On Tuesday, June the 21st, 2011 in the German University town of Kiel, also a naval base and an important German harbor, in fact one of Germany's largest passenger ports. H2O Watches had a date with destiny and an appointment with Umwelt- und Meerestechnik Kiel GmbH (K.U.M.), a company specialized in the manufacture of deep sea instrumentation, specifically for the continuous development of Ocean-Bottom-Seismometer-Systems for the detection of subsea seismic movements or seaquakes.
The maritime location couldn't have been more apt for what was about to happen. And for what was possibly about to happen to the 3’000m Kalmar prototype, which was soon to be tested to a degree that only a very few dive watches have ever been tested to, let alone have survived to tell their tale!
Like the H2O Kalmar K.U.M.’s measuring instruments are also constructed from Grade 5 Titanium, a material chosen by both companies for its high resistance to pressure. G5 Titanium is more than four times more resistant to pressure compared to 316L stainless. These instruments are put to work in unarguably one the toughest environments that there are, and are tested to be able to perform up to 600 bar of pressure. That means they can be placed as deep as 6000 meters down. Although the H2O Kalmar bears a 3’000m water-resistance on its dial, H2O Watches had designed the watch in such a way that it should exceed its water-resistance, they just weren’t sure by how far.
H2O’s Clemens Helberg: “We knew it would have to at the very least exceed its WR by 25% and possibly more, but we’re conservative German’s and wanted to be cautious so we felt that the Kalmar’s 3’000m depth rating, which is still quite exceptional for a mechanical dive watch would be more appropriate, but were we in for a surprise?!’’
Two H2O Kalmar prototypes were successfully tested by K.U.M. to 600 bar of pressure. There was absolutely no leakage or damage to either watch. In fact the machine used to test the watches maxed-out at 600bar, so the watches might even have been able to take more pressure. H2O Watches were fully prepared to complete the testing with two destroyed prototypes, but returned home with two perfectly intact watches and an independent test certificate that says the H2O Kalmar is water-resistant to 6000m!
Test certificate from K.U.M. Germany to say that the H2O Kalmar successfully past testing up to 600 bar of pressure . . .
By TLex Because of the great success of the ARCHIMEDE SportTaucher, ARCHIMEDE have decided to introduce a new version of the popular dive watch with a solid stainless steel bezel, the new SportTaucher M, which was previewed on OceanicTime here and here. The watch has a distinctive German look, which comes from its manufacture by the famous German case manufacturer, ICKLER, which has been making watch cases since 1924. The SportTaucher M has been designed to be a tough and sporty dive watch. Each unit has been individually tested to 300m or 1000feet and still has all the features of the original 'A' model.
The case is brushed stainless-steel measuring a modest 41.5mm with a thickness of just 12mm, which means the watch is not just a serious diver, but also a comfortable every day wearer. Other features of SportTaucher M include a screwdown crown at four o'clock signed with the ARCHIMEDE 'A' logo, a tough sapphire crystal, and the ubiquitous work horse, the Swiss ETA 2824-2 movement.
Straps for the new SportTaucher M are are available in either genuine sharkskin or rubber. Also available for the watch is an all stainless steel bracelet with steel safety clasp and divers folding extension, to enable wearing the watch over a wetsuit.
The SportTaucher M is available directly from ARCHIMEDE for US customers priced at 895USD with leather strap or for 1065USD with steel bracelet (including shipping and US duties). For International customers the watch is priced at 595euro with leather strap or for 715euro with steel bracelet, plus shipping costs.
By TLex Last year Swiss watch manufacturer, ORIS took us to the Great Barrier Reef with their special edition diver. This year's destination is the Maldives, where ORIS also aim to help protect Marine life that includes endangered species like the majestic Manta Ray, which ORIS have payed homage to by featuring a Manta Ray logo on the caseback of the new diver. ORIS will be donating 20CHF to environmental NGO Bluepeace with each of the 2'000 Limited Edition Maldives dive watches sold. It's nice to see watch companies getting involved with marine conservation, I wish more would do it especially when we consider the huge markups there are on big brand Swiss watches.
The Maldives LE features a 43mm titanium case with a double domed AR coated sapphire crystal and a water-resistance or 300m / 1000 ft or 30bar. It is fitted with an automatic helium valve at (9 o’clock) and a stainless steel screw-down crown (3 o’clock) guarded by titanium crown protectors, which are fixed with distinctive Oris screws for added security. The unidirectional rotational divers bezel has a stunning dark blue ceramic inlay engraved with a 60 minute scale which can be used for precision timing for diving. The indices and hands of the Maldives LE have been applied with Swiss Superluminova in dark orange for increased legibility of the time / dive time even when under water.
From ORIS Stop the Countdown for the Maldives With each Oris Maldives Limited Edition watch a contribution of 20 CHF is made to Bluepeace. Following the success of the Oris Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition in 2010, Oris proudly presents the Maldives Limited Edition Series for 2011. Limited to 2000 pieces, CHF 20 per watch will be donated to environmental NGO Bluepeace, to help protect endangered marine life in the Maldives.
