The Super Jet: Perfect Contradiction

The Enicar Super Jet is my ultimate oddball of the late 60s tool watch era. A square peg GMT crammed perfectly into the dive watch circle hole.
A bit of an oddball myself, I can’t help but feel a little too well summed up by an in the air tool watch presented in an underwater case. This lovely contradiction can’t be better framed than by the illustrious scholar and podcaster @mrbwatches – It’s the only watch to have “For all those times you’re 600 feet underwater and want to know what time it is in Timbuktu”.
This Mark II black dial version hits all the right notes, with a splash of color from the checkered rally 24hr hand, paired with the lollipop seconds. The contrast from the creamy white and black 24 hr internal bezel and the red digit date wheel make this watch such a quirky eye pleaser.

But the Super Jet gives us something more than a great look, it also gives us the answer to the penultimate GMT question. Which is better, caller or traveler GMT?
The answer to that question, is of course, neither.
A fixed 24 hour hand in the first wave of GMT watches is the best. Ask yourself, is your precious GMT Master II bezel alignment so important to you that you always need to keep 24 on top? Interacting with your watch is the fun. Rotating the bezel, looking down and having a different face staring back at you if you are tracking a colleague overseas or your home time while living abroad is what it’s all about. A tool watch is a tool watch by solving your problem without over engineering the solution and making it aesthetically sterile. We are all just cosplaying grittier careers while we sit at our desks aligning fonts on a powerpoint wearing a “working man’s watch”, might as well do it right.

With the merits of the super jet now extolled, I need to say this watch isn’t for everyone. Ultimately, it is a vintage watch from a dead brand. You won’t find good crystals or some of the key GMT function parts easily, if at all. But the AR1146 caliber is a real workhorse of a movement, and if you have a well-cared for example, its every bit as reliable and sturdy as you would find in the Rolexes of the era. Where vintage Rolex will have the Enicar beat is the compressor cases ability to stay water proof. It just simply can’t compete with the oyster case 50 years into its life. Some fresh gaskets can get an oyster back or close to spec and with a Super Jet you are just going to have to be careful around sinks. But, look at those two crowns! Heavy rain be damned, I want this case more than I want to walk into a thunderstorm. And why even consider a vintage 1675 when you can get all this unique style for a fraction of the cost.

So, if you are in the market for something vintage, give Enicar a look. The history and funky vintage stylings are some of the best out there, and at a price where you can get a couple for the cost of something better known.

Pros

– The best of quirky vintage style

– A steal compared to other prestige brands

– GMT automatic!

Cons

– Please just don’t get wet

– You might need a good watchmaker

– Would be a shame I guess if the watch was cooler and more interesting than you

Quality
97

Style
99

Value
100

Wearability
89