© Seiko (Thailand)
TLex: Thanks to Ian AKA Ultramagnetic for the lowdown on this new diver, you finally got the scoop on something that is actually relevant to dive watches, big ups to you mate!
Specifications: Seiko Ref. # SNM039 Numbered Limited Edition of 1666
Case: 48mm Pink Gold / Stainless steel
Movement: Automatic Seiko 7S36 23 Jewels
Dial: Black colour with embossed white lumibrite
Bezel: TiCN Titanium Carbon Nitride Coated
Function: Hour / Minute Hands Day / date : Pink Gold with green lumibrite
Second Hand: Orange with green lumibrite
Date window: Hardlex magnified glass
Two Crowns: Upper: Time/Calendar setting Lower: Inner rotating compass ringWater-resistance: 200m / 20 ATM
Bracelet: 2 tone Pink Gold / Stainless steel Pink Gold Hairline - finished / Mirror - finished Silver Hairline - finished / Mirror - finished
MSRP: @800USD
By TLex: The book looks great! This has been in the making for a long time and Jon Wallis has done superb work. I wish him the very best! I have always enjoyed the DeskDivers site, so I am sure this book is going to be a real treat for all PloProf and dive watch fans alike.
I myself have never owned a PloProf but have the new 2009 PloProf on order. I hope that it lives up to all that the original still is and was, it's going to be a tough job though.
By the way I recognize many of the beautiful Ploprof images from the book as coming from Bill, Colin, Stefan, Todd, Vic and others, these guys know how to take lovely photos and their dive watch collections are amongst the best that there are.
From the publisher: Detailing the history, development and ownership of one of the most iconic dive watches of all time, the Omega PloProf book covers it all.This book takes the PloProf information that originally appeared on the DeskDivers.com website and casts it into another dimension, with a vast amount of new information and illustrated with an impressive set of full colour photographs (close on 300 images over 158 pages). Research for the book uncovered previously unknown information including new dial and bezel variations, case manufacturers and an in-depth look at the fakes that have proliferated recently.The book is written in an easy to digest style and will provide a solid reference for anyone who owns or aspires to own, this seminal dive watch.
By TLex: New from Linde Werdelin is the 'Sea Instrument'. The first ever luxury dive computer, God knows what millionaire playboys have been using since now, but there's finally something on the market to impress the odd mermaid or two with when cruising the reefs of the Caribbean or Maldives. I want one badly, but I had better get the watch first!From Linde Werdelin: We are committed to the unparalleled design of luxury sports watches and digital sports instruments, unveils the LINDE WERDELIN Sea Instrument; the world’s first luxury dive computer.Pushing the boundaries of the modern day dive computer the Sea Instrument blends groundbreaking technology, precision and craftsmanship with the very best in Danish design and software. Cased in lightweight aluminium, divers can choose either a natural or black anodised aluminium finish. For the ultimate style piece a small number have been commissioned in solid 18K yellow gold. With distinct design in these first class, non-corrosive materials, the Sea Instrument easily attaches on top of the architectural and robust LINDE WERDELIN Biformeter watches, for divers of all abilities.To partner with the signature LINDE WERDELIN Biformeter watches, the Sea Instrument has been meticulously developed in conjunction with professional divers and boasts a transflective colour screen; the first time such advanced technology has been used in a dive computer. The display is covered by sapphire crystal glass, second only to diamond in hardness, ensuring complete scratch resistance. With an easy to use interface, it offers superior legibility underwater responding automatically to the environment and the conditions both on land and under water giving a first class display even in the most awkward of light situations.Whilst it won’t protect the user against sharks, it will constantly guide divers by tracking the critical pieces of information needed on any dive using an advanced 3-axis compass, CPU’s and alarm systems.Presenting the data, using strong graphical displays, it features the divers depth, dive time, vital decompression stops, temperature, maximum depth and surface interval times, constantly keeping the user in a real time picture."We are very excited about the launch of the new LINDE WERDELIN Sea Instrument. This is the first time that such a sophisticated piece of sports equipment has been achieved with a truly luxurious finish," comments Morten Linde, Creative Designer and Founder of LINDE WERDELIN."Our goal has always been to create high quality yet easy to use products that provide all the necessary protection, guidance and re-experience information needed when participating in sporting activities without compromising on style. The Sea Instrument achieves just that." LINDE WERDELIN has pioneered this entirely unique idea; seamlessly blending timekeeping sophistication with ultra-powerful yet easy to use digital sports instruments, it is a distinctive creation born from a life-long friendship and a passion for skiing and watches. By launching the Sea Instrument, the Founders, Morten Linde and Jorn Werdelin, achieve their goal of bringing their original idea for LINDE WERDELIN full circle. The idea of elegant watches with a family of attachable digital sports instruments bringing on the spot precision on land or in the sea.
