Belhamel Contra A39 Watch Review: It’s Not Bad, But That’s the Problem

Let me just say it right up front: the Belhamel Contra A39 is not a bad watch.

But it’s not a great one either.

And if you’ve been in this hobby long enough—cycling through microbrands, dreaming of the next unbeatable value diver—you’ll know exactly the kind of watch I’m talking about here. It checks all the right boxes, looks good doing it, but somehow still leaves you wanting more. That’s the story of the Contra A39.

Why I Bought It

I preordered the Contra A39 back in October 2024 for $390. What drew me in was the clean stainless steel bezel and a charcoal blue dial that looked both sharp and different. I’m a sucker for a good dial color, and this one hits different in certain lights—hard to photograph, but really nice in person.

Aesthetically Pleasing

The Contra A39’s charcoal blue dial is undeniably attractive. Its subtle hue shifts under different lighting conditions, offering a dynamic visual experience that’s hard to capture in photographs. The stainless steel bezel adds to its sleek appearance, providing a modern touch to the classic diver aesthetic. This is one area where Belhamel really nailed it—the watch looks great, especially at a glance or from a distance. It’s got the kind of style that makes you stop scrolling.

Specifications: Impressive on Paper

Belhamel has packed the Contra A39 with solid, enthusiast-friendly specs:

• Case: 316L stainless steel with a 39mm diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, and a slim 11.8mm thickness. It hits the sweet spot for comfort and wearability.
• Bezel: 120-click unidirectional stainless steel insert—not aluminum, not ceramic, but full steel with decent grip and smooth action.
• Crystal: Double-domed sapphire with dual inner anti-reflective coating.
• Movement: Miyota 9039 automatic running at 28,800 BPH with hacking and hand-winding. Reliable, serviceable, and thin.
• Water Resistance: 300 meters / 30 ATM, giving you more than enough for any realistic dive or daily abuse.
• Lume: Swiss Super-LumiNova® BGW9 on the applied indices and hands. It’s clean and glows nicely.
• Bracelet: Hand-finished stainless steel, tapering from 20mm to 16mm. Milled clasp (supposedly with micro-adjust), all solid links, and screwed pins.
• Extras: Signed crown and caseback, nice packaging with extras (maybe too many).

These specs scream “value diver” on paper. You really do get a lot here—but only if the execution matches. Spoiler: it doesn’t quite get there.

Bracelet Blues and Clasp Confusion

The biggest letdown? That bracelet. Lightweight, jangly, and rattly like a bag of pocket change. It’s the kind of bracelet that makes you question the whole watch. The clasp looks the part—milled and engraved—but the screws are tiny and annoying to adjust. And here’s where things got weird…

When I ordered the watch, I could’ve sworn Belhamel advertised it as coming with an on-the-fly micro-adjust clasp. That’s actually part of what sold me. When it showed up, it had a standard folding clasp with four micro-adjust holes, and there was a second on-the-fly clasp in the box. I thought, “Okay, cool, maybe I can swap it.” Nope. The holes didn’t line up. When I reached out to Belhamel, they said the second clasp was included by mistake.

Look—I buy all my review watches with my own cash. No freebies, no fluff. If I had known it didn’t come with that clasp, I probably wouldn’t have bought it.

On the Wrist

The Contra A39 wears well. It really does. 39mm is a sweet spot for me, and that dial does have a unique charm. I gave it fair wrist time. But man, the gritty screw-down crown and that budget bracelet pull it down a few pegs.

Swapping it to a Ritchie rubber strap made a huge difference. Suddenly it felt more like the capable, clean diver it should’ve been from the start. It’s a shame that the default bracelet drags the whole experience down.

Value Proposition: A Questionable Investment

I bought the Contra A39 during its pre-order phase in October 2024 for $390—a price that seemed fair for what was promised. But now? It retails for $500, and at that price, the cracks really show. Between the underwhelming bracelet, gritty crown, and the missing micro-adjust clasp, this just doesn’t feel like a $500 watch.

Honestly, this feels like a $300 watch that overreached. For the current retail price, you’re bumping into territory where Citizen, Seiko, and others bring more to the table—and with better refinement. If you snagged one during the preorder, you might feel okay about it. But full retail? I’d pass.

Final Thoughts: Meh With Potential

If you’re new to the hobby, or if the look of this thing really sings to you—go for it. I’m not here to tell you what should or shouldn’t make you happy. And honestly, Belhamel tried. This isn’t a cash grab. They aimed high and fell a bit short.

But for someone with a pretty deep collection—Seikos, Citizens, some Tissots, even a Tudor Pelagos and an Omega Seamaster in the mix—I’ve seen too many watches like this. No story, no soul, just another microbrand diver with solid specs and mid-tier execution. I want to root for the little guys, but they’ve got to do better than this.

Would I recommend it? No.
Would I keep it? Probably not long term.
Would I pick one up used for under $300? Yeah, that’s about where this one belongs.

Until Belhamel dials it in and fixes the bracelet and clasp situation, this one’s just a “nice try.” It’s not a bad watch—but that’s kind of the problem.