The SA2 by MHD Watches is a fresh take on auto-inspired timekeeping
Words/Photography: Me. MHD supplied this SA2 at no-cost for the purpose of this review.
I often get asked by people why I am so passionate about watches – and affordable watches, in particular.
For me, something made with care and given a purpose is easy to appreciate. That’s how I view watches like the MHD SA2 (Sprint Automatic 2) which is, to save the short-spanned and attention-adverse in all of us, a sleek and refreshing automotive-inspired timepiece.
Last month, I posted a review of the Orion Hellcat – an interesting and thoughtful Pilot’s watch. Like the Hellcat, the SA2 is designed to the detail, and every one of them has been considered and thoughtfully arranged.
The SA2 collection, penned by Matthew Humphries, formerly the Chief Designer of Morgan Motor Company and someone with a resume centered around the auto (he is also the “MH” in MHD), is a watch that I love to show to people. It’s a great example of what makes a mechanical watch a genuine connection with time, and how microbrand watches can make that connection all the more special.
Let’s get into why.
MHD SA2 Specifications
- Model Number: SA2
- MSRP: £645.00 / ~$830
- Case Diameter: 41 mm
- Alternate Models: Three models
- Movement: Automatic, Miyota 9039
- Complications: None
- Power Reserve: Est. 42 hours
- Water Resistance: 50 m / 165 ft
- Crystal Material: Sapphire
I love good design
One of the best parts of what I do, even thinking outside of my infrequent posts on WYCA, is that I get to appreciate good design. A big part of my life is centered around collaborating with talented graphic designers to create art that our clients will love and take pride in.
What I do with websites and branding is obviously very different than what someone like Matthew Humphries does with watches, but it’s the thought process that I’ve learned from the talented creatives that I work with that have helped me better appreciate the design in the things I see, use, and touch.
Every day I get to think about cars, motorcycles, and watches. But it isn’t every day that two of those things intersect.
That’s where Matthew Humphries, chief designer and co-founder of the husband/wife duo that is MHD, comes in.
Morgan Motor Company
My genesis for my love cars was kicked off by Gran Turismo for the Sony Playstation.
Throughout much of my middle and high-school years, I obsessed over cars. I was 15 when The Fast and the Furious was released, and you had better believe I had my driver’s license the day I turned 16.
The game I was obsessed with at the time was Need for Speed Underground 2, and it was through NFSU2 that was introduced to Morgan Motor Company. The MSFU2 community had created cars you could import into the game and drive, and one of the cars created that I had downloaded was the then-brand-new 2005 Morgan Aeromax Prototype, designed by – you guessed it – Matthew Humphries.
The Aeromax was commissioned as a one-off, and its success and appreciation from both Morgan’s client and the automotive press would launch Matthew’s career as the Chief Designer of Morgan Motor Company at age 21 – a position he would have from 2004 – 2012.
Read more about Matthew in a recent interview with my colleague Wade Thiel @ Supercars.net.
MHD Watches
And so I find myself wearing the SA2, a watch designed by a designer who’s works I’ve appreciated for nearly two decades. I guess it’s no surprise that I find the SA2 to be as striking as I do!
But anyway, this is a watch review, right? So let’s focus on the watch.
The SA2 is indeed true to its namesake: the automotive influence is clear from every angle. Dead on, you’ll note the tachometer from 8 – 12,000 rpm, er, o’clock. The hour and minute hands remind me of the quintessential 3-spoke metal steering wheel found on classic Ferrari’s and C3 Corvettes; you can practically hear the sound of a big block V8 wailing as the red-tipped seconds hand touches the 8 o’clock mark.
The steel version I have here is the SA2 at its most raw, but the one I’m the most keen on is the white-dial version, where the tach-ring is done in a steel accent. Very nice.
Indeed, the steel version is no slouch and is perhaps the best fit thematically.
The SA2 uses a fixed lug and comes with two nylon straps – the same material your car seatbelt is made out of – in grey and black (for this colorway, anyway). The lugs are indented slightly to make room for the strap and to keep everything tight and space savvy – a touch you don’t see until you take the strap off.
Despite being 41 mm, which is hardly big by today’s standards but also far from being a small case size, the SA2 feels athletic and lightweight. Yet, at the same take, the case looks rigid and tough. Matthew has deftly molded steel where it has maximum visual impact – and then simply removed everything else.
This design language is excellent from every angle, whether you’re looking at the dial or the mechanical engine ticking underneath the hood.
Connecting Man & Machine with Time
The side view of the SA2 is satisfying, if only because of how the knurled case reflects against the polished top of the case – a marked contrast from the matte finish on the sides and bottom.
The crown, also knurled on its sides for ease of accessibility, does not have any livery engraved. Viewed from the side, it accompanies the two hex-bolts that connect the lugs to the case, and matches the motif perfectly.
It also lets the knurled case, which peeks out both above and below the crown, do most of the talking. Because the lugs are hollow, the case is almost always a prominent part of how you’ll see and perceive the watch.
Finishing & Build Quality
The brushed steel dial, which is decorated sparingly, again demonstrates Matthew’s “less is more” motif. The hour markers aren’t markers at all – they’re physically cut out of the dial, along with the accent that spans from 8 – 12 o’clock.
This is not very obvious to the naked eye, but becomes very prominent when aided with a macro lens.
The dial feels as though it was engineered with weight in mind, and now we can see why!
Of course, the finishing isn’t perfect. The red coating on the second’s hand is uneven, and the movement is sparsely decorated but acceptably finished. Taking a closer look of the hex bolts also shows a tiny amount of wear on the inside of each screw – a byproduct of being functional as opposed to strictly decorative.
But, like the legacy that stems from classic British coachbuilding, the real beauty is in the imperfection and character it brings. The screws should look like they’ve been used, after all, because they have been and are being used!
Featuring a MIYOTA 9039 Automatic
Introduced in 2018, the 9039 is part of Miyota’s premium line of automatic watch movements. It has no complications, though it does hack and hand wind, and has a power reserve of approximately 42 hours. Miyota estimates accuracy of -10/+30 seconds per day.
The Miyota 9039 is manufactured in Japan.
A watch made for the petrolhead in all of us
You don’t have to be into British sports cars to appreciate the SA2, but being able to relate to the watch on both levels makes the SA2 particularly special for me.
Of the 200+ watches I’ve reviewed hands-on since WYCA began in 2013, the SA2 is among the most notable in its design and memorable in its execution. After all, when I close my eyes and picture myself behind the wheel of a Morgan 3 Wheeler, its the SA2 that I imagine on my wrist.
$800 is not inexpensive for an affordable automatic, but the SA2 brings the right hardware to the table – and you can’t top its design legacy.
And while the SA2 isn’t perfect, it’s only gaps lie in areas the naked eye would never find.
The SA2 is the champion of the bespoke and the grassroots, managing to represent both of those things to auto and watch enthusiasts alike.
MHD SA2 Photo Gallery
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Cameron, I appreciate the review! The MHD is a bit pricey for the specs, but I absolutely love the sporty elegance of the design. Due to the unusual lugs and case design, I can’t tell if it wears large or small. I’d appreciate your opinion.