I usually don’t write a lot of reviews mostly due to lack of time and skills, my life is pretty hectic but I am excited to share with you my impressions and photos of a very unique new diver: The HEXA K500. So I decided to take the time to write this review… I am not a pro, English is not my first language and I am not a skilled photographer either ( I lack the equipment too ) but I will give you my honest opinion on this diver and share every day photos, wrist shots from different angles and various strap combos. DO keep in mind this is a prototype and Hexa has already announced changes that will be made to the final production version. I also shared some of my feedback with them and am glad to say they agreed and had plans to address those items, so I think the final product will be a winner for sure!
The HEXA is the one new offering I have been the most excited about since its announcement and the wait is quite painful, so I am very thankful that the folks at HEXA allowed me to test drive this prototype for a week. It was very nice of them to do so and it does make the wait for my bead blasted PVD bezel K500 more bearable
I have bought and pre-ordered many watches as most of you know 
so why am I more excited about the Hexa than others? Well simply because they have dared to go “different”…. Now I am not bashing other boutique companies, I am a fan of many and have owned or currently own or have pre-ordered several… but Hexa has the cojones to go with a case design that is very unique maybe a bit out there… and unlike anything I’ve seen before. Sure it is a risk and it is not for everybody, but that’s what it’s all about… creativity, taking chances, giving WIS something different.. in a time when most divers are homage or several attributes taken from other watches (which is fine) and when many boutique just take off the shelf parts & slap their name on the final products, well I find it refreshing and exciting to see a new company go a different route. As for those who don’t like the more industrial and “original” design, well there are many other options out there, so everyone can find something they like, that is a good thing about our hobby. Another reason I am a fan of the Hexa, is because it is a US company which has the watches assembled, tested and regulated here in the US of A! Now that is important to me, though I understand it may not be for others. Ok, time for the review now…Case & Crown : 44mm Diam, 51mm L2L, 14.75mm height, 22mm lug width, 500m WR, 316l Surgical Grade SS, triple O-ring
Here is the obvious…. it is cool, original and has an industrial very toolish look to it with the crown located at 10:30 opposite the date (at 4:30), an asymmetric shape and a substantial bezel. You won’t mistake it for another watch
! I find the crown side profile particularly interesting and appealing. Regarding the crown, I noted two things to consider: 1- its size is a bit small for this design combined with 2- the location [though very cool] being that high on the left side, it is right next to the lug. It means the part of the case below the crown is thinner than the part behind it, essentially the lug (see profile photo). Aesthetically and comfort-wise, it is fine, but it makes screwing in/out the crown a tad more tedious. The Hexa team agrees and has already planned on making the crown longer, which will help a lot. They are also looking into another small change to the crown to further improve comfort in screwing it in/out.The finish is very nice on par with the other micro divers I’ve owned, this one has a satin looking finish almost like those of the Kazimon and Korsbek I used to own. It is substantial but not too thick so it’ll wear nicely on smaller wrist. (my wrist is 7” for reference). The caseback is also flat allowing the watch to sit flat and flush on the wrist unlike many of today’s big divers that sit high on the wrist and look odd, plus are top heavy. The Hexa is VERY comfortable no matter the strap or bracelet I put on it, and strap changes are a breeze thanks to the drilled lugs, a feature I always like to see on a watch using spring bars. I would like to see screw bars using Hex screws on a future Hexa model but this is the next best thing for me and it would drive price up a bit I suppose. Finally, I would say that even though some may think it is a large watch, it wears surprisingly well on my 7” wrist, which is not particularly wide or flat at all. The moderate thickness and L2L allow the watch to look just fine on my wrist and likely smaller ones.
Note: This watch has a plain caseback and I do not have any clue as to what the case back will look like, surprise for all of us it WILL be engraved and serialized.
Bezel:
The bezel is cool too, modern bold design right at home on this watch and is easy to grab and turn thanks to the large protruding grips every 5 minutes. Lume inverted triangle at 12 is great and highly visible at night. The bezel turns smoothly and clicks (60 clicks) with authority though I noticed that for real diver it may be a bit too easy to knock of position partly due to the bezel design , but Hexa told me they will address that for the final version we’ll all receive, the bezel will have more resistance. So the bezel being tighter to rotate will make it more difficult to knock off position.