Natural Aluminum
Blackened Aluminum
Case material: Solid anodised aluminium upper case in natural orblack finish, sapphire crystal; black polymer back caseWeight (est): 150 grams (including 15ml internal fluid)Function mode: Land ModeDive Mode – (featuring Buhlmann's algorithm)Log and Save – 60 hours of continuous logDisplay: 55mm transflective LCD colour screen 220x176 pixels; 260,000 colours Automatic display light adjustmentTechnology: High performance / Low-power multiple CPU platform 2.4GHz wirelesssensor network128Mbit flash memory4 button user interfaceUpgradeable software and log transfer to PCSensors: Internal pressure sensor to 130mInternal 3 - axis compass with tilt sensorInternal temperature sensorIn water sensorLight sensorPower: Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery with 28 hourscontinuous diving or 5 days standbyWater resistance: 300m water resistant, 1,000 feetAccessories: Charger with USB 2.0 and 2.4GHz wireless interface
MSRP: 18K 23000GBP Natural Aluminum 1000GBP18K Yellow Gold
© Linde Werdelin 
By TLex Having a Tourbillon in your collection as a manufacture or a high end watchmaker is fast becoming a prerequisite. Every year more and more tourbillons are unveiled to the world of 'Haute Horology'. Tourbillons are the pinnacle of modern-day watch making, and showcase what watchmakers are capable of.
It was only a matter of time before someone put a tourbillon into a dive watch case.Why stick a tourbillon in a dive watch at all? Why, not if it can be done? Wouldn't this kind of movement be more at home in a dress watch? I am of course biased, but no, in my opinion it wouldn’t. There is certainly a place for tourbillons in dive watches.Tourbillons are the most sophisticated of movements, pure art in motion, things to marvel at and admire. The price of a tourbillion can run well into the tens of thousands of dollars. So why not protect it in the strongest of cases from your collection, those of dive watches. Some of which are rated from 300m up to an incredible 3000m, thus insuring a secure housing for the movement.As the trend and popularity for dive watches has increased over the past 5yrs so has the production of diving tourbillons. A marriage of these extreme opposites seems like a logical progression. The ruggedness and robustness of a dive watch coupled with the delicate, yet highly complicated and sophisticated tourbillion, surely a winning combination.So what of the functionality of a dive watch? Of course in many cases this creates a paradox, especially with an open tourbillon that showcases the movement’s inner workings. It works against the simple, uncluttered and easily legible design required of a functional dive watch.But lets be honest here, only a very tiny percentage of dive watches produced each year, especially those at the luxury end of the market, ever get to see the deck of a dive boat. Most are bought purely as jewelry.So would one ever expect to take one of these exotic pieces into the ocean? Probably not, but if a millionaire every falls from his luxury super-yacht he needn’t give his diving tourbillon a second thought.Here they are the ‘Diving Tourbillons’:Aquanautic Superking Diving Tourbillion Monopusher
© Aquanautic
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon
© Blancpain
In 2006 Girard-Perregaux put a tourbillon into their extreme diver the Seahawk II Pro, rated at 3000m. They also built an 18ct Rose gold version rated to 1000m.
