dive watch

All posts in “dive watch”

Oris’s Flagship Dive Watch Is Available in a New Case Size

<!–Oris’s Flagship Dive Watch Is Available in a New Case Size • Gear Patrol<!– –>

Aquis Date

Independent Swiss watchmaker Oris’s Aquis dive watch is a value-laden platform that’s formed the basis for myriad special editions and complications. Unpretentious and geared toward serious divers, the Aquis collection offers professional dive specs with a range of features, sizes and dial colors.

Now, Oris has announced two new Aquis Date models, one of which joins the collection of 39.5mm watches, and a second in a brand new size of 41.5mm. Both watches feature 300m of water resistance, unidirectional rotating dive bezels and optional stainless steel bracelets with special clasp-extension systems (the 41.5mm model is also available with a rubber strap). Other features include a domed sapphire crystal, a mineral glass case back, a screw-down crown, the Sellita SW 200-1 automatic movement with 38 hours of power reserve and applied indices with SuperLumiNova. The 41.5mm model on rubber will carry a price of $2,000, while both models on bracelets will be priced at $2,200.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

<!–

–>

<!– –><!–

–>

March 3, 2020 / Comments Off

452

Building Better Products, One Partner At a Time

One of the most rewarding parts of collaborating with other brands is being able to apply our observations and learnings from rigorous testing to the product development and design process. The relationship between field testing and development is at the core of our ethos and underpins our evergreen love for thoughtful, well-made goods. From our signature dive watch to our first foray into cycling, shop our collection of exclusive collaboration products produced in partnership with some of the best brands out there. For a limited time, save up to 25% when you shop our collaborations and as always, enjoy free shipping on all orders inside the United States.

Dims. x Gear Patrol Utility Cart

The original Dims. Barbican Trolley is one of Dims.’ most beloved designs, but it’s always been strictly an indoor-use item. We teamed up with the Dims. team to beef up the Barbican; we replaced the wooden handle with one in steel, upgraded the castors with rugged replacements and applied a brand new powder coat finish that is impervious to all manners of hard use. The result is the first-ever indoor/outdoor Barbican. Coming in an exclusive Gear Patrol navy, the Dims. x Gear Patrol Utility Cart is ready for just about anything you can throw at it.

Topo Designs x Gear Patrol Backpack Tote

The Topo Designs x Gear Patrol Backpack Tote began its life in Topo Designs’ archive. The original design had been retired in favor of more modern cuts, but we knew that with a few tweaks it could be revitalized. So we sat down with Topo’s product development team and began riffing. After several prototypes and copious testing, we had reengineered the backpack tote into a lightweight, smartly-configured everyday wear bag with four carrying methods. Produced in a single limited run, this collaboration is one of our most coveted collaborations yet.

Knickerbocker x Gear Patrol Overland Tee

Our first collaboration with the New York City-based fashion brand Knickerbocker is perhaps the closest to home. Having always been inspired by the City and companies that call it home, we were stoked to be able to collaborate with such a storied brand. And the artwork – commissioned from the ever-cool Joshua Minnich – is a loving hat tip to the perennial object of our obsession, the Land Rover. This comfortable tee is one part celebration, one part reminder to get out there and chase down that next adventure; once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Priority Bicycles x Gear Patrol Commuter Bike

It’s surprisingly difficult to find a simple, purpose-built commuter bike that is agile enough for the city and comfortable enough for daily riding. Long time Gear Patrol partner Priority Bicycles has been crushing the space for years, so when we decided we wanted to build a bike to our spec, there was no other name on the list of collaborators. The Commuter Bike is a unique build that expands on Priority Bicycle’s most revered model – the L Train – and is finished in the sleek, understated tones of the city. Find this exclusive model only at the Gear Patrol Store.

Hamilton x Gear Patrol Special Edition Dive Watch

Our first collaboration also happens to be the first of its kind. Never before had Hamilton worked so closely with a company to re-design one of its core models. Now, after more than a year since its launch, the Hamilton x Gear Patrol Special Edition Dive Watch is our most sought after product. Now on our third production run, this special edition watch has the kind of go-anywhere, do-anything versatility found in our favorite products. Find your new everyday wearer, only at the Gear Patrol Store.

This post is presented by the Gear Patrol Store. Purchasing products from our store supports our editorial efforts.

February 22, 2020 / Comments Off

404

Everything You Need to Know Before Buying an IWC Watch

The International Watch Company was established in the mid-1880s by an American operating in Schaffhausen, a German-speaking town in Eastern Switzerland. Though the industrial revolution had already come to pass, fine Swiss watchmaking was still piecemeal labor done mostly in people’s homes. IWC’s founder, Aristo Jones, had a distinctly American vision of an electrically-powered watch factory, and once hydro-electric became established in the area, IWC’s headquarters quickly became one of the most prolific watchmaking facilities in the world, taking on highly profitable commercial and military contracts throughout the World Wars. (See our review of their new facilities here.)