Available in a titanium case, the back of this unique divers watch features the Manta Ray Logo, paying homage to the endangered species. The dark blue ceramic inlay on the unidirectional revolving top ring comes with an engraved 60 minute scale which can be used for precision timing for diving and other sporting activities. The indices and hands of the time piece are in Superluminova dark orange – resulting in an easy to read timepiece even when under water.
The logo on the back of the Oris Maldives Limted Edition watch shows the famous and endangered Manta Rays. The titanium crown protector is fixed with distinctive Oris screws for added security and the double curved sapphire crystal is coated with an inside anti-reflex layer. The buckles of the rubber strap and metal bracelet can easily be adjusted to the desired length for comfortable fitting. Water resistant to 30bar (300 m 1000 ft), the Oris Maldives Limited Edition is perfect for serious Scuba Divers along with those looking for the stylish aesthetics of a beautiful functional divers watch.
* Oris Maldives Limited Edition No. 643 7654 7185 RS or MB, Ø 43.00mm Limited to 2000 pieces * Automatic mechanical movement Oris 643 with centre hands for both hours and minutes, subsidiary second at 9h, date window
* Multi-piece Titanium case with unidirectional revolving top ring and ceramic inlay with engraved 60 minutes scale
* Inside and outside doomed sapphire crystal with non reflective coating on the inside
* Automatic helium valve at 9 o’clock position and stainless steel screw-in crown at 3 o’clock position
* Case back with special Manta Ray logo
* Water resistant to 30 bar / 300 metres
* Blue dial with applied indices filled with Superluminova in dark orange colour
* Easy adjustable black rubber strap with folding clasp or
* Multi-piece titanium metal bracelet with folding clasp
* Set Multipurpose soft pouch and Limited edition certificate
By TLex ARMIDA Watches are very kindly offering all OceanicTime readers a 100USD discount on ALL versions of the A1 Diver. That means the Miyota is now only 399USD and the ETA with its fantastic domed crystal can be your for 599USD. When placing your online order with CCNow all you need do is enter the coupon code 'OCEANICTIME'. Many thanks to ARMIDA Watches for their generous offer . . .
By TLex I'm really not sure what to make of this new brand from . . . Italy? Really?! On paper the watches have some fairly reasonable specs. A 46mm AISI 316L Stainless Steel case with a water-resistance of 300m housing an ETA caliber 2824-2 mechanical with automatic winding, a domed AR coated sapphire crystal, black enamel dial with applied luminescent indexes with blue hue and a custom adjustable rubber divers strap.
But then there's all this unnecessary text everywhere. We've got Superlative Design (not superlative chronometer), Original Sea God Design (not original gas escape valve), and Professional Diver Instruments (not divers instrument) plastered all over the dial. They've even used 'design' twice for sea-god's sake! Then there's the bezel system, which if I'm correct is a two part design. The outer, which is a fixed bezel with 12 titanium screws (wonder if they're real screws or faux) with wave design . . .
OK I've just answered my own question; anyone got a wave-head screw driver handy! The inner (that's inner not internal) part, which is a unidirectional bezel is in fact a ceramic disc with no apparent means for gripping it. Try setting that with a wet divers glove! I think it would be fairly safe to assume that the team who designed this watch probably have little dive experience if any at all. The case design itself is a generic Rolex-type design, nothing special even with all the embellishments.
However I’m not ashamed to admit that there are some design elements that I do quite like though. If you were to remove 90% of the text from the dial, you might be able to notice its applied circular white markers with blue lume à la DEEP SEA. They’re nice! I have no quibble with the handset either, apart from the silly triangle in the center of the hour hand’s arrow head. Then there's the 'Sea Doo' (oops I meant Sea God) engraved case side, again totally unnecessary, but kind of cool. Nothing wrong with the Maserati-type trident logo engraved caseback either, it seems securely bolted down by its 12 titanium screws.
With that said I’m still passing on the Sea God, which will no doubt be coming to a shopping mall near you, soon! PS I have no idea on pricing, sorry!
By TLex A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough up to meet up with Ben, the owner and founder of TEMPEST Watches. Ben, who comes from Toronto, Canada, but now lives in Hong Kong was in Taipei on watch business, it was also my birthday, so I invited Ben and the Viking along for some drinks and so was able to discuss at great length the watch and his plans for it and for the Tempest Watch Company.
What I learnt from the offset was that Ben is a fastidious young man, who takes his work very seriously, continually adjusting and correcting the very smallest details of his design. He has worked extremely hard getting the Viking to look just the way he wanted. The result, a design that is as detailed as it is clean and is as brutish as it is refined.
