. Many years ago I modified a standard SKX007 using a yellow dial and black hands, sort of a Doxa style. I wore it quite a bit and then sold it to one of my friends who is also a watch enthusiast. He said he wore it when traveling and got a lot of comments about the yellow from people in airports and so forth. On that Islander I think there is too much yellow. I like to have contrast in the styling elements of a watch meaning the dial can be yellow but the lume on the hands, the hour markers, and the bezel markers should be white.
You say you have a 7.25" wrist which I have also. I think the 42mm Steinhart is a perfect size and weight for me. A 40mm submariner homage is almost too small for me. Today I'm wearing an Orient Kano which has 44mm bezel and 45mm case, it is a good size for me too. I think the Kano is a perfect fit for the theme of your channel. The various Orient Mako models get a lot of attention but they are too small for me and I don't like some of the styling elements. The Kano is better for size and the overal dial/hand/marker design is simple and straightforward.
Randy, Thanks for making this watch available on your ebay store. I picked it up and found that the slightly smaller size works well on my 7" wrist. This is my first dive style watch so I have no point of reference for bezel feel so this is a good start for me. And the Yellow.. You can't really call it yellow. It's clearly a Yellow.
Just found your channel and I really love the vibe and how you present your content. I have subscribed . The Islander watches do nothing for me personally and just look like overly priced Ali Express pieces with a custom logo on them.
Islander ISL#158 Sands Point will be my next watch. Mark seems like such a great guy with great watches, how could I not buy one? Nice review, Randy.
thanks!
Nice review. Just to be a stickler, I'm pretty sure the upper on the clasp is pressed, not milled. Also, this is most definitely a beater and I think most watch enthusiasts would agree on that. I get that everything is relative, but $325 is relatively cheap in the watch world, especially outside of AX. You have your SMP - you already know this! :)
The hinge on most of the islanders are milled, but the clasp (bit with the logo)is stamped
I don’t see anything not to like about this one! It’s a solid watch at a price that make it an incredible bargain. Marc does things right!
Hey Randy, I'm with you on Blacked Out Watchers... Though I am surprised or not you didn't have a Rado Captain Cook Centrix or The Black CC Rado...price wise etc.
The Bulova surfboard in orange is so damn beautiful
Cheers Randy. I'm going to ebay to buy a few bits and put together an Nh35 based. orange face etc. It will turn out to be a lot cheaper than the Islander by a couple of hundred quid. Fingers crossed.
cool. let me know how it comes out
I don't own any of the Islander watches yet but have purchased from Long Island Watch and Marc is definitely a class act. Many of the aspects are subjective but I feel there is a trend towards smaller watches. I think that in 2023, 39mm is the new 42mm. I'm not sure what the cost differences are for applied logos but they really go a long way in my opinion. As for the 'Automatic' and the '200M' being larger... I dunno. I'd call that a 50/50 thing at best. I don't think I'd prefer those being bigger. The biggest negative issue - in my opinion - in your review is the bezel action. I literally never use a bezel. I don't dive and I don't boil eggs. I line it up and that's it... BUT I do like a quality feel to the bezel action. Even the cheapest new watch I've bought in the last couple years, a Steeldive SD1953 Sub homage, that was $76 shipped has flawless bezel action. Better than any sub-$500 Seiko I've ever owned. I'm not sure how Steeldive/Addiesdive/San Martin have such perfect feeling bezels but they sure do. On the other hand, if one wants a bright yellow dive watch that is doing its own thing and not being too strong of an homage, I don't know of a better choice. Good video.
You have to do a wrist check Randy - tell us what you're actually wearing, and why:)
A pretty nice looking piece...but it does not set me on fire. I don't like that bezel much - think a matte finish would look much better, and the yellow doesn't quite match the dial to my eye. The dial is almost there, but as you mention, the text could be bolder, and I just don't like the Islander logo/branding. I think that H link bracelet looks great, especially with those female end links, but would like to see more micro adjusts (or on the fly).
Maybe with a thinner bezel, making the dial a bit wider, it would wear a bit bigger. The RZE GMT is 40 mm, but having a thinber bezel, and a wider dial, it doesn't wear as small. All said, for me and my roughly 7 inch wrist 42 to 44 is a good measure for divers, if the lug to lug isn"t too much and are well designed for a good fit.
My first islander had an atrocious bezel too. Doubt I’d purchase another islander after seeing this.
If he would get rid of the silly logo I'd consider some of his watches . I have the Bulova it's pretty cool watch .
Randy, does it sting, that "Bumble Bee"?..
I wouldn't mind the ISL-02. But its all chinese materials and I can build a chinese parts watch on my own for cheaper.
1:54 Deployant clasp not Deployment, I've been on a few of those🤣🤣 ....yep Bezel action is a deal breaker.... :(
disappointing bigtime
He really should be selling these for $200, or just under. He probably has nothing in these and honestly, they seem to be just moderately better than a modded SKX. Which is basically all these are.
Mark is a good guy and I’ve bought other things from him, but I just can’t justify getting one of these, especially with his brand all over it.
No lumed pip😔
Everything on the bezel is lumed
In convict times in Australia, yellow was seen as the color of cowards and homosexuals. Guards would put a yellow coat on convict prisoners as punishment, and men would rather die than be seen in it. Some even hung themselves in it - such was their distain for the color yellow.
that's a terrible story. this would probably not be the watch for them
So now you’re dispensing watch advice 😂
You should have spoken to Mark before shitting on him online.
Deployant
Not deployment
He was in the Navy. Deployment is a thing.
The islander watches still give me the Seiko's vibe. I don't know what is missing. It's just missing out on something.