CHRISTOPHER WARD C60 Apex Limited Edition

British watchmaker, Christopher has teamed up with Swiss skeleton watch pioneers, Armin Strom to create the brand’s most ambitious-looking diver to date.

This is the new C60 Apex Limited Edition watch which comes five years after the release of the Caliber SH21, Britain’s first commercially viable movement in half a decade.



The C60 Apex Limited Edition celebrates this milestone with use of a special architectural aesthetic that reveals as much of SH21 as possible.



The watch comes with features such as a Helium Escape Valve, power-reserve indicator and for the first time in CW’s diver family, an exhibition case-back.



This affords views of the decorated Caliber SH21 housed inside its 42mm in diameter, marine-grade Stainless steel, 300m water-resistant case.



A navy blue and orange color scheme with anodized orange power-reserve indicator itself sat on a 3D bridge at 9 o'clock take care of the watch’s sporty, semi-open-work dial -
while the SH21's exposed hour wheel is surrounded by vertically lined plating. The Apex's raised indexes and hands: brushed, polished and multi-faceted are filled with Grade X1 GL C1 SLN.



The dial is then topped with a museum-grade Sapphire crystal which is surrounded by a zirconia ceramic bezel diver’s bezel. It’s all very nice!



The SH21 is has a ton of cool design features such as its aluminum and tungsten construction. The tungsten used for its rotor for example has been hollowed-out and finished in anodized orange.



The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres certified SH21 is a twin barrel movement so can deliver up 120hrs of autonomy from a full wind.



The 100-piece Limited Edition is available in three variants one with a steel bracelet and two strap models. Prices are from 3,495GBP. You can preorder now for the end of September.



Thoughts? This is a pretty cool release; quite unexpected from CW who are better known for perhaps a more classic take on modern dive watches. What do you think?

MARCH-LA.B Belza SURFER

Here’s a something from small French lifestyle watch brand, MARCH-LA.B who are calling this, their debut dive watch, the Belza a ‘’surfer’’ rather than a ‘’diver’’ staying true to their boarding roots.



The made in France Belza surf watch takes its name from the Villa Belza in La Côte des Basques, Biarritz where it sits on the shoreline and can be seen by the surfers in the lineup.

There’s a Villa Belza motif on the case-back of the watch BTW. There are tons of strap variants as well as some dial and a bezel options available. Basic spec. is as follows.



A 40mm in diameter 316L Stainless steel case with: a thickness 16mm, aluminum black rotating bezel, screwed crown,

automatic Miyota 8215 caliber, matte enamel dial, AR-treated Sapphire crystal and 200m of water-resistance.



Thoughts? Quite a nice looking albeit generic diver, sorry - surfer with one or two nice design touches such as the engraved crown and bezel BUT . . .

a 1,445€ price tag for a non-hacking Miyota 8215 which is essentially a 34USD movement; is (and you’ll have to excuse my French here, folks) optimistic as f#ck; in fact it is bordering on taking the bloody piss, but hey, if they can sell them for that all power to them.

OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M ULTRA LIGHT

[UPDATE MSRP is 48,600USD!!!]

Is that clunky diver of yours giving you a bit of wrist-ache?

Perhaps it’s time to unshackle yourself from that block of steel and explore an altogether lighter approach to your daily wrist attire.



Here’s a 150m non-diving Seamaster that looks like it might make an interesting proposition. It even has one or two neat little tricks tucked up its sleeves.

Designed for active comfort, the new Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light could be the ultimate sportsman’s watch.



Lightweight, unobtrusive and eye-catching, this ergonomically designed new member of the Aqua Terra 150M family promises to complement your look – without cramping your style or indeed your wrist.



It has been built with less weight and more comfort in mind thanks to its ultra-light-weight hypoallergenic Titanium case construction.

Worn on its sporty fabric strap it weighs a mere 55 grams!



In fact the Aqua Terra Ultra Light makes use of two types of Titanium and a touch of aluminum, to keep it sitting comfortably on your wrist.

In addition to the watch’s main-case – the case-back and crown are made from an alloy called Gamma Titanium.



This strong yet lightweight material is typically used in the aeronautical industry. It makes its Omega debut on the Ultra Light.

Then there’s its push-in telescopic crown, which can be stowed inside the case when not in use.



This ergonomic function delivers added comfort ensuring that an otherwise protruding crown could not get in the way of your hands.



Even more Ti can be found on the Ultra Light’s dial which has been made using sandblasted Titanium Grade 5. It features stripes in negative relief.

Omega has also cleverly reduced the amount of material used on the back of the dial, further helping to lessen its overall weight.



The striped dial recalls the classic Aqua Terra design, but comes with its own sporty look. While time can be read at a glance thanks to easy-to-read blackened hands and indexes.

The case of the Ultra Light is topped with scratch-resistant, ceramic , an Omega go-to watchmaking material.



Presented on a patterned black rubber strap with colored stitching, the Ultra Light also comes with an additional fabric strap for superb sporting comfort.



So we have a Ti case and components, a Ti dial – how about the movement? Well as luck would have it this has also been made from Titanium!



Omega’s first-ever Titanium movement powers their lightest-ever sports watch. Beating inside this featherweight is a Master Chronometer certified Caliber 8928 Ti.



This high-tech Titanium-constructed, Co-Axial, twin-barrel, caliber is in fact a 29 jewel hand-wound movement. It has a power-reserve of 72hrs.



Finally the dulcet tones of the Ultra Light’s matt finish case and dial are punctuated by boldly colored aluminum seconds hand, Seamaster logo, quarter hour indexes and strap stitching.

There’s a choice of red, green or blue. I’d take green hands down – no, blue, perhaps red – how bout’ you?



