Dive Watches · Page 25

A Hands-On Introduction To The New Unimatic Modello Uno ProDiver Collection

Unimatic has been busy introducing a string of clever new releases. Only last week, I did a hands-on review of the brand Modello Uno Heritage GMT Diver from a series of nice vintage-inspired models. Today, we get treated to a new trio of models who are taking a different road. The three Modello Uno ProDiver […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The New Unimatic Modello Uno ProDiver Collection to read the full article.

Unimatic Introduces the New Prodiver Collection

While minimalism may be as trendy as ever these days (one look at any modern car interior will tell you that) a lot of brands miss the mark when it comes to balancing that aesthetic with function, or the lack thereof. Not so with Unimatic’s all-new Prodiver line, which promises both a streamlined design language and robust mechanical functionality. But do the watches actually pull it off? Let’s take a deeper dive and find out. Perhaps the biggest factor in Unimatic’s favor here is the Italian brand’s penchant for design cohesiveness across their lineup. Even before taking the new Prodiver into consideration, Unimatic watches share aesthetic hallmarks, namely chunky, round indexes, sans serif typefaces, and symmetrical dial balance. Even models that deviate from this norm, like the UT1 and UT4, which feature hour numerals instead, carry a uniformly round and hardy profile, which gives each Unimatic watch friendly-yet-tough dimensions. This is all personal conjecture, of course, but rarely does a brand manage to maintain consistency in design across their entire lineup quite as well as Unimatic does.  Back to the Prodiver, though; like most other watches by the brand, it also bears the signature round indexes, though it adds some legitimate dive watch pedigree, too. Each of the three new Modello Uno models sports a democratically-sized case, measuring at 40mm in diameter and 49mm lug to lug. The case thickness is a healthy 14.4mm with the domed sapphire crystal, and...

Introducing – New Moonshine and Sedna Gold Editions of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M

Only a few weeks ago, Omega released a new orange-accented edition of what is its most iconic dive watch and one of the brand’s most emblematic models to date, the Seamaster Diver 300M. Part of a comprehensive revamp strategy to restructure the collection and breathe new life into this classic (with new steel, titanium and […]

Rado Celebrates 40 Years of Tennis at the Mubadala Citi DC Open

Rado’s participation in the Mubadala Citi DC Open has become a late summer tradition. Now in its third year, the descent of tennis fans (and a handful of watch media types) into Rock Creek Park is a sign that summer’s days are numbered, and the US Open prep is becoming serious. On the weekend of this year’s DC Open, you’d be forgiven for thinking summer was never ending. Blisteringly hot and muggy with humidity one minute, drenched in torrential downpours the next, it’s enough to make you wonder why anyone thought our nation’s capital should be built on a swamp in the first place. Photo courtesy Rado In any event, the annual tradition that’s been forming over these last few years with Rado extends to the release of a new, limited edition watch. I was fortunate enough to see their latest, the Rado Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition, in DC just a few weeks ago. The new LE makes use of the smaller, 39mm Captain Cook case to great effect. This is a compact, easy to wear dive watch that’s on the elegant side of sporty, which seems appropriate for a watch associated with tennis. A dive watch associated with tennis is, of course, a bit incongruous, even taking into consideration the downpours we experienced at this year’s Open. But with the beads-of-rice style bracelet and a smaller form factor, this version of the Captain Cook blends in nicely in a more elevated environment.  There are little design cues throughout this Captain Cook that reference tennis in...

Hands-On: The Wren Diver 38

A more compact offering from the Wrist Enthusiast himself.

Sherpa Introduces the New Atoll and Tuxedo Versions of the Ultradive

Sherpa has announced a pair of new Ultradive references, expanding their core dive watch line. Sherpa launched in 2021 with a relatively narrow focus, which is honestly something I appreciate in a time period where too many watch brands want to be all things to all people. They make extremely specific dive watches, with compressor cases, and infuse each watch with principles of Buddhism literally built into the movement (the brand’s founder, Martin Klocke, is a practicing Buddhist). The new Ultradive watches, the Tuxedo and the Atoll, bring some variety to the collection without changing things up too dramatically.  Before getting into the specifics of each watch, it’s important to step back a bit and familiarize ourselves with the compressor case concept. It’s a technology that has been nearly lost to time as manufacturing has improved across the board and creating highly water resistant watches has, in general, become easier. But it’s an important part of dive watch history and watchmaking history in general. These cases, originally developed by Ervin Piquerez SA (otherwise known as EPSA), essentially employed a specially designed caseback that would seal under light pressure when not submerged in water, but under increasing pressure, the seal would become tighter and tighter. These cases rather ingeniously used the force of the water pressure against the case to its own benefit. Over the years, several versions of this EPSA case were developed, and Sherpa has a...

