Case Size: 40mm, Thickness: 14mm, Lug-to-Lug: 48mm, Movement: Seagull ST1901 Hand-Wound Chronograph, Water Resistance: 100m, Crystal: Domed Sapphire with AR, Price: $469 USD
The Bridgehampton is Islander’s first mechanical chronograph, named after the Long Island race track that closed in 1999. It runs the Seagull ST1901, the Chinese hand-wound column wheel chronograph that has powered most of the affordable mechanical chronographs of the last decade, visible through an exhibition caseback. The tachymeter sits under the crystal, which frees the bezel for a luminous 12-hour scale, and it comes on a bracelet with a leather racing strap in the box. At 14mm thick it is not a thin watch, but a mechanical chronograph with a sapphire crystal for under $500 is a short list, and most of the other chronographs I would recommend cost several times as much.
The Bridgehampton costs $469 USD. All four dials were sold out when I checked, so you may have to wait for the next run.
Are Islander Watches Good?
Yes, and for the money they might be the best. I cannot think of another brand that puts a sapphire crystal, a ceramic bezel, a Japanese automatic and a solid bracelet with a micro-adjust clasp into a watch for $329 USD and backs it with a retailer that answers the phone. If you want the most watch per dollar, this is where the math ends up.
With that being said, you should know what you are not getting. Original design is not the point here. The Islander 43 is an SKX, the Manhasset is an Explorer and the JFK is a GMT-Master, and the brand does not pretend otherwise. The sizes on the divers and the GMT run big, with the 43mm and 42mm cases wearing like it. And with more than 200 references, half the work is figuring out which one you actually want, which is part of why I wrote this.
I would also say the Northport and the Brookville are where Islander is most interesting. They are the brand’s own designs, they use the better Miyota 9015 movement, and they show what the catalog looks like when it stops leaning on Seiko’s old case.
How Much Do Islander Watches Cost?
Islander watches cost between $229 USD and $595 USD, with almost everything in the $300 USD to $450 USD range. Here is how the main models break down:
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Manhasset 36mm: $229 USD on a strap, $299 USD on a bracelet
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Mitchel Field: $249 USD
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Islander 43mm Automatic Dive: $329 USD to $369 USD
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Islander 38mm Automatic Dive: $329 USD
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Brookville: $379 USD to $429 USD
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Northport: $449 USD
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JFK GMT: $449 USD
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Bridgehampton Chronograph: $469 USD
Where should you buy one? Long Island Watch is the answer, and for most models the only answer, since Islander is its house brand and ships from New York. Windup Watch Shop carries a handful of the popular models as well. Prices are the same, there are no retailer markups to shop around, and the thing to watch for is stock. Popular dial colors on the Northport and Brookville sell out and come back in batches, so if you see the one you want, buy it.
All-in-all, Islander is the brand I would send a friend to when they ask what to buy instead of a Seiko. It just happens to be run by the guy who used to sell them the Seiko.