Throughout WWI and WWII, IWC built more mil-spec pilot’s watches than any other company, and the focus on aviation timepieces remains central to IWC today. Their modern catalog also includes dress watches, dive watches, and more than a few grand complications costing hundreds of thousands. Uniquely, IWC’s products span a range far wider than that of many other watch companies, and the quality of their wares is exceptional.

IWC aficionados tend to collect and fuss over the pilot’s watches, and because the company refers back to its historic catalog so much, those in the know love to complain about inconsistencies between older models and their modern iterations. Interestingly, IWC is quick to respond to customer feedback, and few watch companies revise and improve their watches as regularly. Their famous “Mark” series pilot’s watches, for example, have gone through a bufuddelingly large number of iterations, each one seeming to satisfy and disappoint the aficionados in equal measure.

As of this writing, IWC has been slowly replacing 3rd-party movements with in-house calibers in the lower end of their range, and mostly without significant price increases. This evolution makes their current catalog particularly tasty, as the value propositions are getting better every year.

How to Use This Guide
You can read straight through or use the table of contents to jump to specific types of watches.

Table of Contents
Pilot’s Watches

Dive Watches: The Aquatimers

The Portugieser

The Ingenieur

The Portofino

The Da Vinci Collection

The Jubilee Collection

Pilot’s Watches

IWC segments their pilot’s watches into five categories: Classic, Spitfire, Top Gun, Le Petit Prince, and Antoine De Saint-Expuéry (author of Le Petit Prince). Within each category you’ll find many of the same watches, differentiated mostly by the dial’s color and case materials. Roughly speaking, here’s how the IWC pilot’s watches break down:

Classic: steel cases, with the occasional titanium case thrown in
Spitfire: largely bronze cases, but some steel as well
Top Gun: ceramic cases
Le Petit Prince: steel cases with blue dials and “Le Petit Prince”-themed case backs
Antoine de De Saint Expuéry: steel cases with brown dials

(Note: Below we take each individual watch model and indicate which series it’s available in)

Mark XVIII Pilot’s Watch

Starting with the now highly collectable Mark XI, IWC has iterated on their most basic pilot’s watch, and this is the one that often causes the most stir among the aficionados. Placement of the date window has caused feuds among forum-dwelling nerds, but that passion indicates how compelling the Mark series pilot’s watches are.
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Cal. 35111 (based on Sellita SW300-1)
Available Series: Classic (black, white, and a heritage colorway); Le Petit Prince; Spitfire; Antoine De Saint Expuéry
Price: $4,250 (strap)-$5,250 (bracelet)

Pilot’s Watch 36

Following the vintage trend, IWC’s 36mm pilot’s watch is a unisex model ready for just about any wrist.
Diameter: 36mm
Movement: Cal. 35111 (based on Sellita SW300-1)
Available Series: Classic (gray, black, or blue dial)
Price: $4,150 (strap)-$5,150 (bracelet)

Pilot’s Watch Chronograph

A little bigger and featuring a weekday and date complication alongside a robust three-register chronograph function, this watch is a purebred IWC staple.
Diameter: 43mm
Movement: Cal. 79320 (based on ETA 7750)
Available Series: Classic (white, racing green, black, or gray dial); Le Petit Prince (blue dial with steel or gold case); Antoine De Saint Expuéry (brown dial)
Price: $5,150 (strap)-$22,200 (gold)

Big Pilot’s Watch

With its enormous dial, clever power reserve indicator at 3-o’clock, and unmistakable “onion” crown, the Big Pilot’s Watch is perhaps IWC’s most iconic timepiece, one that could stand for the brand above all others.
Diameter: 46.2mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 52110 with 8-day power reserve
Available Series: Classic (black dial with steel, titanium, or bronze case),;Le Petit Prince (blue dial with steel case); Spitfire (gray dial, gold case)
Price: $12,900 (steel)-$13,200 (titanium or bronze)

Complicated Big Pilot’s Watches

Using the same basic format as the Big Pilot’s Watch, these watches include elaborate in-house movements of the highest horological quality. There’s a big-date, an annual calendar, a perpetual calendar, a dual-register, right- handed model, and a constant-force tourbillon.
Diameter: 46.2mm
Movement: Various in-house calibers with complications
Available Series: All except Top Gun
Price: $14,700+ (unlisted for Tourbillion model)

