After writing about the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver yesterday, I was wondering whether there are other options for diver’s watches with poppy highlighter colours. Here are five, in ascending price order (plus the Royal Oak Offshore Diver, which at €20,000 is at the bottom).
Deep Blue Master 1000 Automatic Diver
Stainless steel case 44 mm across and 15 mm thick, this watch is water-resistant to 330 metres, with screw-down crown and screw-in stainless steel caseback. It is powered by the Seiko NH35 automatic movement, running at 3 Hertz (21,600 vibrations per hour), power reserve 40 hours, stop-seconds function. The watch has a helium release valve at 10 o’clock. Silicon strap. Currently priced at US$ 249, approximately €232 (usually US$299). Read more on the Deep Blue website.
Haigh & Hastings M2
This diving watch by Australian company Haigh & Hastings comes in a range of colour options including the “Australia” version with green and yellow bezel, with straps to match that you can specify when ordering on their website. The watch is water-resistant to “1,000 ft/300 m Down Under,” with a stainless steel case 44 mm across and 13 mm thick, sapphire watchglass, screw-down crown and stainless steel screw-in caseback. Inside, it is powered by the Japanese NH35A movement by Seiko, which is automatic, running at 3 Hertz (21,600 vibrations per hour), power reserve 40 hours, stop-seconds function. It currently ships to Australia, the U.S. and the U.K., price AU$ 588, US$398, approximately €372. Read more on the Haigh & Hastings website.
Seiko Prospex Automatic Air Diver’s SRP589K1
Steel case 45 mm in diameter, screw-down crown, screw-in caseback, water resistance 200 metres. The hour markings and hands are coated with Seiko’s Lumibrite luminescent paint. The watch is fitted with the Seiko accordion-style strap, strong and flexible in silicone. The movement is the automatic 4R36 movement, with hand-winding and stop-setting functions. It runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour, 3 Hertz. The watch has a list price of €422 but it can be found on various websites at much lower prices – as low as €183. More at the Seiko Prospex website.
Stowa Prodiver Limette
Stowa make a complete range of its Prodiver watches, which feature some fashionable colours such as this lime green, in addition to other versions with dials in light grey, dark blue, carbon, orange and black. Hands, dial hour indices and the bezel dot are coated in C3 SuperLuminova. The watch has a titanium case, 42 mm in diameter, 15.6 mm thick, with a 22 mm rubber strap. It has an appearance very different to that of other watches, with sharply angled lugs and a very attractive 60-click bezel. It is waterproof to 100 atm, corresponding to 1,000 metres, and has a helium release valve. The movement is the self-winding ETA 2824-2, with about 40 hours power reserve. The watch costs €1,220 including VAT, and it is available on the Stowa website.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver
This watch by Audemars Piguet is in a different class and different price range at €20,000, but its colour range is truly unique. The brand has shown its capability of reacting rapidly to a market in which high-net-worth customers are becoming progressively younger. Click here to read more.
