In this article in our series on the basics of divers’ watches, we take on what is probably the most distinctive element of a dive watch: the rotating bezel.

Its function is actually quite simple: before a diver’s descent, the 12 o’clock bezel marker is aligned with the minute hand, allowing the elapsed time, up to 60 minutes, to be read on the bezel (which is why quite a few dive watches come with a particularly prominent minute hand). A unidirectional, ratcheting construction ensures that – if the bezel is accidentally moved – the time already spent underwater would be indicated as longer than actually spent, providing the diver with a safety reserve for his now more imminent ascent. The bezel/minute hand combination does not, however, directly measure how much air remains in the air tank, as still can be read quite often in press releases.

A standard scuba dive (in which the diver is equipped with a standard air tank) usually lasts 30 to 50 minutes, mostly depending on the depth reached and the shape the diver is in (basically, how physically demanding the dive is). This explains why the first 15 to 20 minutes on the bezel inlay are often more highlighted – the end of this sector theoretically indicates the point of return (exception: “countdown” bezels that mark the time of ascent). In order to correctly time decompression stops at the end of a dive, central-minutes chronographs such as the Aquastar Benthos or even split-minute chronographs, such as the IWC Aquatimer Chronograph from 2004, offer an interesting complication (should the diver not use a computer).

But, back to the start of a dive: In reality, the bezel is aligned when the diver is geared up and ready to begin the dive — which is, most of the time, when he is already in the water or on a boat right before entering the water. It is rarely performed in a dry hotel room, wearing no gloves, when one is able to take off the watch to comfortably set its bezel. So, despite how much I personally love the Omega Ploprof (which features a bi-directional external bezel with a locking mechanism) and the Hublot Oceanographic 4000 (whose unidirectional internal bezel is operated via a screw-down crown which is then placed behind a protective cover), neither are among the easiest watches to be operated single-handedly when worn in the water. And I would strongly advise you never to remove a wet luxury watch from your wrist when there’s a bottomless pit below you.

From a construction point-of-view, there are two main approaches:

1. External bezel

First used for a dive watch by Rolex and Blancpain (inspired by earlier pilots’ watches) in 1953/54, this is still the simplest and most user-friendly approach. Disadvantages include wear from debris,sand or salt getting between the case and the bezel, and the possibility of accidentally moving or damaging the bezel.

As a solution to these issues, Citizen introduced a removable bezel with the Citizen Promaster 1000 in 2002, and IWC launched the Ocean 2000 in 1984, with a bezel that could only be operated counter-clockwise when pushed down (an idea re-introduced in 1998 with its GST Aquatimer). This concept was similarly executed earlier by Certina, with its DS-2 500m in 1968, and later in 2003 by TAG Heuer for the Aquagraph 2000 Chronograph (with a two part bezel) and by Oris in 2009 with the Oris Prodiver (whose bezel needed to be lifted). More or less complicated bezel locking mechanisms — as first introduced on the Omega Ploprof in 1970 and again in its modern version in 2009 — can also be found in the Hublot Subaquaneus, the Squale Tiger, some models from UTS, Germano, and Glycine, and, of course, in older Yema models.

Citizen Promaster 1000, before (above) and after (below) setting the bezel and submerging

2. Internal bezel

Most likely introduced by Aquastar in the 1960s. In this construction, the bezel is located inside the watch and is thus protected by the crystal, giving the watch a more elegant look. The bezel can only be operated with a (usually additional) crown, quite often in both directions (exceptions include the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver, Hublot Oceanographic, etc.). Disadvantage: An additional opening in the case (except maybe for the first Aquastar models, and the recent Maurice Lacroix Pontos S, in which the chronograph pusher also operates the bezel) and often a rather small crown to fumble with. The more secure it is designed (unidirectional, screw-in), the less practical it becomes for diving.

In 2002, Eterna introduced, with its KonTiki Diver, an interesting first fusion of both concepts: the internal bezel could be operated from the outside, a concept that first allowed a water resistance of 200 meters and, in 2005, up to 1,000 meters with the more radical-looking Concept Diver.

