Dive Watches · Page 91

The Rolex Submariner | A True Dive Watch Icon With Some Faults

Explore our hands-on piece as we discuss the pros and cons of history's most recognizable dive watch with unique insights and detailed photos

Introducing: A Black Tudor Pelagos FXD, Inspired By The U.S. Navy

A new Tudor "Milsub" blacks out the FXD, with inspiration from its vintage divers made for the U.S. Navy.

Pre-Owned Picks: A Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 'Big Date,' A Rolex GMT 'Root Beer' Ref. 16713 With Extra Patina, And An Omega Speedmaster Mark II 'Racing Dial'

Plus, a modern-day sports watch from Cartier and a touch of California from Panerai.

The New Tudor Pelagos FXD - in Honor of the US Navy

Legendary Devil Diver Reinvented in Bulova’s Oceanographer GMT Collection

The Tudor Pelagos FXD In Black Pays Tribute To U.S. Navy-Issued Watches

Tudor introduces a new black dial version of their mil-spec Tudor Pelagos FXD. Check out pricing, photos, model history, and more.

Tudor Pelagos FXD Black US Navy

The new Tudor Pelagos FXD pays tribute to decades of Tudor watches on the wrists of US Navy divers.The post Tudor Pelagos FXD Black US Navy appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Tudor Introduces New Pelagos FXD in Black

Tudor expands their FXD family today with a new regular production reference that features a black dial and bezel. The watch follows the same formula as the Marine Nationale FXD that was released in late 2021, a flat 12.7mm thick, 42mm titanium case with a fixed lug design. There are a few changes here worth noting, however, and this might just be the most approachable FXD to date. While there is no official affiliation with this watch, the latest FXD was released alongside a display of the brand’s rich history in issued watches, right next to the original Sealab I at the Man In The Sea museum in Panama City Florida.  The setting is a fitting reminder of the remarkable Sealab program, and an era when watches like this were used as indispensable tools, the same as a compass or knife. This the spirit of the FXD and even the broader Pelagos collection as a whole, and as such we’ll be putting the new watch through its paces on a dive in the Gulf of Mexico, keep an eye out for the full report from the experience coming soon. The black FXD welcomes the same bit of red text at the bottom of the dial that we saw in the Pelagos 39 released last year. It provides the same benefit here, serving to reduce the visual weight of the 4 lines of text at the bottom of the dial. The matte black dial is joined by a matte black bezel insert (no sunburst pattern here), and the bezel is the biggest departure from the original FXD. Rather than counting down, and bi-directional (features done...

Tudor Unveils the US Navy-Inspired Pelagos FXD Ref. 25717N

Tudor’s release on September 14th lived up to the anticipation, particularly for enthusiasts who appreciate vintage-inspired design. The Pelagos FXD ref. 25717N is a variant of the model developed together with the French navy and shares the same specs, including a 42 mm titanium case. But the new FXD “Single Red” pays homage to the brand’s historical affiliation with the US Navy, which turned to Tudor for military-issue timepieces starting in 1950s. Initial thoughts While this may be fairly unsurprising given the nature of Tudor’s catalogue, the new FXD is well executed and ticks all the right boxes for those who love military-inspired tool watches. The no-nonsense black dial with the “single red” marking instantly evokes well-known dive watches of the 1970s. The watch itself is not new. It’s essentially identical to the Pelagos FXD “Marine Nationale” from in 2021, but with black dial and bezel that gives it a more purposeful look. It’s a predictable evolution of the model given Tudor’s emphasis on its historical ties with navies and other professional organisations. Like the original FXD in blue, this has a clean dial that allows the design to be unobstructed. Notably, the designers should be commending for going with pure white Super-Luminova on this, instead of faux-vintage lume that might have looked too affected. However, its designers could have been even more striking by dialling back the text on the dial even more, perhaps having just the ...