Timezoner Pilot’s Watch

No pilot’s watch collection is complete without a serious world timer, and the relatively new addition of the Timezoner model sees IWC taking global travel seriously (this was less of a concern back in the short-flight days of the World Wars). This watch will track a second time zone as well as the time in cities around the world.
Diameter: 46mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 82760
Available Series: Classic; Spitfire; Antoine De Saint Expuéry
Price: $11,900+

A Few Other Smaller Pilot’s Watches

There are a few unique yet simple pilot’s watches from IWC, including the 41mm Top Gun in carbon, a 39mm UTC Spitfire in bronze, and a 39mm time-date Spitfire in steel or bronze.
Diameter: 39-41mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 32100 (time and date); Manufacture cal. 82710 (UTC)
Available Series: Spitfire; Top Gun
Price: $4,450+

A Few Other Larger Complicated Pilot’s Watches

These models show up in the Top Gun and Classic series of watches, and are just unique enough to warrant a separate entry. The blacked-out Dual Chronograph with its split-second function from the Top Gun collection carries the unique 79420 in-house calibre, while the AMG Mercedes chronograph with carbon dial and the Blue Angels edition of the same chronograph use the Cal 89361 in-house movement.
Diameter: 44mm (Dual Chronograph) 44.5mm (dual-register chronographs)
Movement: Manufacture cal. 79420 (Dual Chronograph); Manufacture cal. 89361 caliber (dual-register chronographs)
Available Series: Top Gun; Classic
Price: $10,900 (Blue Angels); $14,600 (Dual Chronograph); $15,600 (AMG Mercedes)

Dive Watches: The Aquatimers

Flying far below the radar, these submersible divers from IWC are robust timepieces with compelling features and a look that imitates nothing while remaining quite classic. The internal rotating timing bezel is actuated via the crown at 9-o’clock, a feature which, taken visually, offers a unique symmetry to these waterproof watches.

Aquatimer Automatic

If the time, date and a rotating timing bezel are all you’ll need, then the Aquatimer Automatic is the watch for you. With 300 meters of water resistance, these watches are more than ready for any watery adventure.
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Cal. 30120 (based on ETA 2824-2)
Price: $5,400 (rubber)-$6,400 (bracelet)

Aquatimer 2-Register Chronographs

With the date, running seconds, and a minute totalizer, these chronographs bring a bit of the pilot’s watch line down underwater with them. There are three special editions: Charles Darwin (our favorite, in bronze), Galapagos Islands (blacked-out), and the Laureus Sport for Good (one of the not-for-profit charities that IWC supports, this edition carries a lovely blue colorway).
Diameter: 44mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 89365
Price: $10,600-$11,700

Aquatimer 3-Register Chronographs

Add in the day of the week and an hour totalizer, and you’ve bumped up a notch in the IWC diver’s selection. However, these models do not house in-house movements, so some may prefer the 2-register model above, while others may prefer the always-serviceable ETA 7750 Chronograph movement in this watch. There is also a lovely Jaques Cousteau limited edition available.
Diameter: 44mm
Movement: Cal. 79320 (based on 7750)
Price: $6,850 (rubber)-$7,850 (bracelet)

The Portugieser

Based on oversized timepieces developed in the 1930s for two Portuguese merchants, these watches range in price from $7,600 to $235,000+ for grand complications, indicating that IWC is not only committed to this platform, but that the Portugieser covers a lot of ground for their customer base. A closer look explains why.

The Portugieser Chronograph

It’s the lack of date that creates such a compelling and open dial on these no-nonsense chronographs, which so often have the date squished in under the assumption that the function outplays the aesthetics. Water resistance is 30 meters, so don’t do any cannonballs in this one.
Diameter: 40.9mm
Movement: Cal. 79350 (based on ETA 7750)
Price: $7,600 (steel)-$16,600 (gold versions)

Portugieser Chronograph Classic

Step up into the in-house cal. 89361 movement, and you’ll pick up a date complication and a dual-hand sub-dial at 12 o’clock that totals both minutes and hours when you run the chronograph function. Running seconds are elegantly displayed on the 6-’o’clock sub-dial. Water resistance is still 30 meters, so go easy on this one around the water.
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 89361
Price: $12,100-$20,100 (gold)

Portugieser Automatic

A straight-forward watch that packs a ton of mechanical umph. The left-hand sub-dial tracks running seconds while the right-hand sub-dial indicates how much of the 52010 movement’s 168 hours (7 days) of power are stored up. That’s correct: set it down for a week at a time without having to reset it.
Diameter: 42.3mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 52010
Price: $12,700-$23,900 (gold versions)

Portugieser Annual Calendar

A complication that reaches toward haute horlogerie while barely breaking the $20k barrier. The 7-day power reserve makes sure you don’t have to go resetting all of those complications should you go with another timepiece for sportier adventures.
Diameter: 44.2mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 52850
Price: $20,900-$31,000 (gold)

