By TLex Possibly one the coolest homage watches in existence, completely handcrafted in Germany, it not only respects the design it takes its inspiration from (remaining as true the original form as possible), but is an incredible watch in its own right.
The Germano & Walter 500m pays homage to the Rolex Deep Sea Special; a prototype dive watch that was designed and developed by Rolex in the late fifties and was later (in Jan 1960) ocean tested in the Marianas Trench to a depth or 11'000 meters, a record that to this day is yet to be beaten by any other mechanical wristwatch.
Rolex Deep Sea Special
The Deep Sea Special never actually went into production, but for its extraordinary capabilities and even more extraordinary design was one of those holier than holy dive watch grails that collectors and aficionados dreamt of owning. The Germano & Walter 500m is as close as anyone will ever come to owning the real thing, but besides this (unlike Deep Sea Special) it is actually a very wearable watch. . .
From G&W We wanted a watch that is extremely resistant to all impacts and fully submersible. Of course all parts have to be screwed in order to guarantee long durability and maintainability. Thanks to our idea to use a separate inner case, the domed crystal with frame is held by the case on both sides.
That way it is not only protected against overpressure, but also against malfunction due to pressure in the case. Another advantage of this concept is that the movement is surrounded by a ferromagnetic cage (consisting of the inner case, inner movement cover and dial) and is therefore protected against strong magnetic fields.
Together we made several sketches until in 2005 we came up with the first sketch of the “Germano & Walter 500 m“. Alexander Walter made professional drawings from that sketch. I then began to build the first prototype, which was completed in November 2005. Since then the watch has been handcrafted in small batches in Munich.
SPECIAL FEATURES Handmade in a limited series - Extremely robust, highly anti-magnetic, water-proof up to 500m. Sandwich case (stainless steel), made of several massive parts, all components turned and milled by precision mechanics (Achim Borlinghaus & Josef Fastl) in Munich, Germany
Inner case: ferromagnetic material, largely rust-proof - Inner movement cover: ferromagnetic material, largely rust-proof - Outer case with stud screw for centering the inner case - Bezel screwed with inner case - Tube screwed into outer case -Screwed caseback - Screw-down crown - Strap attachment: 2 screwed studs for easy change from stainless-steel-bracelet to leather strap
Acrylic crystal, custom product, thickness approx. 4mm, screwed between bezel and inner case
ETA automatic movement, cal. 2892A, finish: solar finish and Geneva stripes Gold or chrome-plated hands with luminous phosphor (not radioactive) (hour, minute, second) -Dial - soft iron, printed with luminous phosphor (not radioactive)
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
From lug to lug: approx. 57mm
Width without crown: approx. 42mm
Diameter of the crown: approx. 9mm
Length of the crown: approx. 5mm
Total height with crystal: approx. 18.20mm
Band lug width: 20mm
Diameter of the dial: 30.5mm
Weight incl. steel bracelet: 170g
PRICE 2.600 Euro - 2 years warranty
The watch comes with; a smooth or an engraved bezel, a stainless steel bracelet (massive, adjustable length for divers), leather strap with a stainless-steel buckle, screwdriver, certificate of authenticity and a leather case.
Every watch is engraved with a serial and a reference number together with the year of its production. The watch case is protected by a utility model.
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