Since Fortis was acquired by Jupp Philipp in 2018, the brand have done some serious restructuring of their collections. We’ve already seen several renewed Flieger models and a rather remarkable collaboration with the Austrian Space Forum. In continuation of these developments, the Swiss watch manufacturer has now announced the relaunch of it’s iconic Marinemaster with a selection of waterproof timepieces inclusive of the model we’re discussing today, the Fortis Marinemaster M40.
The Fortis Marinemaster was one of the first waterproof models designed by the brand, although the official title of that watch goes back to a 1930’s line called the Fortissimo. The Marinemaster came a few decades later in 1950 and although the designs are fully capable of undertaking shallow diving adventures, they are usually marketed as only “waterproof” which is a little modest if you ask me. Some of the collection’s most notable pieces include the ref.6237 which was launched in the 1970’s with a colourful dial and super compressor case and the ref.8001, a chronograph with a 200 metre water resistance. Since then, the Fortis Marinemaster has remained one of the brand’s most successful lines and so it was to no one’s surprise when the collection was revived as part of the brand’s recent remarketing. Now onto the new Fortis Marinemaster M40…
The Case
As you have probably guessed from its name, the Fortis Marinemaster M40 sits on the wrist at 40mm in diameter and like some of the other new Fortis releases we have seen, the case is engineered from recycled stainless steel. The same material is also used on the bezel equipped with unidirectional rotating functionality and a 60 minute scale, a treat for those wanting to measure elapsed times during their aquatic adventures. Topping the case is sapphire crystal glass while the underside of the watch features a solid screw down case back in recycled steel. At 3 o’clock, the case delivers a screw down crown with triple-gasket and crown guards to provide a promising 300 metre water resistant rating.
The Dial
As it stands, there are four Fortis Marinemaster M40 watches to choose from: Serenity Blue, Rockstone Grey, Woodpecker Green and Snow White. Each dial is coloured as you’d expect from its namesake and decorated with a unique pattern made up of what looks like the square-shaped “O” seen in the Fortis logo. The dial also presents large stick-shaped hour markers with Superluminova and matching sword-shaped hands for the hours and minutes also offering glow in the dark capability. The seconds hand comes with a nice white lollipop accent to pair with the white-coloured box date window at 3 o’clock.
The Movement
The movement responsible for powering the hours, minutes, seconds and date complication is the UW-30 movement centred around the Sellita SW200-1 base. The movement offers nothing overly surprising other than an anti-magnetic Glucydur balance wheel alongside a frequency of 28,800vph and a power reserve of 38 hours.
The Strap
To pair with the different coloured dials on offer, the Fortis Marinemaster M40 watches are available on four rubber straps, or for those with a preference for dressier watches, a stainless steel Block bracelet. The rubber straps are delivered on stainless steel pin buckle while the bracelet opts for a folding buckle with slide clasp for easy adjustments.
Price and Availability
For the Fortis Marinemaster M40 watch on a rubber strap, you’re looking at a retail price of £2,650 while the stainless steel bracelet variants come in at £3,000. You can shop the full collection on the Jura Watches website here or by calling the team on 01335 453453. Alternatively, send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