Girard Perregaux Seahawk II Pro
Girard Perregaux Seahawk II Pro
© Girard-Perregaux
Hysek Abyss Explorer Tourbillon
Hysek Abyss Explorer Tourbillon
© HYSEK
Roger Dubuis Easy Diver Tourbillon
© Roger DubuisParmigiani Pershing Tourbillon
© Parmigiani Fleuer
UTS 1000m Tourbillon
© UTS
Zenith Defy Xtreme Tourbillon
Zenith Defy Xtreme Tourbillon
© Zenith
Zenith Defy Xtreme Sea Tourbillon
© Zenith
This year the Concord C1 Gravity Tourbillon grabbed the Geneva Watch Making Grand Prix and last year Zenith’s El Primero Zero-G Tourbillon also took a prize. Whilst these two tourbillons are not strictly dive watches they are classed as sports watches and reaffirm that tourbillons don’t just belong in dress watches.Concord C1 Gravity Tourbillon
© Concord
Zenith Defy Xtreme Zero-G Tourbillon
© Zenith
Finally it's not all bad news for those of you on a budget. Have you ever dreamed of owning your own Diving Tourbillon? Well here's your chance, I came across this on the net.It is of course a blatant ripoff of the GP Seahawk II Pro with a Chinese made tourbillon inside, but it could be yours for as little as 1000USD.Its water-resistance is not stated in the spec, but I wouldn't wash my hands wearing it. By the way the name on the dial 'Alfred Davis' is the same name as the British Co founder of Rolex from 1905, interesting choice of name.Alfred Davis Flying Tourbillon
© Alfred Davis
Update April 2009 Since writing two more diving tourbillons have been released.
NIVREL Tourbillon Shark Sea 3000m
© NIVREL
Richard Mille RM025 Tourbillon Chronograph Diver
© Richard Mille
© Parmigiani FleuerFrom Parmigiani: Powerful and elegant, the Pershing collection symbolises the modern vision Parmigiani brings to the art of Haute Horlogerie. Its lines are a bold expression of the sporting spirit that Parmigiani has been developing since the inception of its exclusive partnership with the prestigious Italian yacht manufacturer, a member of the Ferretti Group. Renowned for the exceptional quality of its manufacturing, the elegance of its interior designs and its innovative marine technology, Italian yacht manufacturer Pershing is the natural choice to partner Parmigiani.
The new Pershing Tourbillon ajouré model represents a striking embodiment of their mutual expertise. The Pershing Tourbillon ajouré brings together all the aesthetic and technical accomplishments Parmigiani Fleurier has sought to extol. Its movement - a Calibre PF 511 - inspired by the Tourbillon Calibre 500 type movement, is produced in its entirety in Parmigiani Fleurier’s own workshops. It places the accent on technical excellence, technology and aesthetics. The sober, elegant Tourbillon pays tribute to the virtuosity and skill of the traditional watchmakers qualified to undertake such technically demanding work. Its cage, visible on both sides of the movement, rotates every 30 seconds, giving much greater setting constancy.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tourbillon’s open movement makes this a rare model with a unique character. The main plate reveals the mechanism wheels and the double barrel. Numerous openings have also been made on the bridges (barrel bridge, power reserve bridge, intermediate wheel lower bridge and ratchet bridge). Having employed innovative technology to reveal the components of its movement, Parmigiani opted for PVD* colour treatment on the main plate in order to accentuate the true beauty of the open movement and create a kaleidoscope of colours.
The treatment is available in a choice of three shades. A transparent sapphire dial reveals the model’s aesthetic and technical qualities. With only 40 pieces created in palladium 950, including ten models featuring a bezel set with baguette cut diamonds, the Pershing Tourbillon ajouré model is the result of an audacious and pioneering vision of Haute Horlogerie.
