Dive Watches · Page 89

Oris Divers Sixty-Five Review

The Oris Divers Sixty-Five collection has found a receptive and substantial audience since its introduction in 2015, firmly establishing itself as one the Swiss brand's most versatile and creatively innovative product families. Whether it's the retro appeal of its original 1960s design, the exclusivity of the Carl Brashear editions, or the playful pastels of the Cotton Candy models, the Oris Diver Sixty-Five has something for just about any type of watch enthusiast. Here is a comprehensive rundown of the line, from its mid-sixties inspiration to today.  1965: The Original Waterpoof Oris started making watches in 1904 in the Swiss town of Hölstein, where it is still based today. The brand made its first purpose-built dive watch in 1965, naming it the Oris Waterproof and targeting the era’s growing masses of recreational diving enthusiasts - many of whom were likely seeking a more affordable alternative to prohibitively priced genre pioneers like the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. The Waterproof was a product of its time, with a case made of chromium-plated brass, a crystal made of Plexiglas, and a strap made of sturdy but decidedly non-luxurious black rubber. The case, with a dive-scale bezel that rotated in both directions, measured a rather modest 36mm and housed a manually wound mechanical movement, the 17-jewel Oris Caliber 654; at the time, Oris made most of its own movements in-house. This historical divers’ model (above, right), while never a...

The Spinnaker Hull Pearl Diver blends technical and technicolour

The well-established microbrand gives its brawny diver a slew of mother-of-pearl dials.The post The Spinnaker Hull Pearl Diver blends technical and technicolour appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Raketa’s Dive Watch is Made from a Recycled Nuclear Submarine

The Raketa Sonar is a unique take on a dive watch. Featuring a funky, 1970s design with a colourful, 24-hour display – that was designed with the help of a Soviet navy captain – the Sonar has 200 m of water resistance. Two versions are available, a regular production and a limited edition – but it’s the latter that stands out. Both have steel cases, but the limited edition Sonar Kashalot has a bezel fabricated from titanium taken from the hull of the K-322 Kashalot, an Akula-class nuclear submarine that was deployed by the Soviet navy and decommissioned in 2019. Initial thoughts Known for its ostentatiously retro styling strongly evocative of Soviet-era timekeepers, Raketa sticks to its specialty with the Sonar. The design follows the mantra of form follows function: every aspect is catered to someone working in a nuclear-powered submariner. The 24-hour scale, for example, is useful since there is neither night nor day in a submarine. While the execution may not be to everyone’s taste, the originality of the concept is unmistakable. Recycled metal from Soviet nuclear submarines aren’t exactly rare – the Kashalot weighed over 14,000 tonnes fully loaded – but it gives the Sonar an additional degree of novelty and appeal. The submarine-titanium bezel is, however, substantially more expensive and only found on the limited edition. The standard model costs €1,900, and is the quality is as expected for the price. Raketa has improved its quality in recent years,...

Best of 2023: Value Propositions Below US$10,000

While the headline-grabbing watches of the year often featuring big complications and equally hefty prices, the year’s new launches also included a good number of value buys – both bang for the buck and accessibly priced. We have assembled a list highlighting the best value propositions of 2023, focusing on watches below US$10,000. Leading the list is a collaboration between Louis Erard and Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chakyin – unsurprisingly given Louis Erard’s speciality of making independent watchmaking more accessible. The Le Régulateur “Time-Eater” continues with the whimsical aesthetic of Mr Chaykin’s bestselling Wristmons line, but the Time-Eater only has one eye in order to fit the regulator-style display.  Like Louis Erard’s other regulator models, the Time-Eater in either version, 39 mm or 42 mm, is a thick watch at over 12 mm high, while inside is a no-frills Sellita automatic. But at CHF4,000 it was one of the best value buys in terms of independent watchmaking, and also the broader market. The 39 mm Time-Eater A fixture on our annual value-propositions list for some years now is Tudor, which has consistently distinguished itself with well-priced sports watches. Granted, all of the brand’s best products are dive watches – diversity is certainly not its strength for now – but the brand does one thing really well, thanks in large part to its brand-new, expansive manufacture. The brand had three noteworthy models in its line-u...

