By TLex Stunning isn’t it! This is the Kalmar 2 Mokume Gane from H2O Watches, the only dive watch of its kind in the world! And there are just a few days left to grab one of them at its specially discounted pre-order price! Interested parties should follow the link HERE . . .
By TLex The king is dead, long live the customization king! It’s the watch the started it all, the one that put H2O Watches on the map; FIRST introduced in 2010; after 5 years the KALMAR I is making a return, next month and it promises to be even better than the original thanks to a few design and engineering tweaks! I’m sure that customization will once again play its role in the Kalmar I 2016’s launch, but apart from that here are the few details that I can share with you: The watch will have a 3000 meter water-resistance Stainless steel case with a display caseback in its standard configuration. Pre-orders will start at the beginning of December 2015 with a pre-order package that will include: 3 bezels and 3 crown guards in Ss, DLC and Bronze. Expected delivery is January 2016. Stay tuned for more soon . . . .
By TLex Just in case you didn’t get your STEINHART DLC fix HERE; here’s another new DLC release from them. The new STEINHART Ocean FORTY-FOUR Automatic DLC takes one of the most recognizable dive watch styles and gives it a new sleek black aesthetic. The watch has some playful sporty elements such as the OCEAN FORTY-FOUR branding and PROFESSIONAL DIVE WATCH text on the chapter ring. On the caseback, an engraving depicting the Neptune, the God being pulled on a Seahorse drawn chariot. Basic spec. includes: 44mm x 13.6mm Stainless steel case with matt black DLC, sapphire crystal, double anti-reflection coating inside, water-resistance 300 meters, ETA 2824-2 Elabore. There are only 200 pieces available, worldwide. Price is 460€incl. 19% VAT or 387€excl. 19% VAT. Follow the link HERE for more on how to order.
By TLex Introducing the next iteration of one of Zodiac’s most important collections, the Super Sea Wolf 68. Its technical specifications include: 1000 meters of water-resistance, a threaded top ring, heritage blaze-orange color detailing, vintage-style Sapphire crystal, exclusive expansion bracelet, a Swiss made STP1-11 automatic mechanical movement. Very nice, but the question on my lips is – is the Super Sea Wolf with the buzz-saw bezel also coming and if so when?
By TLex JB: ‘’Does it do anything?” Q: “It tells the time!” – Apart from time telling, the Seamaster 300 worn by 007 in SPECTRE has a very cool extra function. Watch the video to see the story behind the making of this very special watch. And don’t worry if you haven’t seen SPECTRE, yet; there aren’t any spoilers! SPECTRE's cast and crew, which includes Daniel Craig, reveal the blueprint behind the OMEGA Seamaster 300 that was for 007’s mission.
By TLex Check out the stunning new Oris Aquis Small Second, Date with its shimmering sun-ray blue dial! See full details of the watch HERE. Read up on the new ORIS Divers SIXTY-FIVE Deauville BLUE . . .
By TLex Introducing the Ocean One Vintage in matt black DLC, yet another striking new version of STEINHART’s popular vintage-Sub inspired diver. A fine example of old school and current dive watch design philosophies coming together in complete harmony; something that STEINHART keeping getting right, over and over again. Starting with its glossy black bezel inlay marked-out in silver and highlighted with a single red triangular 12hr marker, a nod to one of the dive watch greats - a retro-style golden handset contrasted against a dark gray dial with bulges old-radium-colored lume for that added touch of authenticity - all topped off with a highly domed Sapphire crystal in the style of the acrylic crystals used for divers of the past; another great looking retro-diver from STEINHART! Basic spec. includes: 42mm x 15mm Stainless steel case with matt black DLC, sapphire crystal, double anti-reflection coating inside, water-resistance 300 meters, ETA 2824-2 Elabore. There are only 200 pieces available, worldwide. Price is 510€incl. 19% VAT or 429€excl. 19% VAT. Follow the link HERE for more on how to order.
By TLex There are no boundaries, no limits to the extraordinary strength of mind and body of free-diving champion, Guillaume Néry. Catch a glimpse into his underwater world in this latest TV Spot for Ball Watch Co.’s Engineer Master II Diver. Read my review of Ball's fantastic 3000M Diver, the Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST.
By TLex Here’s a new model from Ball Watch Co. The Engineer Master II Diver has a Stainless steel measuring 42mm x 14.5mm. Divers features include: an AR-coated Sapphire crystal and an illuminated unidirectional rotating inner divers bezel. Water-resistant is to 300 meters. Ball divers are known for their fantastic dial displays and luminosity; this model is no different. Its black vertically striped dial boasts 52 micro gas tubes on the hour, minute, and seconds hands and the dial markers. It is powered by Swiss automatic mechanical movement, the Ball caliber RR1102 based on an ETA 2836-2 with 25 jewels, 28,800 vph and a power-reserve of 38 hours. The Ball Watch Engineer Master II Diver comes on a steel bracelet with folding divers buckle or a black rubber divers strap.