© DWATCH
CASE Stainless Steel 46.5 mm X 16.9mm / Automatic HRV
WR 1000m / 100Bar
MOVEMENT Automatic ETA 2824
GLASS Double coated Sapphire Crystal
DIMENSIONS 24mm lugs 52mm lug to lug / dial 32mm / bezel 5mm
PRICE 890USD (basic model)FINISHES Polished, Brushed, Bead Blasted, PVD over bead blasted finish
BEZEL PVD, Stainless Steel, Bead Blasted, S.Steel / PVD
DIAL Black, Blue, Red, Orange, Gray, Black / Red and Black / Orange
HANDS White, Black, Red, Orange, and Blue
SECOND HAND White, Black, Red, Orange, Bright blue
STRAP NATO / Rubber in different colors
Watches after successfully passing 100 Bar test
The very best of luck with the project, Alon! dwatch.net
From IWC For more than forty years Jacques-Yves Cousteau traveled the Seven Seas with one of the world’s best-known research vessels, the legendary “Calypso”. In 1996, the converted minesweeper was seriously damaged following a collision in Singapore harbor and sank.
After years of uncertainty awaiting restoration in La Rochelle, the ship has now been transferred to a special wharf in Concarneau, where the extremely complex business of refurbishing is now going ahead at full speed.
The ambitious goal is to reconstruct it completely and have it back in service by 2009. As in 2006, IWC will be contributing part of the proceeds from sales of its Aquatimer Chronograph 'Cousteau Divers' in 2008 towards the salvation of this symbol of marine conservation worldwide.
The watch is suitable for diving 12 bar and like all the watches in the Aquatimer watch family equipped with the practical rotating inner bezel used for setting and reading off dive time.
The image of the “Calypso” on the back cover guarantees that the 2500-piece limited edition will be a much-sought-after rarity.
© IWC
- Limited edition of 2500 watches- Mechanical movement- Self-winding- 44-hour power reserve when fully wound- Day and date display- Small hacking seconds hand- Mechanical rotating inner bezel- Luminescent elements on hands, dial and rotating inner bezel- Sapphire glass, anti-reflective on both sides- Glass: sapphire, convex, anti-reflective- Crown: screwed- Water-resistant: 12 bar- Case diameter: 44 mm- Case height: 15 mm- Weight: 146 g- Movement:- Calibre: 79320- Vibrations: 28 800/h / 4 Hz- Jewels: 25- Power reserve: 44 h- Winding: automatic
An overview of mechanical dive watches rated over 3000m plus including price depth ratios. By Roger Ruegger.
By TLex Scuba Booty never looses sight of her dive watch, whether on land, when she's logging onto her favorite dive watch blog 'OceanicTime' or when she's at sea, deep underwater searching for sunken treasure.
Her Citizen Professioanl Diver watch features an orange rubber strap and stainless steel case. Black bezel with easy-to-read markings, just the way she likes it. Black dial with analog and digital capabilities. Logo, back light, depth display function up to 300 feet and orange and white luminescent hands. Solar-powered movement. Water resistant to 200 meters. Five-year limited warranty.
She wouldn't dream of going down without it, neither should you!
© Kremke
© KremkeCase German Made. Surgical Grade Stainless Steel 316L. Satin Finish. Inner case made from soft iron (cylinder, back plate, dial plate) for Anti-magnetism.
Movement ETA 2824-2, Swiss made mechanical automatic, 25 jewels, Incabloc integrated shock resistance system, 40 hours power reserve, 28,800 beats per hour, hacking.Functions Hours, Minutes, Seconds. Quick set Date at 6 o’clock position.
Dimensions 44 mm Diameter bezel end to bezel end 49 mm bezel end to crown end 53 mm lug end to lug end 22 mm lug width (width between lugs / strap width) 17 mm height overallCrystal Extra thick Sapphire (scratch-proof), domed, anti-reflective coating (inside only)Crown Knurled stainless steel, screw-locked, signed, oversized crown protectors
Bezel 60-clicks, rotating, unidirectional (counter-clockwise) bezel with engraved elapsed time scale in black and orange type.
Case back Stainless steel, engraved and screw locked with double O-rings. Individually numbered.Bracelet Satin finish stainless steel. Solid end links. Micro-adjustable flip lock clasp with an integrated diving extension feature.Ratings Water Resistant 1000 meters (3300 ft with crown screwed down); anti-magnetic (80,000 a/m); shock resistant; pressure-proof to 100 atmospheres.