This New Citizen Promaster Altichron Can Read an Altitude Higher than the World’s Tallest Peak

Citizen has introduced a new Altichron to the Promaster family of watches. This series has always struck me as kind of gleefully over the top, even more than many of the crazy dive watches we talk about in these pages frequently. The whole idea behind the “Promaster” branding is to show Citizen’s prominence in designing watches that can take on land and air in addition to sea, but sometimes we get caught up in the dive watch aspect of it all given the importance of watches in that niche to the culture of contemporary watch collecting. The Altichron is, effectively, a souped up field watch made with mountaineering in mind, and it has a number of features that should make athletes who spend their time at higher elevations quite happy. For the rest of us, there’s still a lot of cool tech to gawk at, which is a perfectly acceptable way to enjoy a watch like this in my book.  The key feature of the Altichron is its altitude sensor, which allows for measurements up to 32,800 feet above sea level (Mt. Everest, for the record, is a little over 29,000 feet above sea level). Also, just in case you’re the multidisciplinary sort, you’ll get an accurate reading up to 300 meters below sea level as well. The altitude meter is read via an inner dial for the first 900 meters above sea level, and then via a subdial at 9:00 for higher altitudes. The Altichron is also equipped with an electronic compass that shows your heading via a gauge around the dial’s perimeter. The layout...

Hands-On: Fleux Skin Divers Balance Throwback Inspiration with Modern Vibes

We love seeing watches that break free of the well established genre specific design codes, offering an original perspective that doesn’t necessarily take the beaten path. When it comes to dive watch in particular, this can be a challenge, though it can indeed be done. The dive watch template is simple and straightforward, making it especially challenging to carve a unique path, which often happens in subtle ways. This is a genre with a deep and easily recognizable heritage, and many new watches and watch brands tend to lean on these a bit too heavily, creating a somewhat homogeneous landscape of divers. The watches we’re looking at today from Fleux, are no exception, however they do bring something unique to the table at the same time.  The watches are the FLX001 and FLX002, a pair of skin divers that offer a perfectly comfortable design at a glance, sitting well within that dive watch archetype mold. There is clear old-school inspiration at work, but there’s a modern sheen applied that manages to find a pleasant balance between the inspiration, and the forward looking intent. These watches manage this in a manner that can be tricky to put a finger on, meaning it feels relatively organic in the process, and somewhat retro-futuristic as a side effect. A fact first tipped off by the brand’s motto: “vintage inspired; continually new”. $450 Hands-On: Fleux Skin Divers Balance Throwback Inspiration with Modern Vibes Case Stainless Steel Movement SII SH38A Automati...

Review: the Circula DiveSport Titanium

Roughly 20 years ago, I was tasked by my editor and Baume & Mercier to review the latter’s latest, toughest tool watch. I know what you are thinking. Baume & Mercier and the words “tool watch” do not go together. Well, for a brief period, the appropriately named Capeland XXL was just that. This was a large titanium dive watch, with a striking yellow patterned dial, with oversized hands and a helium escape valve. It was such a departure from their norm and boy, was it a super cool watch.  Fast forward to today and I have another super cool titanium, yellow dialed diver to review, the Circula DiveSport. Circula has been around since 1955, founded by the current owner’s grandfather Heinz Huber. Based in Pforzheim, Circula shares a hometown with Aristo, Laco and Stowa, as well as renowned case maker Fricker GmbH. Circula has been rejuvenated as of late, with Cornelius Huber now at the helm. Their previous models leaned heavily on classical designs from yesteryear and just like the Capeland XXL, the new DiveSport is a departure from the norm. From the design to the materials, this one is fully modern and has its sights on the future.  The DiveSport’s multi-faceted grade 2 titanium case measures 42mm in diameter, with a lug-to-lug length of only 48.5mm and it is 13.4mm slim (+0.5mm with the crystal). Why did he say slim, you may be asking, as 13.4mm does not sound that thin. It is if you consider the 500m depth rating! Also, when you combine the 133g weight (with 2 l...