Top Summer Straps for My Daily Dive Watches – OMEGA Planet Ocean & Certina DS Super PH1000M Divers

The post Top Summer Straps for My Daily Dive Watches – OMEGA Planet Ocean & Certina DS Super PH1000M Divers appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Introducing: Panerai Celebrates Decades Of Collaboration With Italian Navy With The Submersible Marina Militare And Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech

Military colors for the brand's longtime military partner, rendered on a very robust dive watch.

First Look – The New Panerai Submersible Marina Militare PAM01697 and PAM01698 Inspired by the Aviazione Navale

Panerai and its Submersible line of dive watches hardly need an introduction as these robust, military-inspired timepieces, crafted for modern adventurers yet rooted in Panerai’s mission to develop precision instruments for the Italian Navy’s underwater commandos, have excited enthusiasts since 1998, first as part of the Luminor collection, and as a standalone series since 2019. […]

Hands-On With The Stylish Unimatic Modello Uno Heritage GMT Diver

If you are a longtime reader of Fratello, you know I am a fan of Unimatic. I have often sung the brand songs of praise for developing one of the watch industry’s most recognizable and versatile visual design languages. The minimalist approach to watch design works miracles almost every time for the brand. As Unimatic […] Visit Hands-On With The Stylish Unimatic Modello Uno Heritage GMT Diver to read the full article.

Hands On With Two New Bauhaus-Inspired Sternglas Marus 2.0 Divers

When the Sternglas Marus 2.0 dive watches landed on my desk, I had to dig into the Fratello archives. I knew I had written about a Sternglas diver before. As it turns out, that was the first iteration of the Sternglas Marus released in 2021. Four years on, we’re graced with a duo of new […] Visit Hands On With Two New Bauhaus-Inspired Sternglas Marus 2.0 Divers to read the full article.

Longines Legend Diver Review

The Longines Legend Diver is one of the brand’s most popular and lauded vintage-inspired watches due to its distinct style and tremendous value for money. The original Legend Diver that serves as the template for the contemporary iterations is the Super Compressor Diver Ref. 7042 that was launched back in 1959. In 2007, Longines debuted the Heritage Revival, which was a faithful reissue that was followed up with a date-window version in 2009. Fast forward to 2017 and Longines began to expand this collection to include options like a Milanese bracelet as well as a 36mm iteration to join the existing 42mm model. Then in 2023, we saw the Longines Legend Diver debut in a 39mm wide case that serves as the template for the white-dial iteration I review here. Of course, this is a truncated version of the Longines Legend Diver story, and you can read the full version by our resident historian Mark Bernardo here. There are currently eight dial-color variations in the Longines Legend Diver family: beige, black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, and white, which is the most recent and the one I am going to get into here. If I had to pick a favorite, it might actually be the orange, which is more of a muted terra cotta that looks just excellent. That said, the white-dial model introduced earlier this year is a sleeper diver that stays with you long after you first see it. It’s not too difficult to nail a watch when you’ve mastered dial color techniques the way Longines has, but ...

Hands-On: the Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Edition

As my thirties pass by and more gray hairs emerge, I can’t help but notice the unironic fondness I’ve been feeling for two-tone watches. Much like my inability to understand the slang my kids use, feeling that the rizz of two-tone slaps (am I doing that right?) seems to be an inevitable part of aging. And while Citizen’s decision to opt for gold accents to mark the 40th anniversary of the Promaster Aqualand probably isn’t a nod to middle aged collectors and is more likely a heartfelt way to honor the original Aqualand C0023, it feels satisfyingly appropriate that this icon is embracing two-tone to celebrate being over the hill. In full transparency of my own horological biases, I went into this review feeling burnt out on dive watches, which in retrospect seems inevitable after owning about a dozen black dialed divers over a five year period. In recent months I’ve also developed a bit of a pro-quartz preference as my first mechanical watches start to show their age and I’m seeking out watchmakers on a limited budget, another seemingly inevitable result of my collecting journey. I share this because, no longer dazzled by ratcheting bezels and mechanical movements in the way I once was, I thought it would be nice to get my hands on a robust and worry free quartz watch to take on my annual road trip from New Hampshire to Michigan. One text to our Managing Editor Zach Kazan during which I forgot to clarify that I would be content if I never saw another black dial d...

