zelin0802 / February 7, 2023

Last week we introduced the U-Boat U-51 Chimera Bronze Edition. We decided to do a weekly U-Boat review and we chose this U-Boat U-42 B&B Ref 6947 as our second watch to review.

The case parts of this large 53mm U-42 (referring to the year that Italo Fontana’s (CEO) grandfather founded the company, not the size of the watch of course) are made of black-coated titanium. However, the size of 53mm does not seem to be anything special, just ordinary big.

But if you’ve ever met one of the Fratellos, you’ll know we’re not skinny and short. So we might not be that picture perfect reference when it comes to wrist size and talking about comfortable watches. Regardless, we think it’s fine on the wrist. If you’re interested in a 53mm U-boat, be sure to give it a try.

Anyway, size aside, we would say that the main aspect of this Italian timepiece that stands out is the matte black case combined with bronze details. Bronze & Black titanium is also a “working title” which makes perfect sense. The contrast is great, which is good for its readability. The crown, hook pin, bezel screws, bezel release lever and small numbered plate on the side of the case (limited to 300 pieces) are all in bronze. The hands are only available in bronze, as we’re guessing bronze is too heavy for the hands and (eventually) will cause dissatisfaction with the center pinion.

The dial, like the recently reviewed U-51 Chimera Bronze, has a two-layer design, one bronze and one black, for excellent visibility.

We love the level of detail on these next-gen U-Boat fake watches, but we also think some parts are a little overdone. Like mentioning three times that this watch is number 42 out of 300. We like the numbered versions (instead of – as we’ve seen on some IWC’s – 50 cases engraved with “One of 50”) but 3x 42/300 doesn’t make sense. But maybe that exaggeration does serve a purpose for the average U-Boat enthusiast.

The reverse side of the black titanium case shows the bezel release lever and the U-42 model name embossed. To prevent the bi-directional bezel from turning while diving (or otherwise rely on it), you first need to pull the lever to do so. Small bronze dots on the bezel show the exact minutes (15 – 30 – 45) of each quarter, and 00 (or 60) is a black polished pearl dot.

The back of the case is all black and there is no transparent bottom cover. Instead, there are some interesting engravings on the solid black caseback. replica watches for sale

And of course the watch’s limited edition number, reference number and model name, as well as the autograph of the company’s head, Italo Fontana.

As you can see, the crown of this watch is very special. After pulling the small trigger at 7 o’clock (or in the picture above, the little round bronze thing next to the lug), you pull the long (very long) crown. After that, it works just like any other regular winding and setting crown. The reason for having such a long crown is – in theory – an aspect of ease of use in all conditions, but we’re assuming U-Boat is targeting divers specifically with this gloved watch underwater. Other than that, it looks pretty cool.

Granted, we prefer the U-51 Chimera in bronze, but that’s just a matter of personal taste. Likewise, the finish and level of detail on U-42 B&B Ref 6947 is fantastic. The automatic movement is based on the ETA2824-2, which U-Boat refers to as the U-28. The movement has a power reserve of +40 hours and a beating rate of 28.800 BPH. Plenty of big brands are using solid no-nonsense movements.