Portugieser Perpetual Calendar

A classic complication that includes a moon-phase indicator, this watch plays nicely into the Swiss horological tradition with an appearance that’s clean but full of information. Precious metals only, so the prices are high.
Diameter: 44.2mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 52615
Price: $38,000 (red gold); $41,100 (white gold)

Portugieser Grand Complications

These watches will take you far higher up the horological food chain than even the most complicated pilot’s watches from IWC. Prices start at $86,500 for the gold minute repeater (not a crazy price tag, given what it is) and soar to unlisted prices. IWC shows their unique breadth with these fascinating and beautiful timepieces.
Diameter: Various
Movement: Various in-house
Price: $86,000+

The Ingenieur

After Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe hired Gerald Genta during the 1970s to design the now-famous Royal Oak and Nautilus steel sport watches, IWC brought the famed designer into its fold to help them compete in this fast-emerging market. The result was the Ingenieur, a watch that never gained the fame of either the Royal Oak or the Nautilus. And yet, for those seeking a sporty-yet-dressy watch that’s 100% IWC, the Ingenieur is accessible, handsome, durable, and incredibly versatile.

Ingenieur Automatic

Straight-forward, water resistant to 120 meters, rugged enough for an adventurous weekend and classy enough for suit-and-tie affairs, this watch may be the best deal in IWC’s whole catalog.
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Cal. 35111 (based on Sellita SW301-1)
Price: $4,590 (steel on leather)-$13,600 (red gold)

Ingenieur Chronograph

If the Omega Speedmaster is too sporty for you, consider the Ingenieur Chronograph, a watch that nimbly conveys all the information of a chrono with tachymeter scale while still maintaining an elegant visage and a plain bezel. Inside is an in-house movement that one would expect to pay much more for.
Diameter: 42.3mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 69375
Price: $7,950 (steel on bracelet)-$18,100 (red gold)

Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar with Digital Date Month

It seems IWC can’t help but flex their horological muscle, even when executing their presumably more affordable lines of watches (of which, to be fair, this is not). This watch carries a full chronograph function and a fascinating large date and month display on sub-dials at 9 and 3-o’clock.
Diameter: 45mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 89801
Price: $46,300

The Portofino

The Italian seaside town of Portofino is so elegant and beautiful that when the equally elegant and beautiful Cate Blanchett walks the red carpet wearing an IWC Portofino, we confront a self-referential, kaleidoscopic display of luxury. Grab a shard of that impossibility and strap it to your wrist with the Portofino.

The Portofino Automatics

Simple, elegant, and unmistakably IWC in character, the Portofino Automatic is available in an array of beautiful dial colors and case metals.
Diameter: 34mm; 37mm; 40mm
Movement: Cal. 35111 (based on Sellita SW301-1); Cal. 35100 (34mm)
Price: $4,700 (steel)-$11,600 (gold versions)

The Portofino Chronograph

If a little more complication is your dish, check out the Portofino Chronograph models. With a day-date complication and three elegantly proportioned subdials, this watch confidently displays its pedigree.
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Cal. 75320 (based on ETA 7750)
Price: $5,800 (steel)-$15,300 (gold versions)

Portofino Hand-Wound 8-Days

An in-house movement with a huge power reserve packed into a classic-looking watch that will never go out of style.
Diameter: 45mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 59210
Price: $9,900 (steel)-$18,800 (gold versions)

Portofino Automatic Moonphase

A classic and dreamy complication for a classic and dreamy watch. Smartly, IWC doesn’t use an in-house movement here, so the price of entry is relatively achievable.
Diameter: 37mm; 40mm
Movement: Cal. 35800 (based on Sellita SW300-1)
Price: $6,900

Portofino Hand-Wound Moonphase

Well, if you must have an in-house moonphase watch, then this is the ticket. Baiscally their 7-day movement with a moonphase complication added in, this timepiece is just complicated enough to warrant genuine horological fascination.
Diameter: 45mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 59800
Price: $13,000 (steel)-$22,900 (gold case, grey dial)

Portofino Retrograde Tourbillon

This watch is the granddaddy of the Portofino lineup and sees IWC really flexing their watchmaking muscle. A retrograde date complication powered by a very complicated tourbillon escapement adds up to a uniquely interesting high-end watch.
Diameter: 45mm
Movement: Manufacture cal. 59900
Price: $58,000

The Da Vinci Collection

For an American-founded company operating in Switzerland, IWC sure does seem to love the Italians. The DaVinci series watches step up the jewels and complications to a degree that spans, again, an incredibly wide range of features, luxury, and price. As such, the pilot’s watch aesthetics are not to be found here.