Hands-on - The Accessible Peren Regia X Automatic 39 Diver

Gone are the days when dive watches truly challenged watchmakers. The Submariner and Fifty Fathoms battled it out in the 1950s, pushing for just 100 metres of water resistance. Modern tech allows microbrands to hit triple that depth today, so small watchmakers like Peren need to focus on design to really stand out. They’ve done […]

First Look - The Retro-Chic Méraud Bonaire Dive Watch Enters the MKII Stage

Retro and vintage remain hot topics within the watch industry, as there are tons of good-looking watches available based on popular designs from bygone eras. Within this highly competitive segment of the market, Belgian brand Méraud has slowly but surely found steady ground. Méraud, founded by Stijn Busschaert, strives to find the horological sweet spot […]

Introducing - IWC Teams Up with Warner Bros for Two Aquaman-Themed Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital

Today, IWC Schaffhausen announced partnering with Warner Bros. Picture’s upcoming feature film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to launch two new models, inspired by the red and blue glowing prop watches that the brand supplied for the production of the highly-anticipated feature film sequel. Ultra-bold, clearly on the large side, equipped with multiple complications and […]

Sherpa Partners with a Popular Watch Podcast for their Latest Release

While recovering from COVID, I recently watched a documentary I had heard about while listening to The Grey NATO Podcast. 14 Peaks: Nothing is impossible is the story of Nepali mountaineer Nimsdai Purja, who summited all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in only seven months. The previous record was 7 years! Nims’ goal was to highlight the Nepalese climbing community. To this day, climbing these peaks cannot be done without the incredible endurance, courage, strength, and sheer determination of the Sherpas.  It is these Sherpas that inspired Enicar in the 1950s to create dive watches that could not only withstand the depths at sea but get even more water-resistant the deeper you dove. Thus, the super-compressor was born. Sadly, Enicar did not survive the 1970s quartz crisis. Thankfully, all was not lost, as in 2019 Martin Klocke of Germany revived the Sherpa and created a brand around this model. Just like its namesake, these are proper super-compressors. Featuring many of the original features combined with modern technology and know-how across two models, the Ultradive and OPS. Now, a new version of the latter is available thanks to a collaboration with a popular watch podcast.  Sherpa has teamed up with The Real Time Show podcast, hosted by industry insiders Alon Ben Joseph and Rob Nubbs, to create a sandblasted stainless-steel version of the OPS model (it was available only in polished steel or a black DLC finish previously). The result is a beautiful satin fin...

Jason Momoa Stars as ‘Aquaman’ Alongside Edgy New IWC Aquatimer Watches

New IWC Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month to be featured in Aquaman sequel

IWC reveals they created and delivered prop watches to be featured in the upcoming film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Inspired by these prop watches, IWC have launched two new Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month watches limited to 25 pcs. for each configuration. Black 49mm Ceratanium® cases, one with red accents and another with blue … ContinuedThe post New IWC Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month to be featured in Aquaman sequel appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Reference Points: The Omega Seamaster 300

From Hodinkee Magazine Vol. 12: The Seamaster dive watch with a rich, fascinating, and complex history.

Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-Interpretation Save the Ocean Limited Edition SLA055 and SLA057: Diving Deep! - Reprise

Japanese watch giant Seiko once again draws upon its many years of experience in the discipline of diver’s watches to reboot a timepiece from 1968 for a new generation. The two Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-Interpretation Save the Ocean limited edition timepieces are real dive watches made for professional divers and pioneering adventurers, manufactured to weather the most extreme situations under water.

