The Erebus Ascent: The Crown Jewel of Affordable Everyday Watches… or is it?
Photo by Chris Antzoulis
One of the first pieces of advice I received about writing watch reviews was to avoid commenting on the watch's price, since brands can charge what they want and there will always be someone willing to pay. That was a couple of years ago, and a relatively new-ish to the community, Chris, thought this made sense despite it going against his instincts. Now that I’ve been writing in this space for a while, I’ll say that advice is bullshit. Price matters and brands should justify their pricing whether we’re discussing Grand Seikos, Rolexes, Omegas, or even micro/independent brands like Erebus, especially when the claim at the sub $500 price point is so grandiose. And there’s no one better than the frugal Scotsman himself, Jody Musgrove, and his business partner, Steven Parker, to run through the wringer when they claim to have made “the perfect affordable sports watch.”
By their admission, Jody and Steven want to “offer the best-made watches, with the best specifications, at the best prices.” So, when I started speaking with Erebus about a collaboration, Steven asked me which watch I’d want to look at, and it had to be the Ascent. I had heard such great things about the watch from friends, and I recalled Jody’s introductory video on the Ascent on his Just One More Watch channel, where he aimed to build the best affordable GADA (go anywhere, do anything) watch he could. He took inspiration from watches in the three, four, and five thousand dollar price categories — drawing influence from Grand Seiko, Omega, and Rolex. While I will undoubtedly assess the Ascent on its own merits, I also wanted to compare it to one of the higher-end pieces Jody mentioned. As the owner of a Grand Seiko SBGA413 ShunBun, I was able to do just that.
Transparency:
Before I get to it, I want to disclose that Erebus Watches sent me the Ascent and is allowing me to keep it. No one at Erebus has reached out to influence me in any way about the review, and I will not show them this review before it’s posted.
Review:
Photo by Chris Antzoulis
Upon first inspection of the Ascent, team Erebus appears to have done a near perfect job of including just about everything a watch enthusiast would look for in a sporty GADA watch. Are the adverbial and adjective phrases in there foreshadowing enough for you?
As soon as I took the watch out of its packaging and peeled off all the plastic wrapping, the aventurine dial whisked me away. The applied stick indices against the sparkly black background made me feel like I was sitting in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, gazing out at the stars while waiting for Chewy to repair the hyperdrive motivator so I could jump into hyperspace. The applied Erebus logo and minimal dial text were both great details because, as much as I love the idea of piloting the Falcon through space, I don’t want to read the opening crawl on the dial. **Glares across the room at his BB58.**
While the dial is stunning, it is also quite easy to read. The white and polished steel hands and indices enhance the watch's legibility, and the BGW9 lume on the hands, indices, and markers ensures that this exceptional legibility continues even in the dark. I found the lume on the counterbalance of the seconds hand to be odd, but it didn’t bug me, and I suppose allows you to make sure your watch is still running in the dark. I’m not a lume nut by any stretch, but the way it was implemented here is appreciated.
I also appreciate the AR-coated sapphire over the dial. It’s a pet peeve of mine when a beautiful dial is consistently obscured by glare. Instead, the Ascent welcomes light in, igniting the flecks in the aventurine. I imagine that, regardless of the dial color or material you choose, this crystal will let it be admired as much as possible.
Photo by Chris Antzoulis
All of this is housed in a well-crafted case. I’ve handled numerous watches from micro/independent brands at this price point and haven’t encountered a case finish quite like this one. It is primarily polished, so be cautious—you’ll eventually start collecting scratches. However, small flourishes like the thin line of brushing at the mid-case, which separates large polished areas, add a unique dimension to the watch, making it appear slimmer than its 11mm thickness would suggest. The tops of the lugs are also brushed, directing your gaze immediately to the dial. Interestingly, one aspect of the case that I also appreciate is one that Jody mentioned as an afterthought in his announcement video—the caseback. It features a deeply engraved Erebus logo, with some specifications lightly etched in a ring around it. I know I’m in the minority, but I’m pleased this happy accident allowed Team Erebus to resist the temptation to add an exhibition caseback to this watch. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy seeing a movement when it’s worthwhile, but a Miyota 9015, while being an impressive 4-hertz movement, is not one that needs to be displayed. Although, the Miyota 9015 brings me to my first point of contention—hot damn is that rotor loud.