Dial and Hands(& lume):
I am a big fan of purposeful, clean and legible dial. This one hits high marks in my book and is very pleasing to look at as well with the use of red color on the second hand, logo and “500M” writing on the dial. The hour markers are large enough to be legible and not oversized which I personally do not like, as they tend to overtake the dial and minimize open area. Writing is kept to a minimum with small logo, brand name, “automatic” and “500M”. Font size is perfect as with the hour markers, it is not too large leaving enough empty real estate for a an overall clean looking dial. Note the grey color for the word “automatic” helps with keeping things clean too as it stands out less than white font and it ties in nicely with the case finish too. Minute indices are fine and small too but note the tip of the second hand does reach out to the tip of the minute markers, while the end of the rectangle on that hand reaches the end of the hour markers (except at 3,6 and 9), which is very nice. The flat section at the end of the minute hand does reach the tip of the hour markers while the triangle tip of the same hand reaches the tip of the minute markers. Pretty cool details. I very much like red second hands in general and this one is not exceptions, especially with the used of red on the dial. It is lumed, which I know many of you “have to have”. Hexa has already disclosed they will make the second hand a little thicker. Either way is fine with me, may not be a necessity but it does look good on the new drawing they published. The hour hand is short and fatter and does not obstruct the date window. I like it but I guess it is a matter of taste. The hands on this prototype are not the final hands, they will be painted grey as explained with Hexa in a recent update. I think it’ll look better as the more shiny finish is not a good match for the case finish and toolish look of this watch. The lume is Lum-Tec’s recipe so it doesn’t disappoint! It is bright and lasts, and Hexa told me it will be brighter on the production watches! Reading time in the dark even after hours is effortless. Overall the dial is very legible and pleasing to the eye thanks to all the attributes I discussed above, the spec says the Hexa uses “Numeral letterforms based on interstate signage designed to be absorbed at a glance.
Final notes: 1- the date wheel will be black and not white as on this prototype. 2- On this watch, the date wheel is not aligned as they had to use Lum-Tec stock parts not designed for this K500 (i.e. dial feet, date wheel) so it will obviously be rectified for production 3- The crown finish will match that of the case (it doesn’t on this prototype)
Bracelet:
So here is the one controversial part with this watch… many don’t like it due to the lack of integrated end links, or the generic already done look… here is my opinion… the bracelet is well made, has the right thickness for the watch IMHO and is easy to adjust in size due to the screwed-in links. The Bracelet is very comfortable and has plenty of adjustment so everyone is sure to find the perfect fit. The clasp is awesome and will be familiar to those who have owned a DOXA 5000 or Bali Ha’I Q among others to use this very well designed easy to use ratcheting clasp. I am a fan! Now the one part I personally don’t like is the flat thin/narrow end link. It cheapens the overall bracelet and they were not substantial enough when installed far from filling the lugs making it seem as though the bracelet is sort of falling off of the watch. They are not up to the rest of the watch which is original, solid, tough looking. I would prefer integrated end-links a la Stowa Pro Diver (protruding a little less maybe so as not to increase the overall length too much) OR an strap only option, ideally an Isofrane, which is IMHO the best combo after trying different options. Hexa is listening and looking into options but being so far into the process, I am not sure what they’ll end up doing. Overall this is such a home run for me, that the bracelet is not a big deal and I will wear it on a strap anyway most of the time. I am planning to wear it on a black Isofrane with PVD Buckle most of the time and on a custom leather strap I will have Joe at SNPR create for me. During my test drive of the Hexa proto, I wore it on the bracelet, on a thick black leather strap, on the Isofrane rubber, black Zulu and on a Maratac composite straps. Again strap swaps are easy with the drilled-through lugs and it was fun switching around. Below I will post photos of most combos though I did not have a chance to capture it on the Zulu (sorry). I am thinking a GGB (Bremont style) strap would rock the Hexa (black with red/white stitching??)
Movement:
The Hexa will use the Seiko Sii NE15 a.k.a. the 6R15 a well known movement used in the famous Sumo and Halios Bluering among others. It is a workhorse, solid, can be regulated to be extremely accurate and has an amazing 50-hr power reserve. It hacks and can be hand wound, has 23 jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour. Each watch will be adjusted by Lum-Tec in 6 positions to ensure maximum accuracy so I expect we’ll all be pleased!! I think that pre-orders also come with free lifetime adjustments! I personally like this mvt and am happy with this selection.
The watch came to me in a tough and useful pelican case (nice touch, I love them
) and the watches will be covered by a 2-yr limited warranty. I really like the fact that both HEXA and LUM-TEC are located in the US in the event we need post sale/warranty service! I have very high expectations for this watch after seeing the prototype and knowing the final version will be even better. Living with the HEXA K500 prototype for a week, almost wearing it 24h/24hr has been an amazing experience and a privilege. I wore it at the office, home, at the pool, on a hike, at the gym…. It is fun, toolish and comfortable.. and gets lots of looks and compliments as opposed to most watches I have owned. It is by far the watch I’ve received the most compliments on, the most questions, PMs/emails about…. I am glad it looks like nothing I own or have owned before, it was about time someone came up with an original AND affordable design! The Seiko Mvt should also provide reliability we are all concerned about too.I hope you’ve enjoyed the review and I have answered questions you may have had; I apologize for mistakes in advance and for the average photos.. I know many of you would have done 10 times better! If I missed anything, please feel free to PM me and I’ll try to answer your questions. For more information on HEXA and the K500 including full specs, please go to their website: http://hexawatches.com/k500.html
Thanks for “watching”
Brice
Photos… It is a lot of photos, but I a trying to show it from different angles, under different lighting (full sun, outdoor shade…)
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In its element
WRIST SHOTS:
Above you can see some of the case design details too
This is the one I ordered
The watch just isn't for me but at least they were thinking outside of the box and it's no cookie cutter watch like so many brands! 