Opinion - Our take on the Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms

A few months ago, Swatch and Blancpain introduced the Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms. Yup, quite a mouthful. It’s effectively the follow-up of the Moonswatch, which can be seen as Swatch’s take on the Omega Speedmaster. We didn’t cover it on MONOCHROME for obvious reasons (it’s a quartz watch…) despite being a huge […]

REVIEW: Hands On With The Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M “Summer Blue”

The 75th Anniversary Seamaster Professional Diver 300M “Summer Blue” may just be the perfect watch for Summer and we’ve taken it out to see if it really is. What We Love The gradient blue dialComfort factor of the rubber strapWears smaller than stats suggest What We Don’t Colourway could limit it’s versatility across the yearThis version on the bracelet, get the rubber!No display caseback on this version Overall Rating: 9/10 Value for money: 8.5/10Wearability: 9.5/10Design: 9/10Build quality: 9/10 This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Omega Seamaster, and to celebrate, the brand released the “Summer Blue” Collection in one of the most iconic locations, Mykonos Greece. In a unique move, Omega released a Summer Blue variant of each watch in the Seamaster lineup (which you can read our coverage of here) designed to mimic the Aegean Sea, and the deeper the watch’s depth rating, the darker the blue. It’s a cool concept. The Omega 75th Anniversary Summer Blue Seamaster Collection Now it’s Summer here in Australia, it felt timely to take possibly the best-known, and most popular of the Seamster collection, the Diver 300M on rubber strap out and about to see if this is “THE” watch for the Summer. Initial Thoughts The Omega Seamaster Diver isn’t an unfamiliar watch for me. I’ve now owned two of them: an original Seamaster Diver James Bond Quartz, and then more recently, the current SMP300 with the black dial and bezel. You can read my Owners Perspe...

Omega Ploprof Summer Blue - the return of the beast

Omega's brawniest diver makes a blue-tinged comeback with vintage sizing.The post Omega Ploprof Summer Blue – the return of the beast appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Tusenö Shellback V2 is a stylish Swedish dive watch that’s a cut above most independent offerings

A tasteful sandwich dial, enormous amount of lume and on-the-fly micro-adjustment helps this Swedish watch stand out from the pack.The post The Tusenö Shellback V2 is a stylish Swedish dive watch that’s a cut above most independent offerings appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Experts and Collectors Weigh in on the Return of Universal Genève

Early yesterday morning, news broke in the watch world that was both surprising, and felt inevitable. Universal Genève, the highly regarded and historic Swiss brand that has been effectively dormant for years, will be revived and relaunched by the same ownership team currently steering the ship at Breitling. While the news of Universal finally getting a high profile relaunch isn’t exactly shocking (reviving heritage brands shuttered during the Quartz Crisis has been a favorite pastime in the watch industry over the last decade), we weren’t expecting the Breitling connection. The news (and reaction to it) speaks both to the great affection the community feels for the Universal Genève brand, and to the strength and financial turnaround of Breitling under Georges Kern’s tenure.  Universal Genève has a long and rich history, and has grown significantly in esteem in recent years. They were part of an explosion of interest in vintage watches that began more than ten years ago, but unlike other brands that benefited from increased attention on historic vintage pieces (Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet among them), Universal Genève doesn’t exist as a modern watchmaker in a meaningful way. For that reason, there’s always been a mystique to the brand that can’t really be replicated. We can, and do, compare vintage versions of Submariners, Daytonas, and Royal Oaks to their modern equivalents, and can thus relate to these watches through a modern context or l...

Missed Review: The IWC Mark XVII

I’ve had an admiration for IWC’s watches for a long time, and have owned multiple Pilot’s Chronographs and an Aquatimer over the years, but until recently I’d never spent a significant amount of time with a watch in their storied Mark series. These simple pilot’s watches are core to IWC’s history and the perception of the brand, and historically represent an entry point into the catalog for collectors. Die hard IWC fans have long debated the “best” of the Mark watches. Head over to any internet forum or comments section where watches are discussed amongst enthusiasts, and you’re certain to find people debating the finer points of date window placement, case thickness, and diameter across the breadth of Mark watches over the years.  I acquired a Mark XVII from a local collector friend recently. This is a watch I’ve experienced on a nearly monthly basis at watch meetups over the last few years, and I’ve always said to this friend: Let me know if you ever decide to sell it. We all have a watch like this in our orbit, right? There might be an actual commandment against coveting, but in this hobby it’s fairly normal to stake a claim for something you want that a friend has in their possession. Well, we reap what we sow. Said friend decided to let his Mark go, and after some (internal) deliberation, a deal was struck, and I quite unexpectedly owned one of the objectively strangest watches IWC has made in the last few decades.  The thing is, the Mark wat...