DaVinci Automatic 36, 36 Moonphase, and 40mm Automatic

Aimed at those who prefer classic European cues of femininity, the 36 is offered in a wide array of styles that range from simple to the very edge of flamboyance. For the gentleman seeking fantastical elegance, the 40mm will fit the bill.
Diameter: 36mm; 40mm
Movement: Cal. 35111 (based on Sellita SW300-1)
Price: $5,400 (steel on leather)-$37,900 (gold with diamond bezel)

DaVinci Complications

Don’t think that IWC isn’t going to pack their most complicated movements into their most elegant watches. Here we have a limited edition chronograph, a perpetual calendar chrono, and a retrograde tourbillon.
Diameter: 42mm (chronograph); 43mm (perpetual calendar); 44mm (retro tourbillon)
Movement: Various in-house
Price: $12,700+

Jubilee Editions

Not exactly another series of watches, but to celebrate 150 years of business, IWC has released myriad Jubilee editions that range from pilot’s watches to their most complicated and bejeweled specimens. Sizes, complications and styles range widely, and we encourage you to snoop around the Jubilee page to see what’s still available at any time.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

January 31, 2020 / Comments Off

491

This Company’s Pilots and Dive Watches Are Made for Professionals

“We haven’t tried to appeal to everyone — we’ve said this is who we are, and we’re going to keep that style. And we’re not designing by committee. It’s about a classic-style aviation watch.”

Sounds like a pretty straightforward sentiment and mission statement, if you ask us. Giles English, who along with his brother Nick founded Bremont in 2002, is under no illusions as to what his company is and is not. When the two brothers decided to establish their watch brand following the death of their father in an aviation accident, they had a very particular goal in mind: namely, to bring watchmaking back to the UK. And they decided that if they were going to embark on that mission, that they were going to do it correctly, and without cutting any corners.

It took a full five years until the first Bremont watches were ready for delivery, in 2007. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind adventure making watches for various militaries; for the civilian market; and in collaboration with some of the most iconic British brands, personalities and products of all time, including Jaguar, Martin Baker, the Concorde, and more. If you’re a real-life adventurer, soldier, racer or sailor (and especially if you happen to be English), there’s a very good chance that you rock a Bremont watch as your daily wearer.

17 years after Bremont was established, the company employs roughly 30 watchmakers and about 160 total employees, and turns out roughly 10,000 watches per year. But the challenge is hardly over, though the initial growing pains may be behind them: “Everyone said we were mad, and we knew we were a bit mad,” says Giles. “And it’s been very hard — there isn’t a single day when it’s been easy. But it’s been very exciting and we’ve done something not a lot of people have been able to do.”

Amen to that.

We visited Bremont’s facilities in Henley-on-Thames, about an hour outside London, to get a better sense of what their operations are like, and how they design and manufacture their watches. Though the company is currently building a brand new, state-of-the-art facility from the ground-up, Bremont currently relies on several smaller facilities, which it’s quickly outgrowing. Stay tuned for more coverage next year when their new manufacture finally opens, but more now, scroll down for a view into how Bremont’s bringing watchmaking back to England.

Photo Tour

A vertical mill is used to manufacture flat movement components, such as baseplates. While these machines are sufficient for small numbers of components, Giles explains the need for more advanced machines with higher spindle speeds that can churn out, say, a baseplate, in less than an hour (it currently takes about five hours to machine a single one now, given the surface’s complex geometry).

Special plates are used that are perfectly flat, which are then machined, deburred, put through a polisher, and have perlage (decoration) added to them, after which they’re sent to be plated. Bremont, like many other manufacturers, doesn’t do plating itself, which is a skill best entrusted to someone who a shop that specializes in it. Bremont does, however, manufacture all its own jigs itself.

Finding competent watch assemblers in the UK is no easy task — you can’t simply go out and recruit dedicated, established workers with a long history in the industry. Giles English explains: “If we want a watch assembler, we have to go out and get 50 people for bench tests — do they have dexterity? These guys have never dealt with watches before, they’ve come from all different backgrounds. There’s no watch industry (here in the UK) to choose from, so we have to take people from different industries.”

“They may have never seen a watch before, but do they have the dexterity to start off with, and do they have the mental mindset to do this for hours and hours — you whittle those down pretty quickly, and then it’s a long time training process to be able to do it. If you went into any other large Swiss workshop of ours size, it would all be assembly line production — for example, one guy just puts the crowns on. We do a tiny bit of that, but not really so much, and the reason why is we’re training future watchmakers who can then go onto different parts of the business. So we’re trying to build as much of that skillset as possible.”

“We haven’t tried to appeal to everyone — we’ve said this is who we are, and we’re going to keep that style. And we’re not designing by committee. It’s about a classic-style aviation watch.”

