Review: Silverback Watches Interceptor

Sage Green waffle dial that punches above its price point, but is it flawless?

Disclosure: I purchased this watch directly from Silverback Watches, I did receive a discount when purchasing alongside another watch.

One of the real joys of watch collecting is stumbling across something new, especially when there’s a personal connection behind it. Silverback Watches had that for me before I’d even looked at a spec sheet. They’re based near Grantham, a town tied to fond memories of annual classic car shows with my dad. Wandering around rows of polished paintwork and chrome, getting an ice cream, and being allowed to sit in cars I’d never be able to afford, or that were so rare that only a few remained in the UK. That’s the nostalgia I associate with the place.

So when I found out a small independent brand was building watches there, I was interested. After several hours scouring their website and chatting with the brand owner, Simon, on Instagram, I ended up buying two watches: the Silent Service “Red October” and the subject of this review, the Interceptor.

Now those of you who follow my social medias (if you’re not you should be! links are below!!) will know I’ve covered these already in my short Instagram reviews, but I wanted to give them more time, and a more thorough in-depth review, along with re-scoring the watches now that I have more experience watch collecting and getting hands-on with watches for reviews. I guess we can call this a review re-visited.

Firstly, a little bit about Silverback Watches: as mentioned, they are a small nano-brand creating bespoke and custom watch designs. They make a range of styles from sports style every-day automatic watches, to Chronographs they even have a range of Bullhead watches. The offer high quality luxury watches without the astronomical price tag. The Majority of Silverbacks extensive range retail for under £200.

The Interceptor is a sage green, waffle-textured dial in an integrated sports-style case. Sage green is everywhere at the moment, and integrated bracelet watches have been hard to ignore for years. Plenty of brands have chased both trends, and many have missed. Does the Interceptor land it, or is it a good idea let down in the execution?

Short answer: mostly yes. The dial is superb for the money, and the watch has been a great companion. But a couple of build niggles stopped it from earning a higher score. Let’s get into it.

Specifications

Design

Let’s address the Elephant in the room. The Interceptors design is quite clearly inspired by the Tissot PRX; the case shape and overall look of the watch are almost a carbon copy. That is not necessarily a bad thing. The PRX, despite dividing opinions, is a solid watch, and in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with a good homage watch as long as it’s not a straight-up copy or fake. Despite drawing its inspiration from, in my opinion, there is enough that is also different to ensure the Interceptor has its own personality despite clearly being a homage. The overall look of the Interceptor is refined; it wants the overall look of the watch to feel familiar but keep the focus on the dial. The version I picked up was a sage green colour with a waffle effect, Simple baton indices, a date window, and the Silverbacks Gorilla logo applied front and centre. It all works really well; the dial has a really nice look to it. The watch arrives nicely packaged up in a brown leather watch roll with Silverbacks branding. It complements the style of the watch nicely: a refined, classy-looking case for a refined, classy-looking watch.

The case is a rounded-square shape, closer to a tonneau than a circle, with flat sides that taper in towards the top and bottom. From above it has a slightly hexagonal silhouette, and there are no traditional lugs. The case flows into the bracelet, with the end links sitting flush against the angular shoulders at 12 and 6. It sits flush; there is no noticeable gap between the lugs and end links.

The finishing is where it earns its money. The flat top surfaces and sides are brushed, while the round bezel is polished with a slight chamfer. That contrast stops the case looking flat and gives the dial a bright, reflective frame. Under direct light the bezel flashes while the brushed case stays calm, and I like that balance.

“The dial is, of course, the star, and it’s where the Interceptor exceeds its price point.”

The crown at 3 o’clock sits flush against the side of the case and is easy to grip and operate. the case back is a display caseback showing the NH35 movement.

The dial is, of course, the star, and it’s where the Interceptor exceeds its price point. The waffle texture catches the light and shifts between a muted, almost grey-green in flat light and something richer and deeper when the sun hits it. On the occasions this watch made it onto my wrist on a sunny day, it’s fun to move it around in sunlight and watch the dial change look and colour. The Silver indices and applied logo are the perfect combination as they almost mirror the dial with the same reflective shine. It looks like it could quite easily belong on a watch that costs considerably more; it feels like a luxury dial.

The applied baton markers are slim and polished, with a double marker at 12 o’clock to balance the date at 3. Just below 12 sits a polished gorilla head logo. It’s a more playful branding choice than a printed wordmark, and it adds character without cluttering the dial. A small “AUTOMATIC” at 6 o’clock balances the date. The hands are slim and matched to the indices, with a thin seconds hand that sweeps across the texture without fighting it.

The date window at 3 o’clock is neatly framed by the marker beside it. This brings me to the The niggles. The date window sat slightly off-centre, meaning on a double-digit date (i.e. 12 or 22) the full date was not visible. It’s a small flaw, but a date window sits right in the middle of a carefully textured dial, so your eye goes there. Initially, I felt I could cope with it as it was only slightly out, but after a while it did bug me, and Silverback didn’t hesitate to fix it.

