Every now and again, a single photograph captures exactly why we do what we do.
This beautiful close-up of our Ultramarine Blue Helicon Master — taken by our good friend Robbieandwatches — is one of those moments. Even after almost six years of refining, redesigning, testing, and re-engineering, seeing the finished watch through a macro lens still brings me an enormous sense of pride.
And although it might be tempting to say “didn’t we do well?”… the truth is, I can’t take any credit for what you’re looking at here.
Because every tiny detail that makes this dial so satisfying — the typography, the balance, the spacing, the overall harmony — is the work of Danielle, my wife and co-founder here at Helicon Watches.
Danielle prefers to stay out of the spotlight (which is why you don’t often see her in our videos), but her hand is behind every single piece we create. For this blog, I asked her to share a little insight into how she approaches the dial design that has become such a recognisable part of the Helicon identity.
Danielle on Designing the Dial: “A Tiny Canvas”
“I treat a dial like a tiny canvas. The spacing is like composition in art — balance, symmetry, tension. If one line is off by half a millimetre, the whole watch feels wrong. So I keep adjusting, nudging, refining until everything feels right.
Most people don’t consciously notice that level of detail, but they feel it immediately when it’s not there.”
This philosophy — subtle, obsessive, artistic — is the foundation of the Helicon Master series. It’s also why our watches take time. A Helicon isn’t created by committee, trends, or corporate testing. It’s shaped by two people working closely together, refining until something becomes right.
Why These Details Matter
The Ultramarine Master is more than a dive watch.
It’s a celebration of:
- clean, purposeful British design
- finely tuned proportions
- high-contrast legibility
- tool-watch robustness
- and a colour that genuinely comes alive on the wrist
Every marker, every line of text, every lume plot is placed with intent.
Nothing is there by accident.
And for collectors, these small differences are often what elevate a watch from “nice” to “something special.”
Six Years in the Making — and Worth Every Minute
From our earliest sketches to the prototypes and onto final production, this project represents nearly six years of learning, refining, and pushing ourselves to create something we are truly proud of.
It reminds us why we remain a small British family business:
so we can obsess over the details… together.
Final Availability — Forever
The Helicon Master series is approaching its final chapter.
All remaining variants of the Master are now in single figures, and the Ultramarine Blue — pictured here — has just two pieces left.
Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.
This series will not be repeated.
Each variant is limited, final, and represents a moment in our watchmaking journey that will never return.
If this macro shot gives you the same pleasure it gives us, now is the time to secure one of the last Masters.
Explore the full collection here
Thank you, as always, for supporting independent British watchmaking.
Jonathan & Danielle