Nodus Teams with Watch Clicker and the 40&20 Podcast for a Limited Sector Dive GMT

Worn & Wound is built on community, so we love it when the people and brands we like decide to get together to make something cool. The latest release from Los Angeles based Nodus is a fun version of their Sector Dive GMT made in partnership with Watch Clicker and the 40&20 podcast. The Sector line has really become a signature product for Nodus, proving to be amenable to wide range of colors and tweaks in functionality, so it’s a great canvas for a limited edition. The fun thing about this LE though is how organic it feels. Many limited editions come to us via press releases that take on an almost solemn tone. It’s clear, though, that this watch is simply the product of friends who wanted to make something cool together, and the unpretentious nature of it all is a huge part of the appeal.  For this limited edition, Nodus has effectively combined features of their Sector Dive and Sector GMT. The basic “sector” dial format remains, of course, with an inner 24 hour scale and an outer ring where you’ll find big Arabic numerals at 12, 3, and 9 (with a date at 6) and big lumed markers elsewhere. Unlike the standard Sector GMT, however, this edition features a 120 click unidirectional bezel (in either black DLC or standard steel) for some additional functionality as a diver. In true skin diver fashion (a dive watch format that was a key point of inspiration for all involved) the water resistance here is a respectable but not over the top 150 meters, which keeps case s...

Pre-Owned Picks: An IWC Ingenieur Ref. IW3506 From The ‘80s, A Solid Gold Blue Dial Rolex Submariner Ref. 16618, And An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 15510ST

Plus a killer complicated JLC Master Control and a read-to-dive Omega Ploprof.

Omega’s Seamaster 300M Paris is clad in medal gold

With nods to the winners' medals and revolutionary icon Marianne, Omega pays tribute to the Paris Olympics.The post Omega’s Seamaster 300M Paris is clad in medal gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Bausele’s Sydney Diver is a three-way collaboration between Australia, Switzerland and the United States

This US-assembled, Swiss-made, Australian watch is Bausele's most interesting creation yet.The post Bausele’s Sydney Diver is a three-way collaboration between Australia, Switzerland and the United States appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A Conversation with Jack Carlson About His Latest Rowing Blazers Collaboration with Zodiac, and His Watch Collecting Evolution

Jack Carlson is ending 2023 how he started it: With a Zodiac collaboration.  The new Rowing Blazers x Zodiac “Rouchefoucauld” Super Sea Wolf World Timer follows January’s Rowing Blazers x Zodiac Harry’s Bar Super Sea Wolf, and is just the latest in a line of playful watch collaborations from Carlson’s clothing brand-this one with a subtle nod to Trading Places, the the 1983 classic comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. In the film, Akroyd’s WASPy Louis Winthorpe III tries to pawn his (fictional) watch, the Rochefoucauld, which he describes as “the sports watch of the 80s,” with the notable detail that it tells time in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, and Gstaad. “It’s not a real watch of course-but for a long time, I’ve thought: this should exist,” said Carlson. The Rouchefoucauld nod is peak Rowing Blazers: preppy and fun, with a touch of whimsy. It’s a sensibility that is found not just in RB’s watches, but in Carlson’s personal watch collection as well. He owns some of the classics, of course, like a Seiko SKX, and a no-date Rolex Submariner and Rolex GMT-Master from the 1980s, but Carlson has a taste for the colorful and unique. Take, for example, the digital Pac-Man watch, Mickey Mouse Timex, and Tin-Tin watch that can be found in his watch box. Or the Domino’s-branded Rolexes, which the pizza brand used to give to franchisees who hit certain sales goals and which Carlson now collects. Carlson called the wat...

Hands-on - Discovering The Retro-Cool Sherpa Ultradive & OPS Compressor Dive Watches

The 1950s and 1960s have been a groundbreaking era for watches when it comes to water resistance. Although the concept of a watertight case wasn’t new at that point, technological and material advancements allowed for great strides to be made in creating waterproof watches. Names such as Submariner, Fifty Fathoms, SUB 300, Seamaster and many […]