Stu, Bremont’s first watchmaker, works on a Codebreaker, a special edition watch from 2013 that utilized wood from Bletchley Park floor boards and metal from an original Enigma machine, the famed Allied codebreaking machine from Work War II (Bletchley Park housed the famed codebreaking facilities). The Codebreaker is a complicated watch, featuring a flyback chronograph as well as a GMT complication.

Standard screws used to affix rotors to automatic movements are normally blued and utilize a normal screw head, but the weight of a rotor spinning puts a large stress on them, so Bremont designed their own screws. The Bremont screw head has two small holes in it and utilizes a screwdriver tip with two small “dots” that grip the head. This system increases the tensile strength of the screw considerably, and the screws don’t need to be blued, which weakens them. The new screw design solves the problem of the screws shearing in half because of the stress of the rotor spinning.

Of course manufacturing ones own tools is costly — the screwdriver grip that Bremont’s watchmakers use is standard, but the bits are custom-made to the tune of 600GBP per unit. “Every seal, every screw is all bespoke to us,” says Giles. “So a lot of brands will buy generic components off the shelf. We do it all ourselves, which means we have control over what is being made.”

“We don’t want the watchmaker to be filing parts to get the case together. If we were building 100 watches a year, we could do that — you can have slightly substandard stuff. But our stuff has to be perfect.”

Nick and Giles do all the design work themselves, mostly by mining the troves of aeronautical instruments that have come before: “We haven’t tried to appeal to everyone — we’ve said this is who we are, and we’re going to keep that style. And we’re not designing by committee. It’s about a classic-style aviation watch. An aviation watch is not a dive watch and not a dress watch — it’s that middle ground and category.

Before we came along most of the aviation watches were so delicate that you couldn’t wear them while flying — they were becoming dress watches. Whereas we wanted something that was tough, easy to read and that you’re able to wear in the boardroom or up Mt. Everest. That was our whole remit, which is why we started getting adventurers and explorers and those guys to start wearing our watches.”

Bremont builds most of its watches using their proprietary Trip-Tick three-piece case (the Her Majesty’s Armed Forces collection being a notable example). Because the company’s cases are specially hardened, they can’t be polished during service, but rather replaced entirely. However, because the cases are built in three pieces, they can simply replace, for example, the bezel component without having to chuck the entire case. (This was part of the original thought process when developing the three-piece case). The steel used by Bremont is 7-8x harder than that used in the average watch case.

A five-stage process is used for case manufacturing, and between each stage, the case must be polished and satined (after the final plating stage, which is done by a specialist company, the cases can no longer be polished). The final polishing stage is done by hand by a skilled employee, and between each of these stages, the cases must be cleaned and kept in small silk bags for protection. Over-polishing can ruin tolerances and prevent parts from fitting together, such as a crystal onto a case.

“If a watch gets tested for three weeks and comes back and there’s even a speck of dust, the entire watch needs to be rebuilt. So it’s all about quality control.”

A laser is used to engrave the sequential numbering that appears on case backs, as well as lettering, such as the company wordmark (the lasers used by Bremont are powerful enough to cut straight through steel) — etching, however, is outsourced. Bremont has become so adept at using their laser engraving machines that the manufacturer even contacted them, asking how they achieve certain techniques.
Once Bremont receives a COSC-certified movement from Switzerland, it’s already been tested to rigorous standards — but tests are conducted on the movement only, not on a watch containing it. “So what we’re doing is regularly testing them the whole time,” explains Giles. “We have systems for batch-testing in five different angles — our watches should be +/- 3 seconds per day. When the watchmaker then does his own individual QC and feels that it’s perfect, then the watch will go upstairs to be individually QC’d.

With watchmaking, it’s all about first-time pass rate, meaning, can I work quickly enough so that I can build my quota without making any mistakes. Because if that watch gets tested for 3 weeks and comes back and there’s even a speck of dust, the entire watch needs to be rebuilt. Our machines will batch-test and keep digital records for us, so we can track when it was tested, what tests were run, sort of like block-chain.”

Kits of watch components are put together on the upper floors of Bremont’s Henley facility, after which they make their way downstairs for assembly. These components have been thoroughly QC’d and may have been sitting for some time in stock. “The idea is to deliver a perfect set of components devoid of scratches, defects, etc. to the watchmaker,” explains Giles. “When it comes to the watchmaker, they want the watch to ‘slide together.’ We don’t want the watchmaker to be filing parts to get the case together.

If we were building 100 watches a year, we could do that. You can have slightly substandard stuff. But this stuff has to be perfect. We want them to be pure assemblers. And that’s the hardest bit and has taken years, to get good-quality components throughout the business. If a component is off by even a few microns, it can throw off the entire process.”

