Noosa-based microbrand EXOFI has launched its first watch, the Wolf Rock 42, a steel dive watch with a ceramic bezel and a Miyota 9015 movement.
Australia’s busy microbrand scene has another new name, and its founder comes from an unusual design field. EXOFI, based in Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, has launched its first watch. The Wolf Rock 42 is priced from £450.
Every newcomer in this segment has to answer one question: why pick it over the established options? EXOFI’s answer is a tough, simple tool watch built from familiar, proven parts.
From Shipyards to Watch Dials
Lindsay Toy runs the brand. He is a watch enthusiast whose design background is in ship design and marine infrastructure. The idea for the brand came during long stopovers on trips to Malaysian shipyards, which he spent browsing airport watch shops.
The watch takes its name from Wolf Rock, a dive site near the brand’s home. It is known for volcanic pinnacles and a sanctuary full of sharks and rays. That suits a dive watch from a coastal brand.
A Case Built to Take Knocks
The 316L stainless steel case is 42mm wide, 49.8mm lug to lug and 12.6mm tall including the crystal. A 22mm lug width gives it a broad stance on the wrist. Brushed surfaces and angular lugs set the tool-watch tone, while a polished bevel along the top adds some polish.
The 120-click unidirectional bezel has widely spaced knurling for grip and a brushed black ceramic insert. Its markings are filled with Super-LumiNova, so they stay readable after dark. A double-domed sapphire crystal sits on top, with anti-reflective coating on the underside. A screw-down crown with guards gives 200 metres of water resistance.
A Dial Built for Legibility
The matte black dial keeps things simple. Oversized brushed rectangular indices carry plenty of lume, with larger markers at 3, 9 and 12. A shortened marker at six makes room for the date window.
The hour and minute hands are creased down the middle, and the silver seconds hand has a custom lume plot. The only text is the logo, the wordmark and “automatic 200”. Nice and uncluttered.
Proven Japanese Movement
Inside is Citizen’s Miyota 9015 automatic movement. It beats at 28,800bph for a smooth sweep and has a 42-hour power reserve. It also hacks and can be hand-wound. Its rated accuracy of -10/+30 seconds per day marks it as a dependable workhorse rather than a precision showpiece.
EXOFI says it tests every watch again before shipping. The watch comes on a black FKM rubber strap with a brushed pin buckle. A three-link bracelet with integrated end links and tool-free micro-adjustment is in development, and EXOFI expects it in the first quarter of 2027.
Price and Competition
The Wolf Rock 42 is on sale now from EXOFI’s online store. It costs A$935 including GST, or £450 and US$590 excluding tax. A two-year warranty is included. That price puts it in the crowded affordable dive watch market, up against Seiko’s entry-level models and many other microbrands.
