Of all the watches that I have on my "unobtainable" wishlist, there is one that sits above everything else: the Rolex 5517 MILSUB. Having handled 4-digit Submariners, I know that there is much to desire in terms of fit and finish, but the allure is still there to me. There is an historic tie between my profession and The Crown, but at a going rate in the neighborhood of $200,000 US for a model in good condition, I don't ever see myself buying one--even if I had $200k to burn and seeing it disappear would make zero difference to me.
I believe that this is why there is a wide range of MILSUB clones/homages out there. There is one issue, though, with virtually every single one:
They're all generic Chinese parts, and builders charge an objectively ridiculous price for them. In fact, I have seen a few examples of vintage Rolex "clomages" going for north of $500. Preposterous, if you ask me, especially when you look at the cost of their parts. Labor aside, I cannot fathom spending that much on a clomage. You could imagine my disinterest when a good friend of mine, Kyler (@CrownAndCrankset), told me about yet another 4-digit Sub clone on the market. Even less interest when he mentioned that they aren't just 5513 (Mercedes hands), but also available as a 5517 (MILSUB, Sword Hands). Kyler mentioned military connection through the owner's own service, and the brand had a name that didn't sound terrible: Brigade Watch Company.
"Oh, and they're actually using an American-made case", or something similar came in the next message he sent me.
"Shut the front door. No they're not" was all I could think. I couldn't see Weiss or RGM stepping out to help a microbrand that barely launched in December 2024. Those were the only names that immediately came to mind, and so as with other watches I have both owned and handled, I chalked up the "American" aspect to assembly-only.
I perused the website, found no major mention of anything American-made at the time, and came back to the images. Sure enough, the case didn't have the same proportions as the generic Chinese ones that you see most brands sporting. That piqued my interest. I told my friend that he could introduce me to his point of contact and we would see what came of it.
If my recollection is correct, the following day (actually, it may have been that same night), I had a phone call with the owner of the company, Kevin. I was forthright with him and expressed my concerns over the mention of American-made, and he didn't skip a beat in telling me that he had gotten used to explaining this to people who had asked.
No, his cases weren't cut by RGM or Weiss. They were being cut in the US, though, and he was willing to show me in a meaningful way if I needed to be certain about that, but we didn't immediately do anything with that--that came later. Our conversation went into more than just the case origin: I found that the majority of the bracelet and the dial were American, too. With the exception of the movement, the handset, and the twin screws used on the bracelet's rivets and the quick adjust clasp, everything was overwhelmingly American.
We talked about his military service. Brigade's website shows that he was a Marine, but he was also an 11C prior to that. I sure do have a soft spot for my Chucks. On top of that, Kevin is arguably as eclectic as I am, and that made for quick common ground.
I inquired about the blue dial sword hand configuration, and Kevin said he could have one out to me quickly. He mentioned that while the movement would be an ETA 2824 (rock solid, workhorse movement), that he would be getting Sellita Top Grade movements into them later this year, and that there would be a program available for owners to have their movements swapped, all in-house.
With that established, I ended the call and began the wait for the arrival of my Brigade Subcommander.
The watch ended up arriving early, and I took it up to my partially-packed "ready room" (this all happened in the middle of a PCS) and began the unboxing.
Yeah. I can honestly tell you with zero hesitation that this watch absolutely shamed all other unboxing experience I have had, to include an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra (gone), a Tudor Black Bay 58 (gone), a Tudor Pelagos, and a Rado Captain Cook. In fact the unboxing reminded me of vintage Rolexes albeit with a modern spin featuring quite nice appointments and inclusions. Take note--I just said that this unboxing outdid those named watches, and the Brigade Subcommander comes in at $900. Quite the difference in price.
Do note: there is a discrepancy on the boxes that will be addressed as they produce more. The watch is listed as 300m water resistant (it is, in fact tested to 500m!), but the dial shows 200m. This happened as the boxes were ordered prior to the dials, and Brigade decided to roll with the historic rating shown on vintage Rolex subs, 200m.
The unboxing reminded me of countless ammo crates that I've handled. The stenciled lettering was a nice, genuine touch. The box wasn't pretending to be anything that it wasn't. Inside, there was a nice velvety material with the company logo and name in gold foil. The watch sits securely inside, along with a warranty card holder/wallet, the card itself, all extra links, and a Phoenix NATO strap. The watch arrives with a silenced dogtag that bears "vital" information. In my case:
Brigade/Subcommander/M. N. Choe II/S/N: CF21049
Each on a line as you would expect to see on a GI ID tag.