Each watchmaker at Bremont has his or her own custom-built desk, assembled to that watchmaker’s height. Each watch is largely assembled by one watchmaker, who will be given kits of components from the upper floors at Henley. Rather than work on one watch a a time, this person will line up several watches, affix their dials, hands and crowns, and build them. This way, as Giles notes, there is some efficiency to the process. Each watch is numbered and has an individual movement and case number. Each watchmaker has their own tools and when they leave, they leave their desk clean. They also learn how to sharpen their own tools and look after them.

“When you first learn you work on standard 3-hander watches,” says Giles. “When you’re working with chronographs and GMTs you have all different hand heights and if you put these on incorrectly, they can rub against the crystal, cause problems, etc. You train to get to complicated watches.”

Sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. This machine is filled with ceramic beads that vibrates subtly and remove burrs from case components after roughly ten minutes. But the machine has to be watched very carefully — too much time will ruin the components, and not enough time will have a negligible effect.
While all watches go through highly rigorous testing at Bremont, it’s perhaps the military watch projects that mean most to the English brothers. “What we love, the most satisfying part of the business is making for the military all around the world, for lots of different nations, begins Giles. “And a big part of it is that if they’re buying en-masse, they’re getting a deal, they’re effectively subsidizing it. There was a guy, an F-18 pilot who said to me look, I’m flying an F-18 for seven years of my life, but I’ll spend the rest of my life talking about it, and the watch is proof that I did it. I’ll give it to my son, and he’ll tell his son that his grandfather was an F-18 pilot. It becomes a complete badge of honor for these guys. And there’s not much you can buy that does last forever.”

September 23, 2019 / Comments Off

347

This Company’s Pilots and Divers Watches Are Made for Professionals

“W“e haven’t tried to appeal to everyone — we’ve said this is who we are, and we’re going to keep that style. And we’re not designing by committee. It’s about a classic-style aviation watch.”

Amen to that.

Photo Tour

“We haven’t tried to appeal to everyone — we’ve said this is who we are, and we’re going to keep that style. And we’re not designing by committee. It’s about a classic-style aviation watch.”

“We don’t want the watchmaker to be filing parts to get the case together. If we were building 100 watches a year, we could do that — you can have slightly substandard stuff. But our stuff has to be perfect.”

“If a watch gets tested for three weeks and comes back and there’s even a speck of dust, the entire watch needs to be rebuilt. So it’s all about quality control.”

September 23, 2019 / Comments Off

413

These Professional Dive Watches Are Completely Underrated

Back in the 1960s, Aquadive built dive watches, and only dive watches. These purpose-driven timepieces were standard fare among SCUBA divers who would see them in magazine ads, in local dive shops, or on the wrists of their fellow divers. Aquadive made a wide assortment of models, from snorkeling watches to enormous electronic models with oil-filled depth gauges for professional divers. But Aquadive, like so many other watch brands, didn’t survive the ascendency of electronic quartz watches. They went kaput in the 1980s.

In 2011, avid dive watch collector Rick Marei brought Aquadive back to life, first with watches built into new-old-stock cases he acquired along with the company. Those are all gone now, so today Aquadive produces its cases in Germany, and it sources its movements and performs assembly in Switzerland. The newly designed Aquadive Bathyscaphe is the brand’s current flagship model, and this new watch is loosely based on that large watch with the depth gauge, the legendary Aquadive Model 50.

The Aquadive Bathyscaphe measures 43mm across, but for fit you’ll want to know that it’s only 49mm from lug to lug, making this seemingly large watch wear quite comfortably even on small wrists. It’s 15mm tall, which is not small, but the height is mostly due to the tall bezel — which turns out to be an important feature. Expect a large and heavy diver, but one that will fit lots of folks comfortably.

With 1,000 meters of water resistance (3,330’), the Bathyscaphe is not fooling around. Sure, you don’t need all that capability as a casual SCUBA diver, but remember that extreme depths will test the seals of any watch. This one is going to hold steady.

Today’s dive watches are so often marketed as fashion statements that it’s become relatively rare for a company to design one as a straight-up, thoroughbred diving tool. The Aquadive Bathyscaphe is just such a rarity. It doesn’t look entirely out of place with a casual, rugged outfit (let’s say a work shirt, jeans, and boots), but the Bathyscaphe really begs to be worn in and around the water. Better yet, it loves to go deep, and it looks entirely at home snaking around the jagged edges of a sunken freighter, tunneling through a coral cave, or coming face-to-face with a shark.