By TLex The French have been inextricably linked to the dive watch industry right from its very infancy in the early 50s, when Blancpain were first approached by two World War II heroes from the French Free Forces. Captain Bob Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud were looking for a timing instrument to equip the members of the elite Combat Diving School that they commanded – and so with the help of the then Blancpain CEO and fellow diver, Jean-Jacques Fiechter; the iconic Fifty Fathoms was born. The rest as they say; is history! Another Frenchman, who played a massive role in the dive watch industry, was ex-French naval officer, explorer, conservationist and underwater filmmaker and photographer, Jacques Cousteau, who co-developed the Aqua-Lung. He was known to have worn a number of different divers models, but is most remembered for his Omega and Doxa divers, in particular his PloProf. IWC have made a Special Edition of the Aquatimer in his honor for its past three generations. It was a Frenchman, Henri G. Delauze and a French commercial dive specialist, COMEX that was ultimately responsible for the Helium Escape Valve that first appeared on a Rolex Sea-Dweller and became such a familiar feature of a modern dive watch. To this day Rolex continue to work closely with COMEX perfecting and testing their dive watches. Here’s a look some of the French divers that have been posted on OceanicTime over the past 7 years or more, an eclectic mix dive watches that covers everything from historic icons like the ZRC Grands Fonds to the quirky Marine from Alain Silberstein and everything else in-between. If I’ve missed anything, please let me know. Here it is Alain Silberstein's MARINE, not for everyone but guaranteed to put a smile on your face one way or the other! Two names that go back decades are Auricoste and Spirotechnique; here's the latest model, the PROFESSIONNEL. It has been more than 5 years since Bell & Ross did anything with their flagship diver, the BR02. The French and the fashion industry go hand in hand; sometimes this close association spills over into the world of dive watches and not always with same degree of success - judge for yourself, the new CARTIER Calibre de Cartier DIVER, the CHANEL J12 MARINE, the DIOR Chiffres Rouge PLONGEUR and the HERMES ClipperSPORT And here is where fashion and dive watches imho possibly mix quite well, the Louis Vuitton TAMBOUR Diver. MATWATCHES have been working with the French Military since they started making watches. Here's their latest model made for the RAID 30th Anniversary (below).
Sport chic - the MICHEL HERBELIN Newport Trophy GRAND SPORT. RICHARD MILLE produce some of the most complicated and expensive dive watches that there are - here's his latest, the RM028 Orange FLASH. Close friends of OceanicTime for many years are Parisians, RALF TECHone of the great new French dive watch brands. They have had many collaborative projects with the French Special Forces. Here's a favorite, the WRX «T» Millenium HYBRID for Nageurs de COMBAT. New to dive watches from French Manufacture, PEQUIGNET is the Royale 300, pictured below. And of course the newly reborn ZRC Grands Fonds 300 pictured a little further up. For all my friends and readers in France; you are in our thoughts and prayers - vive la France!
By TLex Oris’s retro diver, the SIXTY-FIVE, which is based on a 50 year old design has been given a new look thanks to a two-tone grey and light Deauville blue dial option, inspired by 1960s color palette in particular the styles of upmarket French seaside resort of Deauville. I spent some memorable holidays as teenager in neighboring, Trouville, it’s a lovely part of the world. Following in footsteps of the black-dialed, Divers Sixty-Five, it has the same case shape and size, and the same signature green SuperLumiNova numerals. However, now the watch is being offered with a two-tone dial in grey and light Deauville blue, a color a little more evocative reminiscent of the sea. The light Deauville blue color is comes straight from the 1960s, and particularly from the cars, clothing and interiors seen during the period in one of its most stylish resorts, Deauville on northern France’s Normandy coast. As before, it’s powered by an automatic movement, and comes with a choice of a black rubber strap or a black textile strap. Main Features of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Ref. No. 733 7707 4065 include: a 40.00mm diameter multi-piece Stainless steel case housing an automatic movement, the Oris Cal. 733, based on Sellita SW200, with date at 6 o’clock. Divers features include: a bubble-curved Sapphire crystal domed on both sides and with anti-reflective coating on its inside, a unidirectional rotating divers bezel with black aluminum inlay with 60-minute timer and zero marker filled with SuperLumiNova and a screwdown Stainless steel crown. Water-resistance is 10 bar/100m. Could someone, please explain to me why Oris couldn’t manage another hundred meters of WR? Surely it wouldn’t have compromised the watch’s looks in anyway. I mean, they do call it ‘’divers’’, right? Said two-tone grey and light Deauville blue curved dial is with printed SuperLumiNova numerals and markers. Hour, minute and second nickel hands are also filled with SuperLumiNova. The Divers SIXTY-FIVE Deauville BLUE comes on a black rubber divers strap with a Stainless steel buckle. It is also available with a black textile strap with a Stainless steel buckle. Its Swiss retail price is 1750CHF.