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Dive Watch Releases / Articles
2010-11-30
RALF TECH WRX ''A'' HYBRID (landed)
By TLex I just recently received a steel version of RALF TECH's new WRX ''A'' HYBRID. First impressions are excellent; functionally it's a much improved design over the WRX prototype, which I reviewed last year. The watch looks incredible in person and the mil-style strap is a pleasure to wear. Stay tuned for some very cool pics . . .
2010-11-28
Vittorium DEEPDIVER Review
PRESENTATION 
The Vittorium DEEPDIVER came presented in a luxurious lacquered wooden box with a soft velvety lining. Lovely as the box was, I would have much preferred to see the DEEPDIVER presented in a sportier travel-type case and perhaps supplied with an additional strap and hex-key for strap changes. A very nice presentation, but no real excitement!
AESTHETIC
From the front (face on) the DEEPDIVER exudes a sporty youthful spirit; the polished bezel is a little flashy, but in truth is the only polished area that’s immediately visible. From the sides and the back the DEEPDIVER is really an interesting looking watch. Its design, which could be considered avant-garde combines strong contemporary design elements with a slew of well executed and imaginative details that give the DEEPDIVER its curious yet stylish aesthetic.
DIAL The DEEPDIVER has a clean sporty black carbon fiber dial marked out with double deck Superluminova applied Arabic numerals and hour markers. I think the use of the Vittorium icon as the 12 o’clock marker was very apt, it works for me. Being a bit of font junky I appreciate the use of the PS3 font on the WR text, very modern. The DEEPDIVER's inner ring, which bears the Vittorium name (albeit a design cue taken straight from Rolex) is yet another example of how detailed a watch the DEEPDIVER is.
HANDS the tear drop handset fits in well with the overall aesthetic of the watch, because they are so wide they offer the perfect canvas for a really good lume application; however they haven’t been coated with quite as much lume as they could have been, a bit of a shame.
CASE
The DEEPDIVER's 47mm case has been constructed form brushed 316L marine grade stainless steel. It has a dual case construction, which takes on two contrasting forms. The outer part, which wraps around the inner like some kind of aquatic entity that has latched itself onto the watch housing, has been beautifully sculpted. Its form, free flowing like liquid, its outer surfaces brushed with a fine lustrous finish, its inner surfaces highly polished, as is the watch housing itself. The sculpting continues through to the DEEPDIVER's massive lugs, which have been fitted with a huge hex-key attachment system. This is quite a complex case design, but one that stirs the imagination.
BEZEL The DEEPDIVER has 120-click unidirectional bezel, which displays an elapsed dive time scale marked out in increments of 5mins. The bezel upper has been finished with a high polish, whereas its sides sport a black DLC coated ring, a design feature unique to the Vittorium DEEPDIVER. Aesthetically the 16-sided polished bezel looks attractive, but I personally feel a brushed finish might have worked better.
The bezel is as it should be, firm with a nice even movement. However it unfortunately lacks the required lume pip at 12 o’clock and suffers from a low profile, which when coupled with its glassy high-polished surface makes manipulation a little harder than I would like. Don’t get me wrong it’s not terrible, just not good.
CASEBACK A mixture of brushed, polished and textured stainless steel surfaces; the DEEPDIVER's screw down caseback is (again) as detailed as the rest of the watch. Starting from the center, where a large polished raised Vittorium icon, Vittorium lettering and badge which displays its limited number of 2’000 can be found, then onto its brushed perimeter where many of the watch’s specs can be seen. Finally, the outer perimeter of the case has been polished.
CROWN The DEEPDIVER sports a large cylindrically shaped crown, which has been thoughtfully designed in such a way as to echo the sculpting of the case sides. The crown has been signed and polished; its stem is nice and sturdy. Thumbs up!
GLASS the DEEPDIVER has flat sapphire crystal. The crystal has an anti-reflective coating on the inside of the glass, the quality of which is excellent. The dial is visible even from the most acute angles, in fact you can hardly notice the glass is there most of time, as is the case with crystals that have been coated on both sides.
WATER-RESISTANCE
I have to admit when I first read the specification sheet for the DEEPDIVER and discovered that it was only rated to 200 meters I was a little surprised.