This is typically not a major issue for me, but with a watch as lovely as the Ascent, it does irk me that every time my arm moves quickly, I can hear the rotor whirring inside the case like a tiny medieval mace-wielding knight. It just feels slightly less refined compared to what’s going on with the case and the dial. Additionally, I find the bracelet and clasp somewhat unrefined as well. Keep in mind there are two different bracelet options: an O-style and a J-style (the naming convention makes me chuckle every time). Erebus sent me the J-style (five-link) bracelet. While it’s of good quality and pairs well with the watch, especially against the shimmering aventurine dial, a couple of elements detract from it upon closer inspection. The edges of the links are not rounded, leading to a sharp drop that feels a bit scratchy when handling it. Meanwhile, the clasp, although it features a welcome micro-adjustment system, is a bit thick for this genre of watch. The etched Erebus logo on the clasp is lightly done and doesn’t appear as elegant as the applied logo on the dial or even the etching on the crown.
This isn’t to say the bracelet is poor quality; quite the contrary, the polished center links combined with the brushed outer and polished sides create a stunning shimmering effect. The quick-release spring bars are always appreciated. The clasp itself is brushed on the bottom to avoid picking up many scratches and polished on the sides to match the flair of the rest of the bracelet and case. Yet, the bracelet may be the biggest gripe I have about the watch as I don’t think it’s as well done as the case, and I’d love to see future iterations of the Ascent have bracelets that have their own unique design that we haven’t seen before. Plus, this watch also looks gorgeous on straps!
So, how does the Erebus Ascent stack up to a nearly $7,000 watch?
Photo by Chris Antzoulis
I typically wouldn't make this kind of comparison in a review, but as mentioned earlier, this is the fundamental reason for the Ascent’s existence (and potentially Erebus as a brand, for that matter). And to be quite honest, it stacks up rather well.
In my own assessment, the Grand Seiko SBGA413 was crafted with meticulous attention. The indices, hands, and case are all finished to an extraordinarily high standard. You can clearly see yourself in the mirror-polished surfaces of the case. That contrast feels cold against the warmth of the gray brushed titanium. The hands and indices are razor-sharp, and the indices exhibit a rainbow shimmer in the light. All of these hold up under intense scrutiny with a loupe.
One aspect that personally annoyed me was that the end links of the Erebus J-Style bracelet fit better into the case of the Ascent than the Grand Seiko bracelet fits into its case. It will always frustrate me when major luxury brands don’t include quick-release spring bars on their bracelets and straps. And get the heck outta here with the pin and collar links on the Grand Seiko. The fact that it took me all of three goddamn minutes to size the bracelet on the Ascent with its screwed-in links made me reflect on the day I received my Grand Seiko, which felt like prepping for surgery by comparison. As prices increase, these small factors should become easier and easier to manage. However, this reflects a common discrepancy I observe with higher-end pieces compared to affordable micro brands.
When considering the rest of the Ascent, it may not be finished to the same standard as the Grand Seiko overall, but is there really a $6,500 difference in what you’re getting on your wrist? If you take branding, materials, and movement out of the picture, maybe not. I handed these two watches to several friends who don’t know much about watches and asked them to identify the differences in quality without revealing the significant price disparity between the two. This wasn't a scientific assessment at all, but I will say that out of the seven people I asked, most could correctly identify the Grand Seiko as the more expensive of the two. Still, two individuals believed the Ascent was the pricier watch, and no one could accurately guess the price difference, with the largest gap being $1,000 in favor of the Grand Seiko.
In the grand scheme of things, this little test means fuck all because, as enthusiasts, we know what we want and what we’re in the market for. We can identify what makes a watch special, and it shouldn’t be about what anyone thinks of what’s on your wrist besides you.
Photo by Chris Antzoulis
What the heck does this all mean?
I think this all means I take my side hustle too seriously. :-P
Did Jody and Stephen create the perfect affordable sports watch? In short, I think so. However, it depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a watch that is familiar, that embodies many characteristics of higher-end luxury pieces like the Omega Aqua Terra, Grand Seiko ShunBun, or Rolex Datejust—a high-quality watch that is a stunning all-arounder at a solid price—then yes, I’d say this is a perfect affordable sports watch.
