FIRST IMPRESSION
Both Worldivers came fittingly presented in military-type green travel pouches. Inside were the instruction and warranty cards, a spare Italian rubber divers strap and a BENARUS polishing cloth. This type of presentation / packaging is spot-on. Firstly it cuts down on the cost of each unit, but secondly it's actually useful and quite space saving, always a plus for me.
AESTHETIC
Both PVD and BLASTED watches have a very purposeful military feel to them. The BLASTED-version benefits from the contrast of its bright case finish against its black leather strap. It has a dark gray dial with a red GMT hand.
I think the black dialed PVD version would have been better presented on dark brown leather strap. The use of blue for its 24hr time scale and the GMT pointer, its white stitching and bezel markings, do help to break up what could have been quite a monotonous black on black look. I know some people love black on black, but I feel a little color and contrast goes a long way in making a watch more appealing. Both watches are very smart and classical looking. I feel quite the mature man when I’m wearing them.
MOVEMENT
Japanese made Miyota Quartz GMT. Its functions include: hours minutes, date and a 24 hour GMT function. There’s the obvious grab and go appeal that comes with a quartz movement; plus of course its accuracy. The GMT function is really useful for those who might be travelling across time zones. As an expat it’s always nice to be able to see what time it is back in England.
CASE
(case / case back / crown / bezel / crystal) 45mm X 17mm / lug width 22mm / 316L marine grade stainless steel / 90 click unidirectional rotating bezel / engraved screw down case back / AR coated sapphire crystal / screw down crown.
The case itself has a very classical feel to it. I’m not really a vintage military dive watch man, so I couldn’t tell you where BENARUS drew inspiration from, but it’s highly reminiscent of that type of watch. All the right buttons seem to have been hit.
BLASTED: You get a more conventional looking watch, but there’re the soft tones of the bead-blasted finish that I find so attractive.
PVD: An even matt black coating gives this version the desired military look.
Both watch finishes eliminate any unwanted attention that might otherwise have been attracted by polished surfaces; an important attribute of any true military dive watch.
Flat sapphire crystals have been AR coated on the inside to cut down on unwanted reflections.
The screw down crowns have lovely thick crown stems, there is absolutely no wobble whatsoever. If this can be achieved by BENARUS on 400 dollar dive watch then why aren’t all crowns stems like this?! The signed (dolphin logo) crowns grind securely into place when closed.
The bezels are very solid, they have SUPERB grip. The movement is firm and precise. A 90 click bezel is becoming less of an anomaly these days; I have no idea why this is? It in NO way affects the bezel’s functionality or reliability.
The screw down case backs have been engraved with the BENARUS dolphin logo. The engraving is deep enough so as not to be lost, even on the PVD version the engraving is very clear and prominent.
WATER-RESISTANCE
500 meters denotes a certain level durability that must have been obtained in order to achieve this depth rating.
STRAP
Thick black 22mm leather straps with contrasting white stitching give the watches a quality that is both sporty and dressy. BENARUS have done fantastic work on the Worldivers’ Pre-Ven style buckles. I have come across many Pre-Ven buckles in the past that try to give that Italian look and feel, but have failed so miserably because they were of such a poor quality. The Worldiver buckles on the other hand have been very nicely made; solid and substantial, both have been impeccably finished to match their respective cases. The buckles have been engraved with the BENARUS name.
LUME
The Worldivers have been applied with blue SuperLumiNova. The lumed bezels are very pretty to look at. I would rate the lume’s brightness at good. When fully charged the lume is really quite bright, its luminosity does drop down quite quickly though, but is then sustained for a reasonable amount time.
FUNCTIONALITY
Put either of these divers onto a Nato or Zulu strap and there would be no reason in the World (intentional pun ;) why they wouldn’t perform admirably in the field or in the role as a backup timer for a scuba diver.
The Worldivers have it all; unidirectional rotatable bezels, which have been fantastically lumed with blue SuperLumiNova; elapsed dive time scales, blue SuperLumiNova applied hands and markers, AR coated sapphire crystals, 500 meter depth ratings, screw down crowns and case backs, reliable quartz movements, date and GMT functions, and spare Italian rubber divers straps.
If BENARUS had supplied the watches with military-style Nato or Zulu straps that would have been perfect.
DURABILITY
500m rated 316L stainless steel cases with sapphire crystals make for a pretty rough ‘n’ tough combination, these watches will make perfect working watches. I would have no qualms about putting either of them through their paces. If babied they will probably last a life time or two.
However I would be interested to know what their battery life is like, I would imagine it to be at least 5yrs or so . . .???
VALUE
400USD for the BLASTED and 450USD for the PVD version; these watches offer great value for money.
OVERALL IMPRESSION Two rugged and very handsome looking dive watches. They will appeal to those who like military themed divers. They have been very nicely made and would make perfect watches for knocking about in. If I had to chose between the two of them, the BLASTED version has the edge, although I find the blue GMT pointer more attractive than the red.
Two BIG pluses for me were the solid crown stems and beautifully made Pre-Ven buckles, thumbs up!
This is my second dealing with BENARUS, they make a great product at a fair price, custom service is second to none and dealing personally with Ralf is always a pleasure.
OVERALL RATING
© OceanicTime
No comments:
Post a Comment