In 2014, IWC went all the way and seems now to be offering, for the first time, the best of both worlds: The current IWC Aquatimer family features a system, called Safedive, that combines a unidirectional internal bezel that can only be rotated with a ratcheting external bezel (which can be moved in both directions, but only counter-clockwise for adjusting the internal bezel). The IWC video below demonstrates how it works:

So, after more than 60 years of dive watches, this may be the ring that rules them all…

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Take the plunge with us into the colorful world of water sports. Here you can find professional instruments with appealing technologies, styles, and prices. In this article, we present divers’ watches without complex additional functions (e.g., chronographs) because the watches listed here are designed to focus your undivided attention on the time of day and the dive time. Screwed crowns and unidirectional rotatable divers’ bezels are standard equipment on dive watches and, therefore, are not specifically mentioned in the following descriptions.

IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000

IWC Schaffhausen recently added bright yellow accents to its professional divers’ watch. Its other features are the same as those on the standard model with conventionally colored luminous material: water tightness to 2,000 meters, 46-mm titanium case, rubber strap with an extension piece, manufacture Caliber 80110, and special dive-time system. The dive time is preset by turning the bezel counter-clockwise, which causes the inner scale to come along for the ride; but when the bezel is rotated clockwise, the inner dive- time ring remains motionless. With so much built-in security, no reservations remain – except perhaps the price of $9,500.

Sinn U2 S

Boasting a case made of specially hardened submarine steel with a hard coating, this ticking jack-of-all-trades from Frankfurt am Main resists corrosion by saltwater and stays watertight to 2,000 meters. But that’s not all: Sinn’s own stay-dry technology relies on a sulfate capsule to effectively capture any moisture that might penetrate into the case as the years go by. Furthermore, tests conducted inside a climatic exposure cabinet guarantee that this 44-mm wristwatch functions perfectly at temperatures ranging from -49 to + 176 degrees Fahrenheit. The bracelet and case are equally well protected against scratches; the former culminates in a folding clasp with a divers’-extension mechanism. Along with the time of day or night and the date, ETA’s self-winding Caliber 2893 also shows the time in a second time zone. Considering all you get for your money, $3,230 isn’t a bad price to pay.

Seiko Prospex Automatic Diver’s

This Japanese manufacturer’s Prospex line includes higher-priced dive watches as well as excellent entry-level models. The classic among them is designated as reference SRP777K1. It measures 44.3 mm in diameter, stays watertight to 200 meters and – thanks to a hardened mineral glass rather than a sapphire crystal – costs only $495. Like every Seiko watch, it’s equipped with one of the brand’s own calibers. In this case (no pun intended), the movement is self-winding Caliber 4R36. The highly elastic, corrugated, urethane strap stretches to slip over the sleeve of a diving suit. Lumibrite luminous material, a Seiko development, glows with uncommon brightness.

Longines HydroConquest

A solidly built Swiss divers’ watch with ETA’s bestselling Caliber 2892, a steel bracelet, a divers’ extension in the bracelet, and a price tag of just $1,000: That’s what we call a favorable price-performance ratio. But those who opt for     41-mm stainless-steel watch will have to make do with an aluminum bezel. The case stays watertight to 300 meters, which is 50 percent deeper than the required 200 meters, but it’s not in the extreme class of pressure resistance offered by some Breitling, IWC, Rolex or Sinn models.

Rolex Sea-Dweller and ROLEX Deepsea

Manufacturers of professional divers’ watches essentially measure their products against these two Rolex models. While the case of its “little sister” (the Submariner) is 12.5-mm slim and can pass as a sporty and elegant dress watch, the approximately 15-mm-thick Sea-Dweller (shown above in the 2017 version) and the whopping 17.7-mm-thick Deepsea are genuine professional instruments. The Sea-Dweller stays watertight to 1,220 meters while the Deepsea keeps its feet dry all the way down to 3,900 meters. Outstanding features of these 43-mm and 44-mm models include Rolex’s special stainless-steel alloy (which is uncommonly resistant to corrosion by seawater), scratch-resistant bezels made from a ceramic developed by Rolex, an automatic manufacture caliber with chronometer certification, helium valves, and folding clasps with intelligently conceived divers’ extensions. The many technical advantages help justify the price: $11,350 for the Sea-Dweller and $12,050 for the DeepseA

Oris Aquis Depth Gauge

Like the ordinary Aquis, this 46-mm special instrument is robustly constructed, watertight to 500 meters, and scratch resistant on its front side, thanks to a ceramic bezel. But this model also provides a unique technical highlight: No other brand offers a watch with a depth gauge quite like this one. When this watch submerges for a dive, water penetrates into a ring-shaped channel along the rim of the sapphire crystal and compresses the air inside the channel. The diving depth can be read on the dial’s periphery at the point where the dark water meets the bright air. Powered by Sellita’s automatic Caliber SW 200, this stainless-steel watch with a rubber strap and additional steel bracelet is delivered inside a watertight carrying case. Each wristband has its own folding clasp with integrated divers’ extension. For this power package with a unique depth gauge, $3,500 isn’t too high a price to pay.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver

