Category: Dive Watches

Hands-on – TAG Heuer Carbon Aquaracer Calibre 5 Special Series – a New Trilogy of Divers with Carbon Details

Move over ceramic, here comes carbon. Carbon fibre is the flavour of the day in the material world giving watches a high-tech stealth look associated with the world of F1 and competitive sailing. Following in the wake of the highly successful Carbon Monaco customized by Bamford, TAG Heuer presents three Aquaracer models decked out with carbon fibre details and housed in a 41mm black PVD-coated titanium hull. All three Aquaracers, differentiated by their colour schemes, will be put on sale today, along with the much anticipated Monaco Bamford unveiled back in March 2018. Before we look at the three models in detail, two points need clarifying: the Aquaracers have not been customized by Bamford and the cases, unlike the Monaco Bamford, are not made from solid carbon fibre. There are carbon fibre details on the case, however, and the good news for fans of the Aquaracer is that you can get the same cool look of a customized Bamford for roughly half the price.

6 years ago

Introducing – Rado Tradition Captain Cook MKIII Automatic

Rado, for the large majority of us, is known for the ceramic watches – and obviously, the brand is good at it. However, Rado also trie to remind us that there were some watches before ceramic cases exist and that the company has a (much richer) past. For that, the brand introduced several vintage-inspired dive watches last year, named “Captain Cook”. Today, there’s a new chapter in this story, with the presentation of the Rado Tradition Captain Cook MKIII Automatic – another cool, historical dive watch, this time with a slightly more modern touch.

6 years ago

Review – A Summer with The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Bronze (And Bronze Patina in Action)

A year ago, Bell & Ross introduced the BR 03-92 Diver, the brand’s take on the dive watch. While it was not the first time B&R produces a watch to explore the deep blue sea – some of the earliest models were dive watches (inc. the impressive Hydromax 11000m) – this new watch was the first to mix the iconic square case with proper diving capacities. Utterly different from the rest of the crowd and at the same time genuinely familiar, it was an immediate success. This year, the collection expands with 2 new versions, in blue or in bronze. I spent my summer with the latter and here’s our take on it.

6 years ago

Interview – Talking Volvo Ocean Race with Delma Watch Ambassador Nick Moloney

Last month I had the distinct privilege to meet with Nick Moloney. For those who do not know the great names in the world of sailing, like me, here’s a brief resume… Nick sailed around the world three times, is a 15 x world sailing speed record holder, and has competed two times in the America’s Cup (and much more). He was involved in this year’s Volvo Ocean Race as the official Race Ambassador, he’s a Delma Watches ambassador and a great, really great, guy. We sat down with Nick, when the Volvo Ocean Race ended in The Hague, Netherlands, and we talked about sailing, the Volvo Ocean Race, the quest for cleaning the seas and of course watches.

6 years ago

Value Proposition – UNDONE Aqua Dive Watch – An Affordable, Highly Customisable Automatic Watch for Water Enthusiasts

The popularity of microbrands is rapidly spreading as unique mechanical watches are being sold at cutthroat prices. An interesting piece can be had for well under USD 500, but odds are you’ll be getting a Chinese movement and parts that are far removed from Switzerland. That doesn’t mean that many of these watches are bad products, but from both a reliability and collector standpoint, they’re often considered a lower tier. UNDONE is a popular microbrand that specializes in customization to help stand out in the crowd. Colours, cases, dials, hands, straps and even materials can be individually chosen to create a unique timepiece just for you, all for under USD 500. Many of their watches are attractive chronographs but equipped with quartz movements instead of mechanical. Their Aqua series of dive watches, however, have proven Seiko automatics inside and are an excellent value proposition for budding enthusiasts or active divers. Dive watches are among my favourite styles and the level of customization offered by UNDONE is almost overwhelming. Standard editions are also available if you’re happy with their selection of prebuilt models. I have their prebuilt Aqua Silver-Grey unit (with date) that I’ve been wearing for several weeks.

6 years ago

Introducing – Doxa SUB 300 Searambler ‘Silver Lung’ Reissue

In 2017, Doxa introduced the SUB 300 ‘Black Lung’, a reissue of a rare 1967 prototype, an iconic watch amongst the diving community made for Aqua Lung. Unfortunately for some (and fortunately for Doxa), this limited edition was the fastest-selling model of the brand ever… Today, there’s one more chance to get your hands on another ultra-cool version, this time using the long-running signature Silver ‘Searambler’ style. Meet the Doxa SUB 300 Searambler ‘Silver Lung’ Reissue – and again, you will need to be fast.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Seiko Prospex Diver 300m SLA019 Limited Edition – the Middle Child of the 1968 Commemorative Collection

Celebrating the 50thanniversary of the 1968 hi-beat diver Ref. 6159-7001, the first diver’s watch with a hi-beat automatic caliber, Seiko introduced three modern divers that pay homage to this horological icon. The limited edition Prospex Diver 300m Hi-Beat SLA025 with caliber 8L55 (36,000vph/5Hz) sits at the top and is a faithful recreation of the original. Retailing for EUR 5,500, it’s unfortunately not for the casual enthusiast. On the other end is the Prospex Diver 200m SPB077, which isn’t a limited edition and retails for as little as EUR 900 (depending on silicon or steel bracelet). It’s more of a reinterpretation as the caliber 6R15 beats at only 21,600vph (3Hz) with a 200m water resistant case. The one I’m looking at sits in the middle, with the caliber 8L35 beating at 28,800vph (4Hz) and a 300m water resistance. Let’s take a closer look at this new limited edition commemorative diver.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Annuel

Today we’re taking a closer look at the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Annuel. This year, the well-known dive watch debuts an unexpected twist, with the inclusion of an annual calendar complication. The result is a quirky watch with a quirky display, and yet, it somehow works. (Arguably it’s not the quirkiest watch in Blancpain’s line-up this year – that honour goes to the Bathyscaphe Day Date 70s). Hardcore dive enthusiasts and elitist complication collectors alike will no doubt shun this ‘cross-over’ timepiece. The dive-watch obsessed broader market, however, might just have a different opinion.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Anonimo Brings New Summer Editions of the Nautilo With Blue Dials

It’s been 12 years since the first Nautilo dive watch was developed by Dino Zei, naval engineer and former 25-year head of Panerai, and a couple of new editions have arrived for the summer. The theme this year is blue, which is fitting for a naval-inspired dive watch, and they follow the design refresh we saw last year in conjunction with Anonimo’s 20th Anniversary. The Italian brand has been fairly consistent with their cushion case designs for the Nautilo line with crowns at 4 o’clock, but the dials have evolved over time. The summer editions bring color changes to the dials with new ceramic bezels but maintain the no-nonsense diver’s tool aesthetic from previous generations.

6 years ago