Serica Introduces the 5303 PLD, a New Diver Made in Collaboration with the French Navy
Serica has unveiled the new 5303 PLD, a new dive watch the brand has developed in partnership with the French Navy. Specifically, the watch was developed with the EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) team, which, I think most people will understand, is a fairly highly specialized and dangerous diving discipline. The watch follows the form and function of Serica’s popular 5303 diver, but with a few small tweaks that distinguish it from the standard version without calling out to its inspiration too overtly. The most notable and obvious change from the standard 5303 is the new bezel, which has a “DT Max” scale as opposed to the standard dive bezel that allows you to count minutes from a given start time. The DT Max bezel features twin scales (minutes and meters) that display the “maximum working time” at a given depth. This allows a diver, in theory, to ascend continuously without decompression stops, a necessity for EOD divers. The number at the outer scale (“profonduer,” or depth) relates directly to a number on the inner scale, the number of minutes a diver can safely work. Not super functional for anyone not on a dive, but it provides a very real reminder of the danger of the sport, and adds a certain charm to the piece. The bezel itself is rendered in a shade the brand refers to as “abyssal blue,” and it’s a very nice shade that further sets this diver apart from other watches in the Serica lineup. Serica has also tweaked the dial in small ways for...
Time+Tide