The next day I met with Ben again to look over some hand drawings for his next model (it's also gonna be hot!) and had the opportunity to take these shots of the Viking. I should reiterate that this is a prototype and as such is not yet quite perfect. One thing that the sharp-eyed of you might spot is that the '50' font on the bezel is upside down, this will of course be corrected along with a number of other minor issues that Ben was unhappy with, such as the crown guards, which will be slightly elongated and made to graduate into case side.
So what were my first impressions of the watch? Well, from first glance it wasn't hard to see, where some of the inspiration for the Viking had come from. There are certainly elements from the DEEP SEA in the case design, and of course from its glossy black ceramic bezel inlay, but also from details like all the lovely beveling on the case sides that seem to draw inspiration from the RM 028.
But it's the combination of these two looks as well as striking features such as the Viking's extra high cog-like bezel design or its unique doubled tiered crown. And details such as its HEV framed with double rings and the polished beveling on the case sides and the bracelet complete with hex-screws that make the Viking truly its own thing.
On the wrist the Viking felt great, not so much weight as to feel uncomfortable, but certainly enough to feel that you're wearing a substantial timepiece. The fit and finish (considering it was a prototype) was really excellent. The attention to detail? See for yourself! The DLC version was also gorgeous. There are no shots of the caseback or the bracelet clasp at the moment, because at this stage they were not yet finished, but the caseback will feature a cool Viking ship engraving and the clasp will possibly be a push-button type clasp with divers extender.
Now, TEMPEST Watches are just days away from the highly anticipated launch of their new website and the opening of pre-orders for the Viking. There's a cool countdown clock on their page indicating time left until launch; my last look showed it was just 8 days away!
From TUTIMA A watch by Tutima is always something special. For everyone who regards time as something to be cherished and accordingly sees a watch as an instrument that does far more than merely tell the time, Tutima instrument watches are the brand of choice.
The new Pacific Black is yet another highlight in a series that was designed with perfection and precision in mind for the world of water sports. A watch that not only makes a statement, but that can cope with even the toughest conditions: the stainless steel case and bracelet have been specially hardened in a sophisticated high-tech process and then given a black PVD coating (physical vapor deposition).
The extra-hard base ensures that the PVD coating is particularly long-lasting and largely scratch-resistant. In other words, the owner of a Pacific has no need to worry about his watch when tackling challenges under extreme conditions, but can concentrate entirely on his own performance.
By TLex I haven't come across many black sub clones on my travels; this one looks quite reasonable. The Black Ternos by DAVOSA is a limited edition of just 333 pieces. It has a water-resistance of 200m and houses an ETA 2824-2. See below for further details . . .
From DAVOSA Black watches are by no means simply a passing trend, but instead represent a special kind of watch finishing. The elaborate PVD coating procedure used in creating these watches means that the watch surface is many times harder than steel. This exceptional feature, coupled with its unique look, were reason enough for DAVOSA to cloak its classic Ternos divers automatic wristwatch in a black protective coating and issue a limited edition of only 333 pieces worldwide. The Black Ternos Limited Edition is now available to purchase from 538 euros.
PVD 'The dark material' The letters PVD are often mentioned in connection with black coated watches. The acronym stands for Physical Vapour Deposition, an industrial production technique used to temper tools. This physical process makes the temper of the resultant steel much harder than normal steel – it even approaches the celebrated hardness of diamond.
This high-tech process can be simplified as follows: A special hard material is bombarded by lasers or electrons in a vacuum, thus ‘vaporising’ it so that it can then be deposited as a black layer on another object – in this case, a watch case. The advantages of this procedure are the high density of the coating, that the original surface structure remains intact and adhesion to the case is very strong. All of this ensures that the owner of a Black Ternos can enjoy his special edition black model for many years to come.
CASE Stainless steel with black PVD plating
STRAP Stainless steel with black PVD plating
MOVEMENT ETA 2824-2 Dial: Black with applied figures
GLASS Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with loupe
WATERRes. 20 ATM water resistance (200m)
DIMENSIONS 40 mm Height: 12.5 mm
WEIGHT 110 g
LE Numbered on the back of the case from 001 to 333/333
By TLex Luxury fashion house LOUIS VUITTON with the help of Paul Pettavino, a young boy, who suffers with Duchenne muscular dystrophy give the Tambour DIVER a HOT new look for charity watch auction 'Only Watch 2011'. The one of a kind diver is constructed from Black Gold; that's white gold with a specialized PVD treatment. Its dial includes an inner rotational divers bezel, applied luminous orange markers and an orange 'diver down' flag sub dial which compliments its bright orange rubber divers strap. By the way orange is Paul's favorite color! Its caseback, which is transparent includes an 'Only Watch 2011' engraving and a clear view onto the LJP 8181 calibre with column wheel powering the chronograph movement. The diver comes in a special presentation box in Damier Graphite canvas, with a personal message and a nautical sound record realized by Paul himself. The watch is water-resistant to 100 meters . . .
By TLex Congratulations, Tin Horvat, OceanicTime reader, who was the lucky winner of the Bell & Ross MARINE photo contest. Here's his winning entry featuring his cute little boy, Bruno!
