Houtman Murchison River Review: The Most Interesting Field Watch I've Seen

As the title suggests, there is nothing quite like the Houtman Murchison River, especially within the genre of field watches. In a category defined by simple, almost minimalistic design with roots dating back to the First World War, the majority of brands - micro or major - shy away from reinventing the wheel… or the dial, in this case. Houtman, the darling of Western Australia, challenges what to expect from a field watch with this watch, and I am so glad that it does. 

Before I go forward with the rest of the review, I’d like to first thank Jay from Dang Horology and Jason of Houtman Watches. Without Jay, I know I wouldn’t have the chance to review this loaner model from Houtman, and so I have to give all the credit to Jay and Jason. That being said, I was encouraged by both of them to be as honest as possible with the review. 

What is Houtman? 

Houtman (pronounced Howt-man) is named after the beautiful islands of Houtman Abrolhos in Western Australia. The entire brand and its watches are dedicated to this region of Australia, whether it’s the Pilbara divers or the field watches of the Murchison series. Each watch seems to be made with both design and function equally in mind, and to their credit, I can definitely see that after having a few weeks of hands-on (or wrist-on) use with the Houtman Murchison and Houtman Pilbara. 

For most microbrands, people make the decision to create their own watch to solve a problem that they find with the watches in their collection. After learning about Houtman’s ethos, it’s clear to me that Jason created Houtman Watches as a love letter to Western Australia. If ever there were watches that could encapsulate the vibe of a place, I think it would have to be Houtman, although I have yet to visit the continent yet. After trying these watches and researching about Western Australia for this article, however, Houtman may have just convinced me to add Australia to my bucket list. 

The Houtman Murchison River: Incredible Value

I am a big fan of field watches. In fact, if I check my collection right now, it consists largely of field watches. So, when Jay and Jason kindly loaned me the Houtman Murchison, I was truly over the moon for the opportunity. 

This field watch features a Sellita SW-200 movement, 100M of water resistance with a screw-down crown, and a suede strap and leather watch case. You can also spring for the stainless steel bracelet, which is quite high quality and sturdy with screw-links instead of push-pins like most watches at this price segment. 

However, the most special part about this watch lies in its dial, and surprisingly, its caseback. The dial features a matte white dial with criss-crossing patterns of grey on top of it, which brings to mind both the different tributaries of a long river, as well as the roots of mangrove trees extending into the water. In contrast, there’s a simple handset of blue-and-white, an almost invisible seconds-hand, and a legible chapter ring with lumed pips for the hour markers. 

Once you enter a dark environment, the dial will come alive with blue and green BGW9 Super LumiNova, and it suddenly becomes so obvious why they decided to go with this unique design for a field watch. Honestly, this is the best lume I have ever witnessed. The duration of the lume seems to last as long as a Rolex Submariner, which costs about 20 times more. It’s really a treat to look at every single time, and I have - so far - not gotten tired of it. 

The caseback shows a kangaroo mid-jump suspended over the same river pattern as we saw on the dial with an engraving of the sun right above. You will also see “Houtman Watches” and “Swiss automatic” on the caseback. 

In case you didn’t do the math when I compared it to a Rolex Submariner, then I am happy to reveal its current price: 500 USD (it is currently on discount). That’s right. For 500 USD, you can get a watch with a Swiss movement, 100M of water resistance, one-of-a-kind lume, and an extremely convenient leather watch case. 

As someone who works for a microbrand, I know far too well how quickly costs rise up. The difference between producing 200 watches with a Sapphire crystal versus producing 200 watches with a mineral crystal would amaze you. So, with all due respect to Houtman, I genuinely have no idea how they have managed to pack so much value into this delightful watch without suffering a huge loss every single time we proceed to checkout. 

Additionally, I took the liberty of comparing this watch to all of my other field watches, and its AR coating is definitely better than any of my Hamilton field watches. 

This is genuinely the most value I have ever seen in any of the watches I have reviewed. 

Is It Perfect?

No. No watch is perfect, so that means it’s time for my least-favorite part of any review: nitpicking and focusing on the flaws. 

I must admit that it is generally difficult for me to find flaws in general, because I tend to focus on everything I like, and automatically brush over any imperfections. However, for the purposes of providing an honest portrait of what owning this watch might be like, I will power through. (I’m clearly a hero, and deserve applause.)

The design is wild, and that is not for everyone. In fact, it is not for me, either. I tend to prefer simpler, minimalist designs, and I do think that this design isn’t what I prefer for a field watch. I actually hiked a nearby mountain, and used three different watches - the Houtman Murchison River, the Canopy Field One (shoutout again to the awesome Jay of Dang Horology!), and my Hamilton King Khaki. 

After using all three watches an equal amount of time, I have to say that the Houtman was definitely the coolest to just look at, but it unfortunately wasn’t the most legible. Yes, it has a chapter ring with hour and minute markers, which was helpful, but it’s objectively not as legible compared to the more traditional Hamilton King Khaki, which features a dual-set of numerals showing hours 1 through 24. 

The lume, while awesome, also overpowers the lume of the handset, and it decreases one’s ability to tell time at a glance even further. 

What Do You Want in Your Field Watch? 

A field watch is timeless (pun intended). I love how the field watch design seems to be almost identical across so many different brands, which is partly because of how historic brands were asked to create watches for the military that follow a strict set of requirements. 

However, no one says that a field watch should be like that even today, and I think the Houtman Murchison River is the perfect encapsulation of that. It shows us what a field watch can be, and not necessarily what it should be or has been, and that’s great.

Is this my personal preference? To be absolutely honest, no, as I prefer simpler dials. 

And that’s fine. 

However, I know from sharing pictures of this watch and even sharing videos, that there are way more people who will disagree with me, and say that this is exactly what they want, and that’s why I am glad that this watch exists. 

Thank you again to Jason of Houtman Watches and Jay of Dang Horology for this loaner. I’m genuinely amazed to have this opportunity, and if you are interested in this watch, you can check it out at this link.

Houtman Murchison River: Specifications 

Solid Marine Grade Stainless Steel Case

Swiss made Sellita SW200 Automatic Movement (no batteries)

100m / 10ATM / 330ft Water Resistance

Screw-down crown with custom engraved logo

Swiss Super LumiNova BGW9 luminous markers and hands

Sapphire Crystal with anti-reflective treatment

(Optional) Solid Marine Grade Stainless Steel Bracelet with quick release spring bars

Screw-down solid stainless steel case back with embossed likeness Kangaroo

Included extras: Suede Strap, leather watch case