The Vittorium DEEPDIVER is a deep diver in name only.
MOVEMENT
Swiss ETA Caliber F06. Its functions include hours, minutes and central seconds. The ETA F06 can be equipped either with or without a date, this particular one lacks a date function. Quartz movements are exceptionally accurate.
STRAP & BUCKLE
The DEEPDIVER has long black rubber strap, which has been constructed from Swiss made rubber; I couldn’t tell you what the intrinsic value of Swiss rubber is, but the quality is excellent. It’s quite firm to the touch yet soft enough and supple enough to comfortably wrap around your wrist. The top part of the strap where it meets the lugs has been embossed with the Vittorium icon. At the other end the rubber end slides neatly and securely under double signed stoppers.
BUCKLE The DEEPDIVER's massive custom buckle is one of its best features. It has been constructed from a single piece of high-grade stainless steel, the design of which puts it right up there with buckles like that of BURAN Stingray; if only Vittorium had gone the extra mile and used the same hex-keys that the lugs have rather than standard pins, it would have been perfect. As it is, it’s still an exceptionally well made and beautifully designed buckle; kudos!
FUNCTIONALITY
Functionality-wise the DEEPDIVER as back up to a dive-computer is somewhat lacking. It would be hard to get a good purchase on the bezel with a divers glove owing to its low-profile and it lacks the required lume pip at 12 o’clock. The watch has the bare minimum that I usually like to see on dive watch and by some standards / regulations 200 meters is considered insufficient as true dive watch. The lume isn’t nearly as bright as I would like either.
On the plus-side; the DEEPDIVER has an incredible hex-key lug attachment system, its rubber strap is of a good length and the rubber is of a high quality, the buckle is FANTASTIC and as previously mentioned the DEEPDIVER's sapphire crystal has exceptional anti-reflective capabilities. The watch is also fitted with highly accurate Swiss quartz movement.
WEAR-ABILITY You’re asking the wrong person really! I’d find solid block of steel comfortable if you told me it was cool dive watch. The DEEPPDIVER is a big solid watch with quite a long lug to lug length. If you have an appreciation for big and formidable looking watches you’ll no doubt happily wear the DEEPDIVER all day long, as I do, if you’re the kind or person who already finds the thought of wearing a 44mm watch daunting, then pass.
DURABILITY
316L marine grade stainless steel, sapphire crystal, dual case construction, screw down crown and caseback, carbon fiber and Swiss made rubber. This is a tough watch, I wish it had a higher depth rating, it doesn’t! Nevertheless I’m confident that it will hold up admirably over the years. I do wonder a little about the maintenance of such a complicated case design with so many different finishes and surfaces, it might be a little hard to upkeep.
BUILD QUALITY Vittorium take great pride in the fact that their DEEPDIVER is ‘Swiss Made’; to be really honest ‘Swiss made’ has kind of lost its meaning for me over the years. There are scores of shoddy fashion divers branded about with ‘Swiss Made’ on their dials. They’ve met the requirements to get the text on their dials, but aren’t necessarily any better made watches than those that have been built elsewhere. What I am far more interested in, is actual build quality, for me this has a far greater value than any text on the dial. I can confidently say that the DEEPDIVER has been very nicely built, it lives up to its Swiss seal of quality and the workmanship is of a very high standard.
LUME
Swiss C3 Superluminova has been applied to the hands and markers of the DEEPDIVER; the lume has bluish green hue. The lume on the handset is pretty average, it’s not particularly bright and doesn’t last that long. The lume on the markers is quite poor though, it’s barely visible. I would rate the lume at, poor to average.
VALUE
The Vittorium DEEPDIVER is a Limited Edition of 2'600 pieces. Its retail price is 895USD, which includes a 2 years international warranty. Sub 900US is a reasonable price for Swiss watch of its caliber.
ALSO CONSIDER There’s not much that I could liken the Vittorium DEEPDIVER to, but you might consider a BATHYS Benthic Ti, which has a titanium construction.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS Details, details, details; the Vittorium DEEPDIVER is watch that’s made up many details; much thought and effort has gone into making this a unique looking watch. When Vittorium designed the DEEPDIVER they started with a blank sheet, they choose to innovate rather than imitate. The DEEPDIVER makes little statement as far as the world of fashion is concerned; yet clearly makes a statement about the importance of quality, originality and attention to detail.