Additionally there is a personalized Warrant of Enlistment that arrives in a wax-sealed envelope. This is clever and fun. It reflects on the military heritage behind the brand and adds to the unboxing experience. At onset, I was thoroughly impressed. Having owned a couple other 5517 clomages in the past, of which one (based on other similar available offerings from the brand it came from) would likely be around the $500 mark. There is no comparison to what I have personally owned and handled out there. Brigade outclasses them by far.
Now, for $900 (there is a 15% discount available to qualified individuals through GOVX directly on the Brigade website, through the cart prior to checkout), you get the following specs:
- Movement: Swiss Automatic ETA 2824-2
- Dial: American-made, in Black, White, or Matte Marine Blue
- Lume: Swiss Super-Luminova BGW9
- Case: American-made, 40mm, 316L Stainless; Brushed Top and Polished Sides
- Bezel: Aluminum, Unidirectional 120-Click
- Crown: Signed, Screwdown Crown at 3 O'clock
- Lug Width: 20mm
- Lug to Lug: 48.5mm
- Thickness: 12.5mm
- Crystal: Single Dome - Blue Sapphire
- Bracelet: Majority American-made, Signed 316L Stainless w/15mm Diver Extension
- Water Resistance: ISO Certified 200m, but tested to 500m
Fit and finish of the bracelet and the case are outstanding. I can honestly say that having owned a Black Bay 58, and prior to the Subcommander wanting to purchase another, I no longer feel the need to buy another BB58. If we look at the BB58 as a "100%" benchmark, the Brigade is, in all honest assessment, 85-90% there. The remaining percentage comes from higher-end finishing on the Tudor, but then again, the Tudor is over $4,000. If you've ever spent a day in the world of cycling, you are familiar with the concept of "$X,000 per X grams lighter or X watts saved". Same same, but different... But still same here.
In fact, having had a BB58 with the regular old clasp, featuring the faux riveted bracelet, I can tell you that I much prefer this bracelet, even with a Chinese clasp. It is absolutely masterfully executed. I will say, please, don't try to compare this to a Pelagos or a P39. Just stop. Those are wildly different, even if you argue that you're comparing based on aesthetic. A comparison to the BB58 is warranted, and without understanding watch industry pricing, in some eyes it may be a stretch, but then again the Subcommander should be priced much closer to $1,500 (in my opinion) and that closes the gap when you take into account the average industry markup.
The watch looks and feels fantastic. I have openly stated that it would not surprise me to see that as Brigade Watch Co. further establishes itself that there be an accompanying deserved and warranted price increase. For a watch to arrive in this box, and to be as well-executed as the Subcommander is, and to only cost $900 is absurd. I would not shy away from continuing to recommend this watch even if it creeps up closer to the $1,500 price range. So, I cannot stress this enough: buying this watch is an absolute no-brainer. It is genuinely worth every penny.
The only issue that I was presented with came from the screws used on the bracelet. If you do not have a purpose-built set-up to adjust the twin screws, you're in for... a time. And the screws connected to the male end links had very weak threadlocker applied. I talked to Kevin about this via text, and he was quick to say that they will ensure that the change is made effective immediately. Of all the community members on Facebook reporting having had theirs come in, and many having owned them for about a month at this point, none have reported this issue. I will surmise that the threadlocker used on the watch may have been adequate but in tandem with my daily use of the sauna ranging from 185-205* for 20-30 minutes a session and the massive temperature swing thanks to being in peak Colorado winter, the failure may not present itself with other examples of the Subcommander.
The Subcommander wears incredibly well on my wrist (around 7.25"), and despite my typical disdain for male endlinks, the bracelet really shines. The proportions of the vintage design lend well to wear under shirt sleeve cuffs, even with the longer (again, male) endlinks. I find myself gravitating to the bracelet on this watch, but thanks to the drilled lugs, swapping to rubber or singlepass straps is a breeze--and yes, as one can imagine, the watch looks great on a strap. It is, after all, a MILSUB at the core. Whether on a bracelet or strap, the watch does not miss. Stacked with similarly-priced models, it looks better, and with more expensive offerings at its side it looks like it belongs.