Photo Report: MoonSwatch Déjà Vu: Lines Form In NYC For The Launch Of The Blancpain X Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms

The new automatic Bioceramic collab still had people turning out in droves, and we were on the scene in Times Square.

The Three Watch Collection for $5,000: Reader Edition - George East

Editor’s note: In this 3 Watch Collection for $5,000, reader George East shares shares one of the most unique trio of watches we’ve seen yet in this series. There are classics, and there are under the radar specimens of interest. It’s focused and clearly from the mind of an enthusiast comfortable in their own skin.  You can make your submission to the Three Watch Collection – Reader Edition by filling out the form right here. Ever since I got into watch collecting, I quickly understood that it need not be the elitist or financially ruinous hobby it’s made out to be at times. It’s a broad church of tastes, styles, and budgets – all of which should be celebrated.  What’s more, the feelings and memories invoked by a watch are, to me at least, equally important to its looks – I have a Tudor BlackBay GMT as a daily wearer, and every time I look at it on my wrist, I see it as a memory box, a Pepsi-bezelled, stainless steel connection to my family and my friends across the world.  With that in mind, I chose the following watches as my “3-Watch Collection for $5,000” as they have a certain amount of personal significance to me. Given watch collecting – at least in my mind – is about variety, they’re also completely different in nature.  That’s enough of me talking. Let’s look into things a bit deeper, shall we? Omega Seamaster 300M 41 Quartz “Goldeneye” // REF: 2541.80.00 – ~$3,000 After much deliberation, I’ve settled on this as the gr...

Our First Reactions to the Swatch X Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms

Has the new Swatch X Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms completely taken over your Instagram feed? It has for us. Ever since the watch was teased via a cryptic newspaper ad a little over a week ago, speculation has run rampant about just what Swatch might be up to this time. Their follow up to the Uber-successful MoonSwatch is a bio-ceramic timepiece in much the same vein, but sub oceans for planets, and the mighty Fifty Fathoms for the Speedmaster. Here, the Worn & Wound editorial team reacts to the latest Swatch, sure to generate not just long lines this weekend, but red hot takes for months on end. Zach Weiss Can lightning strike twice? It can if you build a large enough lightning rod, or so the folks at Swatch believe. When the MoonSwatch launched last year, there was a lot of speculation as to whether or not they would do something similar with another brand. Another “crossover for the people,” to be kind. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms always seemed like the most likely candidate as, well, there aren’t many other truly iconic watches under the Swatch umbrella. At least, not on the scale of the Speedmaster. A year and a half-ish later, we know the answer. My first reaction wasn’t “wow, I can’t believe they did it again!” It was “already?”. Yeah, I’m not surprised Swatch would try to double down on their most successful launch, not just recently, but, like, ever, I was just surprised it was so soon. The Moonswatch has had an odd life cycle that I would hard...

Swatch x Blancpain collab has debuted. But will it have the same lasting momentum as the MoonSwatch?

Well, considering the big launch yesterday I think we all know what the news of the week is: the new Swatch x Blancpain BioCeramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms collection. The Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch was a groundbreaking collaboration. Upon its debut, not only did it shake up watch enthusiasts, it also affected the mainstream. Genuine collectors … ContinuedThe post Swatch x Blancpain collab has debuted. But will it have the same lasting momentum as the MoonSwatch? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Blancpain and Swatch Team Up on the $400 Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms

In a long expected move after the success of the MoonSwatch, Swatch with its sister brand Blancpain for another colourful wristwatch modelled on a historical timepiece. The Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms pays homage to Blancpain’s iconic dive watch of the same name, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. The Scuba Fifty Fathoms collection consists of five watches in different colours, each representing one of the five oceans of the world. Inside the plastic-ceramic composite case is a Sistem51 automatic movement, a nod to Blancpain’s historical motto of “Since 1735 there has never been a quartz Blancpain watch”. Priced at US$400, it will be available at select Swatch boutiques starting September 9, 2023.  The movement of each is decorated to match the model Initial thoughts On its face, the Scuba Fifty Fathoms is a charming reinterpretation of Blancpain’s signature dive watch, making a historical model more accessible. Given the niche nature of the vintage original, the Scuba Fifty Fathoms will certainly not inspire the same fanatical enthusiasm as the MoonSwatch, but it will introduces Blancpain’s distinctive sports watch to a wider range of clients. Conversely, the Scuba Fifty Fathoms might not bring much advantage to Blancpain, a brand that has lost market share in its segment of luxury mechanical watches for a variety of reasons, none of which are alleviated by this launch. Furthermore, the new Swatch collaboration raises ques...