Audemars Piguet ventures into colorful spheres with last year’s update to the Royal Oak Offshore collection. The most eye-catching versions of this 42-mm-diameter, 300-meter-watertight stainless-steel watch come in bright green, yellow or orange; white and blue versions are also available. Technical strong points in manufacture Caliber 3120 include a longer-than-average 60-hour power reserve, a soft iron inner case to protect against magnetic fields, and an inner rotatable ring that can be turned in both directions via an additional screwed crown. A shortcoming for divers: The rubber wristband has no extension mechanism. A shortcoming for the frugal: The price of this version is $19,900.

Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver

Last year, Bell & Ross introduced its first dive watch in the square case shape for which the brand has become renowned: the new BR 03-92 Diver. Its squared ergonomic case, made of satin-polished steel and measuring 42 mm in diameter, is water resistant to 300 meters and houses the automatic BR-Cal.302, based on the Sellita SW 300. Price is $3,700.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

Fifty fathoms are equal to 300 feet or nearly 100 meters – the depth to which the original Fifty Fathoms from 1953 remained watertight. The contemporary version of this iconic divers’ watch is watertight to 300 meters and comes with a sapphire crystal that curves above the rotatable bezel. Caliber 1315 amasses a five-day power reserve and is protected against magnetism by a soft iron inner case. The stainless-steel case is 45 mm in diameter. The canvas wristband is water resistant, but its wearer has to make do without an extension mechanism. Divers who appreciate luxury must part with $14,500 to own this watch.

Certina DS Action Diver Automatic

Certina’s entry-level divers’ watch is attractively priced and equally attractively designed. The 43.2-mm-diameter stainless-steel case comes in black or blue; a version with a gray titanium case is also available. Although the steel versions offer a sapphire crystal and a metal bracelet with built-in divers’ extension, they cost just $895. A useful feature: Not only is the zero point luminous, so are all the other indexes on the bezel. The water tightness up to 200 meters satisfies the standard specified for divers’ watches.

Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman Titanium

Hamilton’s new dive watch is available with dials and bezels in various colors. Notwithstanding its burly 46-mm size, the titanium version is comfortable to wear. From a technical point of view, this model offers lightweight and sturdy titanium in tandem with a special safety mechanism for the crown, a helium valve, and a further evolved descendant of ETA’s Caliber 2824 known as the “H-10.” If left unmoved after it has been fully wound, this new caliber will continue to run for 80 hours rather than the previous span of just 38 hours. The water tightness is quite deep (1,000 meters), but the individually designed rubber strap lacks an extension mechanism. This well-equipped watch retails for the surprisingly low price of $1,445.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Master Chronometer

Omega’s Seamaster family offers divers’ watches in a wide range of designs and in an equally wide range of prices. All of these time-pieces boast professional features and Omega’s own self-winding movements with chronometer-accurate coaxial escapement. A good cost-benefit ratio is provided by the 43.5-mm Seamaster Planet Ocean Master Chronometer: In return for its price of $6,550, divers get an attractively styled watertight steel watch that stays watertight to 600 meters and has a metal bracelet, a helium valve, a ceramic bezel and antimagnetic manufacture Caliber 8900, which relies on two barrels to amass a 60-hour power reserve.

Omega Seamaster Ploprof

The Omega Seamaster Ploprof boasts an even greater number of professional features. The case, which measures 55 mm by 48 mm, is made from lightweight titanium and stays watertight to twice the depth (1,200 meters) of the Planet Ocean. For safety’s sake, the bezel can be rotated only when the diver presses the orange button. When this button is depressed, the bezel can be conveniently reset in both directions. Two easy-to-use divers’ extensions are contained inside the secure folding clasp on the titanium link bracelet. As with the Planet Ocean, innovative protection against magnetic fields is provided by a totally antimagnetic movement (automatic Caliber 8912), so Omega can equip the case with a sapphire back. This companion for professional divers costs $13,800.

Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic 3 Days Automatic Titanio

With a 47-mm titanium case, ceramic bezel, and protection against magnetic fields, this model is one of the professional dive watches from Panerai. Also worth a mention: inside the watch is the automatic manufacture Caliber P.9010 with temperature-insensitive Glucydur balance and a three-day power reserve. The case stays watertight to 300 meters. The corrugated strap can be stretched to fit over the sleeve of a diving suit. The price is not insignificant: $11,000.