I would be remiss to acknowledge that the reason the watch looks so good is because it is a homage to one of the most tried-and-true designs of all time. Rolex really killed it with the Submariner. The 5517 MILSUB is no exception--those Sword Hands are fierce looking. Where this watch shines on it's own is with the absolutely killer matte blue dial. It looks great in any lighting, and really does well to add some depth to what would be an otherwise boring collection of almost entirely black-dialed divers. While some may not agree with this assessment, I will say that there is an equally striking white dial as I mentioned above on the spec list, and the black dial is practically what you could call "Ol' Faithful".
In a conversation that I had with a friend of mine, Jack (@_blacktiger_jack), he shared an opinion with me that I don't disagree with at all: vintage Rolex Subs look cool and all, but they are so lacking when it comes to how they feel. The bracelets feel cheap and the hollow end links are somewhat laughable at the price that vintage commands. A quick Google search shows that one of the cheaper vintage Subs near me is going for around $8k. That's a lot of money for a watch with an objectively unserviceable bracelet. Even a "cheap" Seiko has a better feel at a fraction of the cost.
I bring this up because with the seemingly innocuous inclusion of a white and blue dial, this is where we start to see Brigade taking the 5513/5517 recipe and putting their spin on it. You can get what Kevin surmises as, "A true 'what-if': a vintage, 4-digit sub made with modern materials and processes". Now, don't get me wrong. I still want an old Sub, but it just cannot compare to a modern watch in terms of feel, fit, and finish. This is the spin that Brigade is putting on the venerable 5513/17 models, and it feels great.
As I was in the middle of packing and moving cross-country, I figured there wouldn't be a better time to throw the watch through the ringer. While the case and bracelet have, understandably, picked up their fair share of scratches, the bezel insert looks like I just pulled it out of the box for the first time. Kind of nuts, especially taking into account that the bezel and case both came into contact with a corner that resulted in a "burn" on the case's polished finish. Anyone that has seen my watches--especially my Pelagos--knows that I don't baby my stuff, but that is not to say that I go out of my way and intentionally beat on things. "What happens, happens", and I embrace it.
In my initial sharing of the watch and brand, I encountered some resistance and unwillingness from others specifically when it came to the origin of the watch. I shot Kevin a text and asked him if I could have some sort of proof for those begging the question and he did something I never expected. He sent me, minus PII, all of the paperwork and documentation from the origin of the watch, to include CAD files that he himself drew up, and the full supply chain. His email and text message simply said that he trusted me to share what I thought was necessary. Unbelievable. And yes, I can confirm that the watch is absolutely sporting a case that is cut in the US, adorned with a dial that was made in the US, and that the bracelet is almost entirely American. The parts that came from China were exactly as he said: the screws, the clasp, and the handset. All of this was in front of me, with supplier names, and presented without any hesitation.
Pretty cool if you ask me. That action was the proverbial cherry on top of the sundae. To me, it cemented Brigade Watch Co. as a brand that deserves to reach insane levels of success, as the hype is absolutely warranted. It isn't just a watch with a great story that's founded and helmed by a veteran, but a brand backed by great people doing something that for a microbrand is almost unheard of: putting out a watch that is genuinely capable of competing with an independent American brand like Weiss while still establishing their presence on the microbrand playing field with staunch competition that already "owns" the space. Diehards and those who call a bucket of crabs "home" will have to be convinced, but for the most part the initial reception of Brigade has been great within our community.
I'm going to get on my soapbox for a quick second here:
The reason for such great reception is pretty self-explanatory. Anyone with two braincells can take a look at this and see that there is something special here, something that is not being done at this standard on the microbrand level, and it is being presented at a ridiculous value to consumers that come from professions where the paychecks are earned through hard work, sweat, and at times, blood. Your money is worth more than what hypebeast culture and a crazy-priced secondary market says it should be spent on. I say that without calling out any brand, but I am calling out the people that will go and tell you that "X is for the poors" unironically as well as those that encourage beyond irresponsible financial practices in the name of a flex.
When Rico and I stood this club up, I said something that I still maintain. "There is enough of the pie for everyone to have a slice", and I gladly encourage you readers to look at Brigade Watch Co. and give them a shot. I can tell you that you will not be disappointed. Look forward to long-term and follow-up content featuring the Subcommander here, on Facebook, and our Instagram. Who knows--maybe we'll even have some stuff on our YouTube channel, too.