Vittorium have talked with me of their plans to develop more serious dive watches with greatly elevated depth ratings in the future, I look forward to seeing the continued development of the Vittorium DEEPDIVER line.
Many thanks to Vittorium.
© OceanicTime
TOTAL RATING
The Vittorium DEEPDIVER came presented in a luxurious lacquered wooden box with a soft velvety lining. Lovely as the box was, I would have much preferred to see the DEEPDIVER presented in a sportier travel-type case and perhaps supplied with an additional strap and hex-key for strap changes. A very nice presentation, but no real excitement!
AESTHETIC
From the front (face on) the DEEPDIVER exudes a sporty youthful spirit; the polished bezel is a little flashy, but in truth is the only polished area that’s immediately visible. From the sides and the back the DEEPDIVER is really an interesting looking watch. Its design, which could be considered avant-garde combines strong contemporary design elements with a slew of well executed and imaginative details that give the DEEPDIVER its curious yet stylish aesthetic.
DIAL The DEEPDIVER has a clean sporty black carbon fiber dial marked out with double deck Superluminova applied Arabic numerals and hour markers. I think the use of the Vittorium icon as the 12 o’clock marker was very apt, it works for me. Being a bit of font junky I appreciate the use of the PS3 font on the WR text, very modern. The DEEPDIVER's inner ring, which bears the Vittorium name (albeit a design cue taken straight from Rolex) is yet another example of how detailed a watch the DEEPDIVER is.
HANDS the tear drop handset fits in well with the overall aesthetic of the watch, because they are so wide they offer the perfect canvas for a really good lume application; however they haven’t been coated with quite as much lume as they could have been, a bit of a shame.
CASE
The DEEPDIVER's 47mm case has been constructed form brushed 316L marine grade stainless steel. It has a dual case construction, which takes on two contrasting forms. The outer part, which wraps around the inner like some kind of aquatic entity that has latched itself onto the watch housing, has been beautifully sculpted. Its form, free flowing like liquid, its outer surfaces brushed with a fine lustrous finish, its inner surfaces highly polished, as is the watch housing itself. The sculpting continues through to the DEEPDIVER's massive lugs, which have been fitted with a huge hex-key attachment system. This is quite a complex case design, but one that stirs the imagination.
BEZEL The DEEPDIVER has 120-click unidirectional bezel, which displays an elapsed dive time scale marked out in increments of 5mins. The bezel upper has been finished with a high polish, whereas its sides sport a black DLC coated ring, a design feature unique to the Vittorium DEEPDIVER. Aesthetically the 16-sided polished bezel looks attractive, but I personally feel a brushed finish might have worked better.
The bezel is as it should be, firm with a nice even movement. However it unfortunately lacks the required lume pip at 12 o’clock and suffers from a low profile, which when coupled with its glassy high-polished surface makes manipulation a little harder than I would like. Don’t get me wrong it’s not terrible, just not good.
CASEBACK A mixture of brushed, polished and textured stainless steel surfaces; the DEEPDIVER's screw down caseback is (again) as detailed as the rest of the watch. Starting from the center, where a large polished raised Vittorium icon, Vittorium lettering and badge which displays its limited number of 2’000 can be found, then onto its brushed perimeter where many of the watch’s specs can be seen. Finally, the outer perimeter of the case has been polished.
CROWN The DEEPDIVER sports a large cylindrically shaped crown, which has been thoughtfully designed in such a way as to echo the sculpting of the case sides. The crown has been signed and polished; its stem is nice and sturdy. Thumbs up!
GLASS the DEEPDIVER has flat sapphire crystal. The crystal has an anti-reflective coating on the inside of the glass, the quality of which is excellent. The dial is visible even from the most acute angles, in fact you can hardly notice the glass is there most of time, as is the case with crystals that have been coated on both sides.
