Review: Eques Nightwing

by Michael Satterfield – Photos by Lucas Kepner – 01/10/2024

Even if you are a watch enthusiast, the odds are that you have yet to hear of the microbrand Eques founded in 2020 by Steven Gagnon. Which like many start-up watch brands seeks to bring more value, classic watch styling, and craftsmanship to buyers at a lower price point. Enter the Nightwing, a clear homage to the iconic Breitling Navitimer, in this case, it most closely resembles a mix of the Breitling for Bentley 6.75 Speed and the Mulliner Tourbillon Chronograph variants. While the Breitling versions retail between $9,000-$262,000 the Eques tags in at just $325.

The overall look and dimensions of the Nightwing are also dead ringers for the Navitimer, 50mm case size, 23mm lugs, and 3 BAR water resistance, the one cosmetic deviation is the case thickness, the Nightwing is 2.4mm thicker at 16mm. Inside the Nightwing is an automatic movement, I don’t have my watch toolbox at the office so I couldn’t get the back case open, but seeing as their other watches use Miyota I am assuming it is a movement from Asia likely a variation of an ETA movement. Once we open up the case, I will update this story. However, you do have to keep in mind that this is a $325 watch, and you are looking at a 50mm case, stainless steel bracelet, and an automatic chronograph with a date complication, and while it doesn’t use a sapphire crystal, it does have Seiko’s Hardlex which is a step up from a standard glass found in most fashion watches.

When the Nightwing first arrived for our review it was on the stainless steel strap, again a homage to the Breitling, right down to the clasp, the only difference is this bracelet felt very lightweight and not particularly nice on the wrist. This was remedied by swapping out the bracelet for one of the optional leather straps, which made the watch much nicer to wear, I also think that a watch this size feels a little smaller without the oversized polished bracelet. Even with a strap, it is hard to hide the 50mm size of the Nightwing, so if you are looking for a watch that makes a statement on a budget, this is the watch for you.