HELM Watches Vanuatu [taking the helm]

By TLex They say that good things come to those that wait! And in the case of HELM Watches’ debut diver, the Vanuatu, it’s been 10 long weeks since HELM Watches revealed themselves to the dive watch community, so I am pleased to be able to finally announce that not only is the Vanuatu ‘a good thing’ but it is ready for immediate worldwide shipping!



Let’s start with the Vanuatu’s name which is simply taken from the name of the South Pacific Ocean nation that is made up of around 80 islands stretching 1.3 thousand kilometers and offering excellent scuba diving of its coral reefs, underwater caverns and wrecks such as the WWII-era troopship SS President Coolidge.



The Vanuatu watch by comparison is pretty simple with a no nonsense rugged style. It’s quite German in that respect. You might recognize some of the design cues such as the simple block hands à la Sinn U1 or the Marathon-style bezel teeth, perhaps there’s even a resemblance to watches such as Korsbek’s Oceaneer, so it will likely appeal to fans of all of the above.



The Vanuatu’s 45m case and its components are in brushed 316L Stainless steel. Divers features include: a screwdown caseback and crown with integrated crown guards, a flat Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on its inside,

a 120-click type unidirectional rotational divers bezel with a Stainless steel insert with a black PVD coating and 5-min dive-time scale in white Luminescent material which emits a blue afterglow – and a water-resistance to 300 meters.



The Vanuatu has been tested in accordance to ISO 6425, which means that among other things, each and every watch was tested in water at 37.5 bar (125% of its 30 bar depth rating. The details of the test procedure are explained more fully on the helmwatches.com website under the "INFO" tab.



Total measurements of the Vanuatu are as follows: diameter (12H to 6H): 42mm, diameter (9H to 3H): 45mm, lug to lug: 50mm, lug width: 22mm, height: 14mm.

Power comes from a reliable Seiko Instruments NH35 automatic mechanical movement with hacking seconds, manual winding, 24 jewels, a beat-rate of 21,600 per hour, an accuracy: -25 ~ +35 seconds/day and a power-reserve of 40hrs.



The watch includes a Stainless steel bracelet with a folding divers clasp and a nylon strap with a choice of strap color and hardware finish.
Accessories currently available include: nylon and leather straps and a spring bar tool, which will be available at a discount when purchased with a watch.



The price for the Vanuatu is 350USD + 45USD worldwide shipping worldwide, so we are talking quite a lot of watch delivered for a snip under 400USD.

Hopefully coming soon from HELM Watches will be additional models (including a solar-quartz version of the Vanuatu) and some additional accessories, including additional nylon straps and a rubber strap.



For further details please follow the link embedded, below . . .