Thoughts? Is it time to retire the diver? Not just yet but I believe that even the most die-hard of dive watch collectors should have at least one good quality non-diver in their stable. Is this a worthy contender?

Not deep enough? Check out Omega’s NEW SUPER DIVER!

SQUALE SUB-39 60 Years SE [the one that got away]

Here’s one little Italian shark that we won’t be catching anytime soon – this 50 piece Limited Edition made in honor of Squale’s 60th Anniversary is SOLD OUT.

And more’s the pity because this would have been a hugely popular release, a far more interesting prospect than the somewhat lackluster 50 ATM Edition Anniversaire was.



Squale created the limited edition connecting their past with the present and once again highlighting their diving pedigree.



Sixty years ago Charles Von Büren gave birth to the Squale brand whose watches have become synonymous in the world of diver’s watches.



Designed on the case of a Squale watch from the 1970s, the SUB-39 is in Stainless steel – measuring just 39mm in diameter with a lug-to-lug length of 48.5mm and a height of 12.5mm.



Housed in the modestly sized case is a Swiss made 26 jewel Sellita SW 200 automatic movement "REGLAGE ELABORÉ".



Special features include: a special 7mm crown, a box-shaped Sapphire crystal, Old Radium lume on hands and dial and 60 years dial and case-back markings. WR is 300m.



MSRP was 1,190CHF. The lucky purchasers of the Squale SUB-39 60 Years Special Edition will have their watches delivered from September 1st.

DEEP BLUE Watches DIVER 1000 ABALONE

DEEP BLUE Watches are in the process of rolling out a number of new models as well some new takes on older models – here’s a look at their first offering.



This is the NEW Diver 1000 Abalone collection which comes with 5 colorful abalone shell dials. Choose from: blue, green, orange, red or purple.



Some of these such as the orange, red and green variants have color-coded sweep seconds while the blue and purple models get contrasting red and orange second hands (respectively).



In addition to the 5 dials: the collection is also offered in two sizes variations: 40 or 44mm; a possible his and hers situation.



Beyond those striking Abalone dials, it’s business as usual – basic spec. includes a robust 316L Stainless steel case with:

manual HEV (10 o’clock) AR-coated Sapphire crystal, a 120-click unidirectional lumed bezel, a screw-down case-back and crown and 1000ft / 330m of water-resistance.



Power comes from a Japan Seiko caliber NH35 automatic movement with 21,600 VPH, 24 Jewels and a date. Hour markers and hands are with SLN.

The Diver 1000 Abalone is delivered on solid 3-link or Oyster, Jubilee Stainless steel bracelet.



Thoughts? A solid little number from DB that is sure to brighten up your day, but don’t be fooled by those intense Abalone dials –

as you can see from the case-back image at the bottom of this post these are built like little tanks!

JAEGER-LeCOULTRE Polaris DATE Blue LIMITED EDITION

JLC has a new POLARIS; this stunning Blue Limited Edition which joins other models in the Polaris line that was first launched at the SIHH in Geneva last year.

Jaeger LeCoultre has extended the Polaris collection to include this special new creation: the Polaris Date in Limited Edition and my-oh-my, what a pretty little thing she is.



Produced in a limited series of 800 pieces, the new Polaris Date combines the JLC manufacture’s high-watchmaking expertise with modern proportions, vintage design cues as well as several notable aesthetic changes.



Taking its inspiration from the 70s Polaris II, the Polaris Date features a new hand-lacquered, blue double-gradient dial with a sun-rayed, grained and opaline finish, unique to this special model.



The central disc and main dial now each incorporate a shimmering, color-change effect - from deep turquoise to a brilliant shade of royal blue.

The blue rubber Clous de Paris strap, also unique to the model, is color-matched to the inner bezel, which, like the original Memovox Polaris and Polaris II, rotates for added functionality.



In keeping with the signature style of the Polaris collection, the Polaris Date is instantly recognizable thanks to its elongated Arabic numerals, trapezoidal hour markers, and baton-style hands.



These elements are each treated with SLN to provide maximum legibility in low-light scenarios. For this application, the luminescent coating is vanilla-tinted, another nod to the famed Polaris watches of the 60s and 70s.



Despite all the vintage touches, the Polaris Date is a fundamentally modern creation. Incorporating brushed and hand-polished surfaces



Crafted from Stainless steel, its case measures 42mm in diameter and is water resistant to 200 meters. It makes use of brushed and hand-polished surfaces for a refined yet sport aesthetic.

The watch is a compressor-type diver so has two prominent crowns—one to adjust the time, the other to control an inner rotational diver’s bezel.



Housed within the compressor case is a precision automatic movement, the in-house Caliber 899A/1 with a date (displayed through an aperture at 3 o’clock position). It has a power-reserve of 38 hours.



It’s secured by a closed case-back, which has four special engravings, including a SCUBA diving insignia, the Jaeger-LeCoultre crest, and the phrase “1000 HOURS CONTROL” which refers to –

the remarkable 1000hrs of testing that it has undergone before leaving the JLC Manufacture. Finally, the words “Limited edition - One of 800” are inscribed near backing’s outer edge.



Taking inspiration from the historic model that was developed at the suggestion of the American market, and produced between 1965 and 1968 –

the new Polaris collection pays homage by continuing to use vintage design elements, such as its three-ring concentric dial layout, rotating inner bezel, and multi-crown case.



However it has been entirely redesigned for today, with shorter lugs, a slimmer bezel, ergonomic crowns, and a Sapphire glass box crystal.

Ref. Q9068681 is a Limited Edition of 800 pieces it has an MSRP of 8,250USD excl. Sales Tax.



Thoughts? Good size, good color and extremely good-looking!

It mightn’t be the most hardcore of diver’s but what it lacks in brute force it makes up for in finesse which it has in spades. You like?