The Armand Nicolet JS9-41 is a 41mm sport diver designed and built in Tramelan Switzerland. Armand Nicolet has roots back to 1875 when the company namesake set up as a watchmaker in Bernese Jura. The business remained family owned and run until 1987 when it was sold to Italian businessman, Rolando Braga. If you live in North America as I do, Armand Nicolet is not a household name. I happened upon this company a few years back when I had purchased another Nicolet watch from a friend. I was very impressed by its build quality and wrist presence. It turned out that I needed to order a half link to get the bracelet adjusted to fit my wrist properly, so I reached out to the customer service department at Armand Nicolet. The service that I received was excellent. I knew then that I would be purchasing more watches from them in the future.

When I noticed that a 41mm version of the JS9 diver had been introduced recently, I jumped to purchase it. At 41mm in diameter x 47mm in length (lug to lug) x 13 mm thick, the size of this watch is perfect for my just over 7 inch wrist. The lug width is 22mm and the bracelet tapers down to 18mm at the clasp. If you have larger wrists or like a larger watch, the JS9 is also offered in 44mm. The JS9-41 to me has the classic charm of a traditional dive watch however it is no Submariner clone, in fact it is far from it. The steeply angled case to lug design and large rubber covered crown together with beefy crown guards are unique and welcome touches. With 30 ATM of water resistance, a sapphire crystal, a ceramic bezel insert and a fantastic bracelet, the Armand Nicolet JS9-41 is equally at home in the water or on land. One of things that really enjoy about the JS9-41 is that in a sea of available dive watches, this watch stands out in design as well as in build quality.

As we all know no watch is perfect and the JS9-41 is no exception. A dive watch is meant to be used underwater often in less than ideal conditions. While the butterfly clasp is well designed and made, I am a bit concerned that it might not be the most secure when diving. That being said, most people including myself will not be diving with this watch so it is likely not a real concern. The bracelet on the JS9-41 is beautiful and very well made. The links are adjustable by small screws instead of pins and as such it easy to size it for your wrist. The movement in the Armand Nicolet JS9-41 is an automatic Caliber AN200, based on the ETA 2824-2 or SW-200 and modified by Armand Nicolet. This movement is reliable and easily serviceable. The JS9-41 is available in a variety of dial and bezel colour options on either a rubber strap or a stainless steel bracelet. If you are looking for a unique Swiss made dive/sport watch that has a charm unto itself, is well made and has a great wrist presence without being obtrusive I wholeheartedly recommend the JS9-41.