Blancpain and Swatch Launch the Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Collection

Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms

Blancpain's iconic dive watch receives the MoonSwatch treatment.The post Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Seiko’s Popular Diver: Prospex 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation GMT, SPB381

A Week On The Wrist: The Tudor Black Bay GMT

A travel-ready take on the popular Black Bay diver makes for a compelling companion wherever you may roam.

Seiko Brings the 6R54 GMT Caliber to the Alpinist Family

Seiko introduced a new caliber back in March via their Prospex GMT Diver collection, adding caller GMT functionality into the brand’s well understood contemporary dive watch platform. Those watches have generated quite a bit of chatter in the watch community, with many singing their praises with respect to overall fit, finish, and wearability, and others wishing for a more functional flyer GMT complication. While the dust might still be settling, Seiko marches on, with the latest crop of watches to feature their still new 6R54 GMT movement. This time, Seiko brings the movement to the Alpinist family, which seems like a natural place for a GMT equipped watch to land. It takes what has always been cast as an explorer’s watch (with its signature compass bezel) and gives it a modern, practical, mechanical complication for a different kind of exploration.  I’ve always been a pretty big fan of the Alpinist for many of the reasons Blake identifies in his Missed Review. There’s something charmingly anachronistic about wearing a watch designed with such an old fashioned aesthetic (those cathedral hands, especially) but built to modern sports watch standards. With a GMT complication added, the Alpinist retains a lot (maybe all) of that old fashioned charm, just slightly tweaked. The Explorer-style steel 24 hour bezel gives these watches a clean and sporty look, and we still get the trademark handset and those big numerals (just at the cardinal positions here, rather than ev...

The Nordic Marine Instruments Østersøen is a Danish-inspired diver

There is no shortage of options for dive watches coming from the micro/independent market, so a brand launching a new model on Kickstarter must be offering something unique to be noteworthy of our attention. A novel design, outstanding specs, or top-notch finishing – or all three, combined and neatly wrapped in a package that comes … ContinuedThe post The Nordic Marine Instruments Østersøen is a Danish-inspired diver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Doxa SUB 300β Sharkhunter is one of the Strangest Releases of the Year

Geneva Watch Days, like any big trade event in the watch industry, means a cluster of brands with new releases, all vying for the attention of the public, and of watch media. The “novelties” that are unveiled during these things are often just that, in the sense that these new releases are perhaps not representative of what a brand will usually produce. They are meant to grab headlines, start conversations, and garner immediate reactions. They’re novel. This year, Doxa showed us that they know how to play the game, with a new watch that quickly became a hot topic all over Watch Internet: the SUB 300β Sharkhunter. What we have here is a SUB 300 in a black ceramic case with 18K gold accents on the bezel and crown. No Doxa has ever expressed this particular kind of understated nightlife vibe ever before, for better or worse. Doxa seems to be leaning into it – their press copy says this watch was built to defy dress codes. Now, I’m an American, an elder millennial, and I feel like I’ve been defying dress codes for as long as I’ve been a functioning adult (I’ve been told we killed Business Casual – you’re welcome). But for some, subverting a dress code might be a serious transgression, and for them, Doxa has a watch made just for you.  The strange thing about the SUB 300β Sharkhunter, beyond the fact that this is a Doxa with solid gold components, a rare occurrence but not unheard of, is the visual impression of the dial. This watch, believe it or not, ha...