Diving off the Dutch island Bonaire for a week, and again off of Grand Cayman for a few days (both in the Western Caribbean), the Bathyscaphe proved to be a most trusty companion underwater and above. I’ve scratched a couple sapphire watch crystals and banged up my share of bezels, and I’ve only done that while SCUBA diving. The abuse arises when hoisting heavy aluminum tanks into the back of pickup trucks, reaching an arm through a buoyancy compensation device (BCD) and straight into some hard bit of boat rigging, or lifting myself onto a concrete slab with 16 lbs. of lead weights around my waist as ocean waves blithely toss me to and fro. Some watches might look like badass divers, but they ultimately succumb to damage in real diving conditions. Meanwhile the Aquadive Bathyscaphe takes a serious beating unscathed.

The reason the Bathyscaphe is so rugged goes back to Aquadive’s history of designing exclusively purpose-built dive watches. Consider whether you’d prefer a Cadillac SUV or a Land Rover Defender for actual off-road driving. Right — you chose the Rover because that company had been perfecting tough, capable off-road vehicles when Cadillac was still building land yachts. You can’t fast-forward that evolution; it’s just too much hard-earned RnD -— year in, year out — for anyone to imitate.

And that’s exactly why you’d choose an Aquadive for diving. Its design is an accumulation of small improvements that add up to a seriously capable dive watch, and not some fashion statement. Though, ironically, the Aquadive’s bonafides as a tool make it an even cooler fashion statement for some of us. When you get bored with bitching and moaning about date window placement or an extra millimeter here and there, it’s refreshing to find a dive watch that reminds us that these are tools, not toys. Strap it on, stop fussing, and go do stuff.

What specifically makes the Aquadive Bathyscaphe so capable? First of all, it’s the case and bezel. The wide-flanged cushion case (not entirely unlike a Doxa SUB) creates a protective wall around the watch. Similarly, the tall beefy bezel and it’s ultra-hard ceramic insert protect the flat sapphire crystal. The mounting holes for the spring bars are deeply inset into the stout lugs, and the spring bars themselves are fat and inspire confidence. The provided Isofrane strap is a rubber affair that’s become an industry standard for reliability and comfort, either on your skin or over a wetsuit. Add in the 1,000 meters of water resistance, the unrivaled Super-LumiNova lume, and the proven ETA 2836-2 automatic movement, and we’re talking about a watch that’ll just waltz through daily abuses.

Underwater, the legibility of the Aquadive Bathyscaphe is unparalleled. Super-LumiNova is standard stuff, but I wonder if there’s a secret sauce here? It’s really, really bright. Swimming under the shadow of a wreck at 95 feet, the dial lit up like Times Square. And the amount of lume on the bezel makes it really easy to read exact timings at depth. Again, it’s all about performance.

Another important feature for diving performance is bezel action. When your hands are numb with cold, or bound up in neoprene, you’re going to want a bezel that’s easy to grip and turn, but not so easy that it’ll get moved around without your consent. I was suspicious of this one because the bezel slopes up toward the crystal, which has proven a slippery proposition on other watches. But the bezel on the Aquadive Bathyscaphe is tall, and the coin edge is super sharp, so it proves to be easy to grip and turn. Further, that sloping bezel is a safety measure of sorts, because a bezel that overhangs the case can latch onto rocks, or coral, or any of the countless obstacles we encounter when diving.

There’s no need to overthink the Aquadive Bathyscaphe. It’s a dedicated thoroughbred dive tool with a professional lineage that assures its legacy as such. For those who have come to love tool watches as tools, the Bathyscaphe will scratch that itch. For desk divers who just want a cool fashion accessory, perhaps the Bathyscaphe will have you reconsider fussy fashion concerns in favor of a serious tool with serious cred.

Numerous versions of the Aquadive are available beginning at $1,990 direct.

September 10, 2019 / Comments Off

878

This Affordable, Field-Inspired Watch Celebrates Fossil Watches of the 1990s

Fossil’s Archival Series features limited-edition sets that recall early Fossil watches, the newest of which is the Defender. Featuring a 42mm brushed stainless steel case with 22mm lugs, the Defender is a throwback to a watch first introduced in the 1990s that featured both field and dive-inspired influences.

The new Defender ships in a handsome leather box with two straps — one a brown leather type with rubberized backing, and the second a green NATO strap — and, interestingly, three interchangeable “top rings.” These can’t be called “bezels” in the classic sense, as they don’t turn, but they provide the wearer with an opportunity to easily swap them out for a fun look. Two are diver-style count-up bezels (one in brushed steel and one in aluminum), and the third is a black steel compass bezel. The crown is a push-down type and is located at 4 o’clock, giving the watch a water-resistance of 100m.

If you’re on the lookout for an affordable field/diver-style watch or happen to have grown up in the 80s or 90s and have fond memories of Fossil, the quartz-powered Defender, which is available for $255 in select Fossil stores, could be the watch for you.

September 9, 2019 / Comments Off

459