The Namica Shirahama 2 is a serious not-so-serious dive watch

This Japanese microbrand combines funky colours and playful yet purposeful design in this decidedly contemporary dive watch.The post The Namica Shirahama 2 is a serious not-so-serious dive watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

6 alternatives to the Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms

While the Swatch x Blancpain collab opened the door for many to the world of dive watches, what are others in a similar price range? The post 6 alternatives to the Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In-Depth – Diving with the Favre Leuba Deep Raider Renaissance

In the world of dive watches, the landscape has always been dominated by a few heavy hitters who got into the game early, made a name for themselves, and never left. Brands like Rolex, Omega, Blancpain, and Seiko have always been inextricably linked to the history of the dive watch, and with good reason. But […]

Hanhart Expands the Aquasphere Line with the New Ocean Fade Edition

These days, it can feel like the watch world is drowning in dive watches, making it increasingly difficult for brands to create standout pieces. Should you, as a designer, break diver conventions and risk sacrificing some of the core functionality that defines the category? Or should you tweak the finer details-like dial text, strap materials, or case sizing? There isn’t a definitive answer, but the Hanhart Aquasphere Ocean Fade attempts to rise above the tide of new dive watch releases in a few key ways. The German brand, known for its history as a maker of stopwatches and chronographs since 1882, sticks with a classic blue and black color scheme for the Aquasphere Ocean Fade, a theme that remains hard to argue with in the dive watch category. The “Fade” refers to the dial’s soft gradient-bright ocean blue to deep black-with a matching blue or black bezel that mimics the change in light as one descends underwater. Legibility is maintained through bright white indices and text, and the stencil-style Arabic numerals contrast nicely with the more elegant Hanhart script just below 12 o’clock. Red accents at the tip of the seconds hand and around the bezel’s triangle marker add a layer of visual clarity to the overall package. Measurements on the Aquasphere Ocean Fade are typical for a tool-focused dive watch, though large by general watch standards. It comes in at 42mm in diameter with a 49mm lug-to-lug, dimensions that emphasize its purpose-built nature. Th...

Introducing: The Hanhart Aquasphere Ocean Fade

Today, we’ll take a look at the latest release from Hanhart. The German brand may be best known for its aviation chronographs, but there’s a rather comprehensive catalog on offer. One example of this diversity is the company’s dive watch, the Aquasphere. Until now, the sub-collection consisted of one watch. Now, there are two with […] Visit Introducing: The Hanhart Aquasphere Ocean Fade to read the full article.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique: Time to Move on From the Rolex Submariner?

Many think that the Rolex Submariner is the first modern dive watch, however that crown belongs to the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, which became the blueprint for all modern divers’ watches. 

The Citizen Promaster Aqualand, Reliving the ’80s, and the Windup in a Lake That Didn’t Go to Plan

The year was 1985, and there was something in the air that everyone seemed to be tapping into. It was a time of flying DeLoreans and Breakfast Clubs, of Simple Minds and Talking Heads. It was the era of Knight Riders and Airwolves, where P.I.s and vice cops drove Ferraris. Everyone seemed to be chasing the same thing-a quest for cool. And amid all of that, Citizen created a sledgehammer of a dive watch, in ana-digi form and with the world’s first electronic depth sensor. It was the age of Aqualand. With the first wave of dive computers on the horizon, Citizen asked a bold question: how do you create the most sophisticated and useful dive watch in the world, one that still wears like a daily, walk-of-life analog timepiece? The answer was the original Aqualand. Its unmistakable silhouette, anchored by an asymmetrical case and a protruding depth sensor, may as well have come straight out of an ’80s prop master’s imagination-an electrified vision of futurism and function. The post The Citizen Promaster Aqualand, Reliving the ’80s, and the Windup in a Lake That Didn’t Go to Plan appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms: One Icon, Three Sizes, Infinite Depth

Professional Diver Nigel Band and the Unusual Rolex Sea-Dweller and Oyster Perpetual Models that Plumbed the Depths and Scaled the Heights – Reprise

Nigel Band is a professional diver with over 30 years’ worth of commercial and teaching experience. He also owns two rather unusual Rolex watches: a 1986 “triple-six” Rolex Sea-Dweller Reference 16660 and a Himalayan mountain climbing 1952 Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Put on your breathing apparatus as the fascinating stories of these two watches are told by Colin Alexander Smith here.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Documentary: Story Of The World’s First Diving Watch (Video)

'Fifty Fathoms: The History as Told by the Pioneers Who Created It' is a fast-moving, 30-minute documentary recounting the development of the world's first diver's watch told by the people who created it. Even non-divers are quite likely to enjoy this video.

The Polar Dial Search and Rescue Dive Watch – Marathon OSAR-D White

In this video, we take a closer look at the newly released Marathon OSAR-D white dial dive watch. Not only has the dial been updated with a new color, but the details have all been updated and modernized as well giving the watch an entirly new look and feel compared to the more traditional OSAR-D from last year. In this video, we take a closer look at the newly released Marathon OSAR-D white dial dive watch. Not only has the dial been updated with a new color, but the details have all been updated and modernized as well giving the watch an entirly new look and feel compared to the more traditional OSAR-D from last year. The post The Polar Dial Search and Rescue Dive Watch – Marathon OSAR-D White appeared first on Worn & Wound.