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This Stunning Mechanical Sports Watch Nails a Dominant Trend At an Approachable Price

Benjamin James updates the Scarifour with three stone dials.

Close-up of the bottom part of a watch with a blue textured dial, silver hour markers, and a polished silver bezel with screws. The watch crown is centered below the bezel, featuring a hexagonal shape and brushed metal finish.Benjamin James
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By Brad Lanphear

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Benjamin James is a prime example of the beautiful fact that, in the watch industry, even the smallest operations can hang with massive brands through inspired, well-executed designs.

Discovering those brilliant and determined new brands is one of the most rewarding aspects of writing about and following watches. If this brilliant young watchmaker wasn’t on your radar before, its latest collection of stone dials will undoubtedly put it there.

Square-faced wristwatch with a silver metal band and a deep blue dial featuring gold hour markers and hands, resting on a beige cushion. The watch face displays the brand name "Benjamin James" and the model name "Scarifour.
The Scarifour now comes with a lapis lazuli dial.
Photo by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

Benjamin Adams founded Benjamin James in 2023 after spending eight years developing over 20 collections for other watch brands. Over the past two years, he has wisely focused on a single design: the Scarifour.

This integrated steel sports watch has a classical case and dial influenced by brands like Cartier and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Its standout feature is a picture frame-shaped fixed bezel with faux exposed screw holes.

Silver metal wristwatch with a rectangular case and a deep blue speckled dial. The dial features silver hour markers and hands, with the brand name "BENJAMIN JAMES" and model name "SCARIFOUR" printed on it. The watch is worn on a wrist with a silver metal link bracelet.
The Scarifour’s rectangular dial measures 31mm wide by 40mm high.
Photo by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

While the Scarifour’s design hasn’t changed much, Benjamin James has offered it with over a dozen different dials, each coming in small batches that have sold out with increasing rapidity.

The newest additions to the collection use three different precious stones to masterfully execute one of the industry’s hottest trends. I had the pleasure of testing the lapis lazuli reference, which is joined by an orange agate dial and a green jade dial.

Three wristwatches with square stainless steel cases and matching metal link bracelets. Each watch has a distinctively colored dial: one green with a textured finish, one bright orange with a smooth finish, and one blue with a marbled finish. All dials feature silver hour markers, silver hands, and the brand name "BENJAMIN JAMES" along with the model name "SCARIFOUR" printed on them. The watches have a modern, angular design with a polished bezel and a crown on the right side.
The Scarifour stone dials include, from left to right, jade, agate and lapis lazuli.
Benjamin James

I wrote about the Scarifour earlier in 2025, and finally getting my hands on one cemented my expectation that it is one of the best “luxury” dress watches under $2,000.

Approachable luxury

My appreciation for the Scarifour is rooted in how well the watch blends elements clearly pulled from coveted luxury watches with unique flourishes that create a fresh appearance.

Silver rectangular wristwatch with a blue speckled dial, featuring silver hour markers and hands. The dial displays the brand name "BENJAMIN JAMES," the model name "SCARIFOUR," and "ENGLAND" at the bottom. The watch has a silver metal link bracelet and a crown on the right side.
The Scarifour bracelet resembles that of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, but it is still a natural fit.
Photo by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

For example, the integrated bracelet resembles that of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, with brushed H-shaped links connected by polished, rounded center links, but it doesn’t feel pilfered because it blends so well with the slightly concave edges on the case and unique bezel shape.

Opting for a mechanical movement not only helps create a slim 8.3mm case height but also reinforces the dial’s vintage feel. The sharply angled lance hands and lone Roman numeral hour marker at 12 o’clock feel early twentieth-century, while the applied dash hour markers and dot minutes track come from the 1960s.

Silver metal wristwatch with a rectangular case and visible mechanical gears on the back, featuring a linked metal bracelet and an open clasp.
The Scarifour is powered by a Sellita Caliber SW210-1b hand-wound movement.
Photo by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

Previous Scarifour references offered the option of an automatic or hand-wound movement, but the stone dial collection only comes with a Sellita Cal. SW210-1b hand-wound movement.

This is hardly a detraction, as it is a well-respected mechanical engine with a 42-hour power reserve and beat rate of 28,800vps. But without a seconds hand, the only appeal I find from the movement — besides its thinness — is the tactile enjoyment of winding it.

A heart of stone

My first encounter with the Scarifour was the mother-of-pearl dial released earlier in 2025, which I called the watch’s final form. I now stand corrected as the new lapis lazuli dial is, in fact, more beautiful.

Square-faced wristwatch with a metallic silver band and a deep blue dial. The dial features silver hour markers, with a Roman numeral XII at the top, and the brand name "BENJAMIN JAMES" along with the model name "SCARIFOUR" printed on it. The watch has a polished silver bezel and a crown on the right side.
The lapis lazuli dial is the best-looking version of the Scarifour yet released.
Photo by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

All three stone dials emphasize the watch’s luxury appearance by jumping on the high-end trend. While the materials increase the cost of watchmaking, Benjam James managed to keep the price increase to only $100 more than previous mechanical references.

Silver metal watch band with rectangular links, featuring the engraved text "BENJAMIN JAMES" on the clasp, displayed on a beige fabric cushion.
The Scarifour bracelet has a butterfly clasp.
Photo by Brad Lanphear for Gear Patrol

Along with the Scarifour’s luxury look, objective beauty and respectable performance, my biggest takeaway is that this watch is remarkably comfortable. The thin case, angled lugs and lightweight bracelet have a minimal impact on my wrist.

Availability and price

The Benjamin James Scarifour stone dial collection will be available on October 1, 2025, for $1,355.

Supplies are extremely limited, with only 100 units of each watch available. Given the brand’s propensity to sell out quickly, I would move fast if you want this watch.

Square-faced wristwatch with a polished silver metal case and matching linked bracelet. The dial is a deep blue with a textured, stone-like appearance, featuring silver hour markers and hands. The brand name "BENJAMIN JAMES" is displayed below the 12 o'clock marker, with "SCARIFOUR" and "ENGLAND" printed near the center and bottom of the dial, respectively. The watch has a crown on the right side for adjusting time.Benjamin James

Benjamin James Scarifour Stone Dial

Specs

Case Size 31mm
Movement Sellita caliber SW210-1 b hand-wound
Water Resistance 50m
About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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