WATER-RESISTANCE
I have to admit when I first read the specification sheet for the DEEPDIVER and discovered that it was only rated to 200 meters I was a little surprised.
The Vittorium DEEPDIVER is a deep diver in name only.
MOVEMENT
Swiss ETA Caliber F06. Its functions include hours, minutes and central seconds. The ETA F06 can be equipped either with or without a date, this particular one lacks a date function. Quartz movements are exceptionally accurate.
STRAP & BUCKLE
The DEEPDIVER has long black rubber strap, which has been constructed from Swiss made rubber; I couldn’t tell you what the intrinsic value of Swiss rubber is, but the quality is excellent. It’s quite firm to the touch yet soft enough and supple enough to comfortably wrap around your wrist. The top part of the strap where it meets the lugs has been embossed with the Vittorium icon. At the other end the rubber end slides neatly and securely under double signed stoppers.
BUCKLE The DEEPDIVER's massive custom buckle is one of its best features. It has been constructed from a single piece of high-grade stainless steel, the design of which puts it right up there with buckles like that of BURAN Stingray; if only Vittorium had gone the extra mile and used the same hex-keys that the lugs have rather than standard pins, it would have been perfect. As it is, it’s still an exceptionally well made and beautifully designed buckle; kudos!
FUNCTIONALITY
Functionality-wise the DEEPDIVER as back up to a dive-computer is somewhat lacking. It would be hard to get a good purchase on the bezel with a divers glove owing to its low-profile and it lacks the required lume pip at 12 o’clock. The watch has the bare minimum that I usually like to see on dive watch and by some standards / regulations 200 meters is considered insufficient as true dive watch. The lume isn’t nearly as bright as I would like either.
On the plus-side; the DEEPDIVER has an incredible hex-key lug attachment system, its rubber strap is of a good length and the rubber is of a high quality, the buckle is FANTASTIC and as previously mentioned the DEEPDIVER's sapphire crystal has exceptional anti-reflective capabilities. The watch is also fitted with highly accurate Swiss quartz movement.
WEAR-ABILITY You’re asking the wrong person really! I’d find solid block of steel comfortable if you told me it was cool dive watch. The DEEPPDIVER is a big solid watch with quite a long lug to lug length. If you have an appreciation for big and formidable looking watches you’ll no doubt happily wear the DEEPDIVER all day long, as I do, if you’re the kind or person who already finds the thought of wearing a 44mm watch daunting, then pass.
DURABILITY
316L marine grade stainless steel, sapphire crystal, dual case construction, screw down crown and caseback, carbon fiber and Swiss made rubber. This is a tough watch, I wish it had a higher depth rating, it doesn’t! Nevertheless I’m confident that it will hold up admirably over the years. I do wonder a little about the maintenance of such a complicated case design with so many different finishes and surfaces, it might be a little hard to upkeep.
BUILD QUALITY Vittorium take great pride in the fact that their DEEPDIVER is ‘Swiss Made’; to be really honest ‘Swiss made’ has kind of lost its meaning for me over the years. There are scores of shoddy fashion divers branded about with ‘Swiss Made’ on their dials. They’ve met the requirements to get the text on their dials, but aren’t necessarily any better made watches than those that have been built elsewhere. What I am far more interested in, is actual build quality, for me this has a far greater value than any text on the dial. I can confidently say that the DEEPDIVER has been very nicely built, it lives up to its Swiss seal of quality and the workmanship is of a very high standard.
LUME
Swiss C3 Superluminova has been applied to the hands and markers of the DEEPDIVER; the lume has bluish green hue. The lume on the handset is pretty average, it’s not particularly bright and doesn’t last that long. The lume on the markers is quite poor though, it’s barely visible. I would rate the lume at, poor to average.
VALUE
The Vittorium DEEPDIVER is a Limited Edition of 2'600 pieces. Its retail price is 895USD, which includes a 2 years international warranty. Sub 900US is a reasonable price for Swiss watch of its caliber.
