Out Of Order – Anguria and Capitano, watches Damaged in Italy
Italian brand Out Of Order make watches damaged by hand, aged so that each has its own unique appearance. Discover Anguria and Capitano.
Top ten ISO 6425 diving watches
Some diving watches comply with the voluntary ISO 6425 standard which specifies characteristics such as water resistance, legibility in the dark, shock resistance etc. Take a look at these ten diver’s watches.
Certina DS Action Diver Automatic
The DS Action Diver Automatic by Certina is something of a rarity in the world of diving watches. I think that it is the only watch with ISO 6425 on the dial. The brand says that the DS Action Diver Automatic “fulfils all the requirements of the ISO 6425 standard – and is waterproof up…
Rolex Sea-Dweller 2017
The Sea-Dweller by Rolex is a classic diving watch, but the question is, why buy the Sea-Dweller that costs more than its main competitor, the Rolex Submariner? The answer is that the Sea-Dweller looks larger and tougher, with the dramatic serrations on the rotating bezel, and the technical feel of the case with its helium…
Blancpain 38 mm Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe
At 38 millimetres in diameter and 10.77 millimetres thickness, the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe by Blancpain is an example of what seems to be a new trend, small, slim diving watches. Its colour, named “abyss blue” by the brand, is also on-trend. In 2013, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms, the Bathyscaphe was given…
Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC
The distinctive feature of the Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC diving watch is the water-tightness indicator that appears on the dial. It may seem like an act of courage on the part of Blancpain – after all, surely the point of a diving watch is that you can safely take it underwater knowing that…
Helm Vanuatu user experience
This article follows the earlier presentation of the Helm Vanuatu which, at US$ 275 plus shipping, is one of the lowest-cost mechanical watches around. Using the watch confirmed pretty much everything that I wrote in February 2017. A nice touch is the hand-written note that you see when you open the box. Helm also provide…
Helm Vanuatu
The Helm Vanuatu has a lot going for it. First and foremost, price. US $275, plus $30 world-wide shipping, makes it an attractive proposition. It is a dive watch, 300 metres water resistance. Helm describe the watch as compliant with ISO 6425, which means that they test all watches for water resistance, in water at a…
Diving watches and ISO 6425
There are diving watches, and diver’s watches. They are not equivalent terms. Diving watches in general are designed for use underwater and so have a number of specific characteristics, principally water resistance of at least 10 bar/100 metres and a unidirectional rotating bezel. On the other hand, watches that have “Diver’s” on the dial have…
Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 BMG-Tech 3 Days Automatic PAM00692
Panerai is steering an interesting course through the vast oceans of watches. The Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 BMG-Tech 3 Days Automatic has all the traditional Panerai characteristics – a very long name, a large 47 mm cushion-shaped case, simple dial design, patented crown protector – but in addition, it shows the brand’s commitment to the…
Five colourful diver’s watches
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…
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver
The complete name for this collection by Audemars Piguet is the Royal Oak Offshore Funky Colour Diver, and it’s the colour that is the standout feature. In 2016, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph was launched in these youthful colours, and this year it’s the turn of the time-only diver’s watch. The success of this…
Top ten diving watches under €3,000
A diving watch offers a series of technical characteristics that make them suitable for use underwater up to their rated depth. These comprise water resistance, with each watch tested in water under pressure, a unidirectional rotating bezel on which the first fifteen minutes are marked minute by minute for increased precision at decompression stops, hour…
Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Artemis Racing
The Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Artemis Racing celebrates the brand’s partnership with America’s Cup team Artemis Racing, and it gets some good stuff from the deal. The Artemis Racing logo is very effective and it appears on one of the metal elements on the rubber strap, and on the 30-minute chronograph at 9 o’clock. There…
Oris Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition II
This 46mm watch by Oris, the Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition II, looks good, with its deep blue sunray dial, yellow highlights and black ceramic bezel. It is a functional diver’s watch based on Oris’ existing diving watch Aquis, with SuperLuminova on hands and hour indices, and a 50 bar/500 metres water resistance. One of…
Ressence Type 5B
Ressence, founded in 2010 by Benoît Mintiens in Antwerp, Belgium, has achieved a lot over the last six years. In November 2013, the Type 3 was awarded the Horological revelation prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). This year, 2016, Ressence have once again entered a watch into the competition, Type 5B, this…
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback Ocean Commitment II
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback Ocean Commitment II is a watch celebrating the brand’s efforts in the area of ocean environmental protection and research. It first appeared as a limited edition watch in 2014. It introduced a new concept of limited edition watches, providing purchasers not only with a rare piece, but making…
Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Hammerhead Shark
For the first time in the Diver collection by Ulysse Nardin, this watch has an in-house movement, the UN-150. There are two versions, both limited editions, with 300 pieces in steel, and 99 pieces in rose gold. The hammerhead shark was chosen as a motif because the hammerhead is a gentle shark, but has a…
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Master Chronometer Chronograph 45.5 mm
The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Master Chronometer Chronograph is a luxury version of a supremely practical chronograph. The counter at 3 o’clock combines chronograph minutes and hours into a display that is legible at a glance. All the hands have areas of SuperLuminova, with differentiated colours of luminescence: blue for the hour indices, hour…
Omega Planet Ocean 600M Co-Axial Master Chronometer review
The Omega Planet Ocean 600M has a lot of content, accompanied by exceptionally good looks. Its METAS certification includes COSC chronometer certification and betters it, as well as anti-magnetism to fields of up to 15,000 gauss, and waterproofness tested to 600 metres depth. The watch has a helium escape valve, screw-down crown, unidirectional rotating bezel,…