“ISL-91 - Nice watch for daily wear. I like the appearance of the flat sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel, very glossy. The dial layout of 3, 6, 9, and 12, and sticks on black, and broad hands make for quick and easy reading. The movement runs a little slow, but still within normal auto specification. Adjusting this type bracelet for the first time takes a little work, but was after the experience, easy. Winding and time-setting through the crown is a bit awkward, as the case guards hinder gripping the crown. Good heft, comfortable, and very nice-looking.”
“Great pilot style watch. I’ve been looking for a 3,6,9,12 pilot style watch for a while and this Islander fit the bill. Great construction, beautiful dial, satisfying bezel action. The bracelet is a little jangley sounding, but overall this watch is fantastic!”
“Great watch, second automatic in a collection primarily Pathfinders, Protreks, G-Shocks, and ProMaster EcoDrives, so limited experience with automatics.
The NH36 in the ISL-91 is a big improvement over the 7S35 movement in my other auto.
Hand winding is better than Seiko shuffle and hacking means you can set it accurately.
Not quartz or Mulitband 6 or BluTooth accuracy but the best I can do manually setting a spring powered movement, I knew the limitations going in. This is a "dress driver" for me so its more important it looks good in the part, which it does!
-6 seconds over 5 days so averaging loss of about a second a day which is great and well w/i the Seiko specs.
Build quality is solid, the case finishing is handsome and overall totally meets my expectations.
Brushing on case top keeps it looking like a tool watch to start out. I appreciate the polished sides dressing it up a bit.
The bezel is polished and the lumed ceramic insert is shiny so that multiplies the wrist presence of the overall appearance, though so be advised there is a bling factor there. Bezel design is easy to grip and turn. All bezels feel different to me and I like how this one feels, there is consistent resistance and smooth between clicks.
The crystal has blue anti-reflective and that can subtly tint the dial in some conditions. Bevel on the crystal causes an interesting refraction of the dial marks and can obscure the chapter ring. The crystal really plays with the light in interesting ways that I have not noticed with other sapphire crystals.
The chapter ring is not lumed and is more vertical than on the SRP043, I really like the minute markers on it.
Dial and hands are really the stars of the whole show. Love the Arabic numerals combined with batons in white! The contrast with the non-reflective dial *blackground* is stunningly legible.
Its a simple concept white on black is easy to read but in practice it is rarely this vibrantly executed!
The hands are not simply white, they are outlined in white but have a depression within that outline that gives them some interest and really makes them pop. Black ends attach the hour and minute hands to the pinion making them magically reach out to their indices as if hovering. The second hand also seems to float around the dial.
The bezel insert, chapter ring markers, dial indices and hands all line up.
Lume is green and works good. The green lume color tone of the hands, dial and bezel all match. Lume is not as bright as some of my other dive watches, lasts as long at the lower brightness level. Contrast in the face of this watch is highly visible in all but the darkest conditions so maybe that makes the lume harder to appreciate in conditions where you notice other watches lume more?
When I am in conditions dark enough to not be able to read the ISL-91, I need a light to see what I am doing and a quick flash on the face is enough to charge an impressive and legible lume show!
Bracelet finish is as good as watch case, and similarly brushed on top and polished on sides.
Screw pins make it much easier to size than other systems and feels very secure. The screws are attached to the pins (they turn freely) so just the link and the screw pin to keep track of (no collars)!
The bracelet links look like 3 pieces but the center pieces articulate with the end pieces like a single piece link, making the bracelet feel solid.
The clasp is compact but has no dive extension. I like the telescoping (ratchet) dive extension clasp and had an extra 18mm and it worked great! I noticed that Long Island sells them too.
All & all very happy with the ISL-91!”
“The pilot style dial offers exceptional readability and pairs well with the classic diver case. Rugged and well made, this watch represents great value for the money. Wears slightly smaller than the dimensions would suggest.”
“This was my first Islander and I couldn’t be more pleased. It was very easy to size the bracelet with the screw pins and provided screwdriver. The bezel action is great, not too stiff but not too loose. The quality appears as good or better than any Seiko I’ve owned at a similar price point and much better than some of the less expensive homage brands I’ve tried. In my opinion this is the sweet spot for value and I will definitely be on the lookout for more Islanders. I’m excited to see what designs Mark comes out with next.”