ALSO CONSIDER There’s not much that I could liken the Vittorium DEEPDIVER to, but you might consider a BATHYS Benthic Ti, which has a titanium construction.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS Details, details, details; the Vittorium DEEPDIVER is watch that’s made up many details; much thought and effort has gone into making this a unique looking watch. When Vittorium designed the DEEPDIVER they started with a blank sheet, they choose to innovate rather than imitate. The DEEPDIVER makes little statement as far as the world of fashion is concerned; yet clearly makes a statement about the importance of quality, originality and attention to detail.
Vittorium have talked with me of their plans to develop more serious dive watches with greatly elevated depth ratings in the future, I look forward to seeing the continued development of the Vittorium DEEPDIVER line.
Many thanks to Vittorium.
© OceanicTime
TOTAL RATING
2010-11-27
ROGER DUBUIS Easy Diver Japan LE (new)
By TLex This is a Japan only edition of the Roger Dubuis Easy Diver. The Manufacture first introduced the Easy Diver sport line in 2004. The specs. for this model remain similar to the Easy Diver automatic: A 46mm stainless steel case, which is water-resistant to 30 atmospheres or 300m, housing the new RD821 Caliber, a self winding movement with 48hrs of power reserve. The watch will go on sale in Japan from December priced 1'428'000¥.
2010-11-25
ENZO MECHANA Ref.500 (new)
By TLex This is the first of the highly anticipated new line of Enzo Mechana models from maverick dive watch designer, Enzo AKA the Yellow Submarine Captain. The first thing that strikes you about his latest creation is its enormous case thickness; at 38mm high it's almost 10mm thicker than the CX 20'000 feet, which measures a whopping 28.5mm.
The rest of the watch's dimensions remain fairly modest; a 45mm diameter with a lug to lug measurement of 50mm and a 24mm lug width. The watch has been constructed for 316L stainless steel and fitted with an optional manual HEV (helium escape valve). Because his watches are hand built the sizes say Enzo, can be altered if desired. Then there's its massive 7.9mm UV coated domed sapphire crystal, which can be substituted for a less imposing 4.9mm thick crystal.
For the moment the water-resistance is unknown; but Enzo states only this: "Water-resistance rating, how much water you got? It's a submarine!". Other options include date or no date and a choice of handsets, which are yet to be finalized. Apart from its instrument-like appearance and hand crafted Italian quality, what makes the watch so special is Enzo's use of vintage calibers, this one can be fitted with either an Omega 565 cal or Rolex 1570 cal. I have no idea how wearable a piece this will be, but who cares . . . BRAVO, Enzo!
From Enzo Mechana "This is not so much a watch as we know them, but a piece of (end of the world essential) equipment!"
© EnzoMechana
The rest of the watch's dimensions remain fairly modest; a 45mm diameter with a lug to lug measurement of 50mm and a 24mm lug width. The watch has been constructed for 316L stainless steel and fitted with an optional manual HEV (helium escape valve). Because his watches are hand built the sizes say Enzo, can be altered if desired. Then there's its massive 7.9mm UV coated domed sapphire crystal, which can be substituted for a less imposing 4.9mm thick crystal.
For the moment the water-resistance is unknown; but Enzo states only this: "Water-resistance rating, how much water you got? It's a submarine!". Other options include date or no date and a choice of handsets, which are yet to be finalized. Apart from its instrument-like appearance and hand crafted Italian quality, what makes the watch so special is Enzo's use of vintage calibers, this one can be fitted with either an Omega 565 cal or Rolex 1570 cal. I have no idea how wearable a piece this will be, but who cares . . . BRAVO, Enzo!
From Enzo Mechana "This is not so much a watch as we know them, but a piece of (end of the world essential) equipment!"
© EnzoMechana
2010-11-24
SETIMA 2011 Collection (sneak peek)
By TLex I am very pleased to present these exclusive renderings of SETIMA's new divers for 2011; the Chronograph, Herren and Damen. All three models are based on the same case design, although the ladies diver (the Damen) at 38.7mm is the most likely a little smaller than the Chronograph and Herren are.
I don't have any more details (at the moment) other than that they will be fully customizable as are SETIMA's sub models and that they will be water-resistant to 500m. These are only renderings, so the designs may or may not change, but you get a good idea of what they will look like. Personally I think they're pretty cool. I especially LOVE the Chronograph's dial. Also the handsets used, they're so futuristic, so cool; StarTrek goes diving! Stay tuned for more on these three . . .