I also had a bracelet pin fault. A pin had broken, meaning some bracelet links were loose. Neither is a dealbreaker, and both were sorted. But on a watch where the dial sets such a high bar, you do want the details to match.

Customer service deserves a mention here. When I flagged the issues, the owner was quick to respond and keen to put things right. That’s one of the real advantages of buying from a small microbrand. The watch was returned free of charge for repair, with a complete new movement fitted, and the watch was returned in no more than 2 weeks.

Performance

Movement & Execution: The Interceptor runs on the ever-reliable Seiko NH35, one of the most common movements in the microbrand world, and for good reason. It’s a robust, affordable workhorse that’s easy to service and has a proven track record. It’s not exotic, and it doesn’t pretend to be, but at this price that’s exactly what I want. It also beats the Seiko-based quartz option in terms of character, because you get a sweeping seconds hand gliding across that waffle texture rather than a ticking one.

The NH35 offers around 41 hours of power reserve, hacking seconds and hand-winding. That means you can stop the seconds hand to set the time precisely, and give it a few turns of the crown to get it going if it’s been sitting on the side.

In terms of timekeeping, I’ve had no issues at all. It keeps good time, and I haven’t needed to adjust it. That’s what you want from a watch like this. It does its job without making a fuss.

Legibility & Lume: Textured dials can be a legibility trap, since a busy pattern can swallow the hands and indices. That isn’t the case here. The silver, polished indices and hands contrast well against the sage green, and the slim baton markers stand out clearly even with the waffle grid behind them. Reading the time is quick, and it doesn’t require a squint or a twist of the wrist.

There is lume, but it’s modest. It isn’t the strongest or brightest I’ve come across, and it won’t compete with a dedicated dive watch. It does a job, though. You can see the time in a dim room, and it’s fine for a quick check at night. Just don’t expect it to glow like a torch.

Water Resistance: The Interceptor is rated to 50 metres, which is fine for splashes, hand washing and a bit of rain. I haven’t tested it, and it isn’t the type of watch I’d take for a swim or wear to the beach. It’s a dressy-sporty daily wearer, far better suited to a trip to the office or a meal out.

On The Wrist

This is where the Interceptor has earned its stripes. The overall proportions of the watch, with the 40mm case diameter and integrated/sports watch styling, make it an ideal work companion, comfortable over long days at a desk in an office but also just interesting enough not to forget about it. The dial colour and texture will occasionally catch the eye, shimmering in fluorescent office light glory. The bracelet is lightweight and comfortable to wear; it doesn’t catch the edge of the desk or dig into your wrist when typing. Its profile is low enough to sit nicely under a cuff or sleeve without catching or feeling large.

What I like most is that it draws compliments without shouting. Nobody mistakes it for a loud watch, but the dial gets noticed. That’s an unusual combination at this price.

One slight drawback, which is common with Integrated watches, is the ability to change the strap. If you’re not a fan of bracelets, this will be difficult to switch out; the 12mm integrated Lug width will definitely limit your strap options.

Should you buy it?

Final Thoughts

So, does the Interceptor deliver? Mostly, yes. For the money, the dial is superb, and the watch gives a genuine premium feel on the wrist. It’s versatile, it’s comfortable, and it has character, which is what I want from an independent microbrand.

But is it just a PRX copy? a cheaper homage to something already popular? in my opinion no its not, there is enough about this watch to show it can stand on its own two feet.

• The gorilla logo. The polished gorilla head below 12 o’clock is a more playful touch than a printed wordmark. It’s a bit cheeky, and it gives the dial an identity that doesn’t just echo another brand.
• The case. The flat-sided, slightly hexagonal case, with its brushed surfaces and polished round bezel, has a more angular look than a simple tribute would need.
• That dial. The sage green waffle texture is the star, and it has a depth and colour of its own.
• The brand story. This is a small independent brand from Grantham, with an owner who answers your messages and fixes problems. That’s a very different experience from buying from a large company, and for me it’s part of the appeal.

I’ve given it 3 out of 5 because of the small fit-and-finish issues. A misaligned date window and a bracelet pin fault aren’t dramatic, but they stop it from being a must-have recommendation. What lifts it is how the brand handled them. Good customer service can turn a minor problem into a reason to buy again, and it did here; at the end of the day, this is still a good-looking, solid watch with great specs and an affordable price tag.

If you want something distinctive from outside the mainstream, the Interceptor is well worth a look. Silverback also produce some other great-looking watches that are definitely worth checking out, especially the Jigsaw puzzle dial and the small-batch Tiger’s Eye models, which have both made it onto my ever-growing wishlist, a credit to Silverback and the great watches they produce.

More Like This

• 

  Review: Golby Skipping Stone

  October 23, 2026October 23, 2026
• 

  Review: Luthier LP

  October 2, 2026October 23, 2026
• 

  Review: Mezei First Anniversary Edition

  September 18, 2026October 23, 2026