I don't have any more details (at the moment) other than that they will be fully customizable as are SETIMA's sub models and that they will be water-resistant to 500m. These are only renderings, so the designs may or may not change, but you get a good idea of what they will look like. Personally I think they're pretty cool. I especially LOVE the Chronograph's dial. Also the handsets used, they're so futuristic, so cool; StarTrek goes diving! Stay tuned for more on these three . . .
2010-11-23
SETIMA Watches (intro)
By TLex The sub clone is without doubt the most recognizable dive watch style that there is; it's the epitome of what a generic dive watch looks like, yet at the same time is timeless and classic. Some might say that it's a style (Rolex excluded) that lacks imagination or thought, but whatever we might think of it, it's a style that's here to stay and will no doubt be reproduced and reinterpreted for as long as we wear wristwatches.
SETIMA Watches a new dive watch company based in Augsburg Germany have taken this well known style of dive watches and added their own twist by means of a number of customization and personalization options allowing the wearer to make an individual timepiece that reflects their own personality. All their watches are made by skilled craftsmen in Switzerland and as such have been given the seal 'Swiss Made' on their dials.
Of the many customizations options that are available the bezel colors are the most striking. SETIMA offer a selection of no less than 11 different bezel colors. Strange then that there are only two dial colors, black or white. These dials are offered in two formats; classic or pure. The classic is more typical looking whereas the pure is a sterile dial marked out only with hour markers and a minimal amount of text.
There are two Superluminova applied handsets offered; straight or sword with a choice of three second hand colors; red, black or white. The watch cases have been crafted from 316-L Aisi stainless steel; finishes for the cases and bracelets include polished, semi-polished or matte. I'm surprised that no pvd or dlc options are available. The watches, which are protected by sapphire crystals are water-resistant to 500m or 50atm. They have been fitted with ETA 2824 Swiss automatic movements.
One final customization that is available, if you hadn't already deduced from the 'OCEANICTIME' text on the dials and casebacks (shown) is the ability to have any name or text that you desire printed and engraved on your watch, further individualizing it. SETIMA have just recently added a configuration tool to their website; it's worth an investigation if you like that sort of thing, but lacks the ability to allow you save your creation.
SETIMA Watches a new dive watch company based in Augsburg Germany have taken this well known style of dive watches and added their own twist by means of a number of customization and personalization options allowing the wearer to make an individual timepiece that reflects their own personality. All their watches are made by skilled craftsmen in Switzerland and as such have been given the seal 'Swiss Made' on their dials.
Of the many customizations options that are available the bezel colors are the most striking. SETIMA offer a selection of no less than 11 different bezel colors. Strange then that there are only two dial colors, black or white. These dials are offered in two formats; classic or pure. The classic is more typical looking whereas the pure is a sterile dial marked out only with hour markers and a minimal amount of text.
There are two Superluminova applied handsets offered; straight or sword with a choice of three second hand colors; red, black or white. The watch cases have been crafted from 316-L Aisi stainless steel; finishes for the cases and bracelets include polished, semi-polished or matte. I'm surprised that no pvd or dlc options are available. The watches, which are protected by sapphire crystals are water-resistant to 500m or 50atm. They have been fitted with ETA 2824 Swiss automatic movements.
One final customization that is available, if you hadn't already deduced from the 'OCEANICTIME' text on the dials and casebacks (shown) is the ability to have any name or text that you desire printed and engraved on your watch, further individualizing it. SETIMA have just recently added a configuration tool to their website; it's worth an investigation if you like that sort of thing, but lacks the ability to allow you save your creation.
MOVADO Master Collection (new)
By TLex You might remember me sneaking these non-divers up before (here and here). I have a bit of a thing for them so here they are yet again. There are two models: the Master and the Master Chronograph. The Master comes in three finishes, steel, black (pvd) or 18kt gold (highlights). The Chrono houses the ETA 7750, whereas the auto versions utilize 2892 calibers. All three models are based on the same 45mm case, which is water-resistant to 300m. Prices from 3'495USD (master black pvd). BAQUD25NAT9M
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