Luminox Deep Dive Automatic Scott Cassell Special Edition

Thanks to hands and indexes that bear tubules filled with tritium gas, this dive-watch leader from the Swiss sports watch brand continues to glow with undiminished intensity for many years, and without having its wearer recharge the luminous indicators at a light source. This watch is also convincing thanks to its water tightness (500 meters), helium valve, and sturdy rubber wristband with an extension piece to facilitate wearing over the sleeve of a thick diving suit. Power is provided by Sellita’s sleekly simple Caliber SW 200, which is fabricated in large series, thus enabling Luminox to offer this watch at the affordable price of $2,200.

Doxa Sub 1500T MKII

The orange-colored Doxa Sub is considered a classic among dive watch enthusiasts. It’s available in various designs and with water tightness to different depths. The model shown here can descend to far-reaching depths: Its stainless-steel case protects Soprod’s self-winding Caliber A10 against incursions by water to a depth of 1,500 meters. The case is 44.7 mm in diameter and is equipped with a helium valve. As on almost all Doxa Sub models, the rotatable bezel is calibrated with a decompression scale. Military frogmen use such scales to read the number of minutes they can stay at a specified depth (measured in feet) without having to pause for a decompression stop during their ascent. An extension piece can be pivoted from the bracelet’s folding clasp. Each of the 1,500 pieces in this limited series sells for an affordable $2,390.

Tag Heuer Aquaracer Caliber 5 Blue Camo

Last year’s Aquaracer update from TAG Heuer came with an “Arctic” blue camouflage pattern and matching NATO strap as well as a water resistance rating of 300 meters. Its 43-mm case is made from Grade 2 titanium with a matte black PVD treatment. The watch is powered by TAG Heuer’s Caliber 5, which is based on the ETA 2824 or the Sellita SW200. The price for this version is $2,800.

The function of an altimeter is simple: It measures the altitude of an object above any fixed level, with sea level being the most common point of reference. It is used in a number of activities, from extreme sports like skydiving, to ground-based activities like hiking, climbing, and skiing, but its most prominent usage has always been tied to flight. As many watch enthusiasts are aware, the history of aviation and horology have long been linked through the necessity of a pilot needing to know the time immediately while in the air. Through this, the pilot’s watch has developed over the decades to become the recognizable icon it is today. The flieger triangle at 12 o’clock, the oversized case and crown, and the development of lume have all been tied to catering to a pilot’s needs while in flight so it was only a matter of time before watch brands embraced the altimeter. Here are five brands that have done just that over the past few years. 

Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter

In 2014, Oris tapped its flight heritage to release the Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter. The watch has two crowns: the crown at 2 o’clock adjusts time and date, while the crown at 4 o’clock operates the altimeter. To activate the altimeter, you must unscrew the second crown into position one, indicated by a red ring. At position 2, the altimeter can be set. Once this is completed, the watch illustrates the altitude through the yellow indicator and the air pressure via the red indicator. The altitude scale is read through the outer dial ring and can measure the altitude up to 15,000 feet. The air pressure scale is located between the altimeter scale and the central dial. The 47-mm watch uses the Oris Caliber 733, which is a modified Sellita SW200 movement. The watch costs $3,800 on a textile strap and $4,100 on a bracelet.

Favre Leuba Bivouac 9000

Last year, Favre Leuba marked its 280th anniversary with the Bivouac 9000, a mechanical watch that boasts the capability of measuring altitudes up to 9,000 meters (29,527 feet) above sea level. This isn’t exactly new territory for Favre-Leuba, as the Bivouac 9000 is the direct descendant of a 1962 wristwatch the brand released that was the first timepiece that could measure the altitude up to 3,000 meters. The 48-mm titanium case houses an aneroid barometer, which allows the watch to indicate the elevation at a given point by reacting to the changing air pressure surrounding it. The central red altimeter hand indicates altitude gain in 50-meter steps and goes up to 3,000 meters in one rotation. Once the watch has completed three such rotations, you know that you’ve reached an altitude of 9,000 meters The price is CHF 7,500, approximately $8,000 USD.

Casio PRG-650Y-1

Casio is a popular choice for many daredevils that want extreme functionality without compromising on good looks. Last September, the Japanese brand expanded its Pro-Trek collection to add the PRG650Y-1 and PRG650YBE-3, two new timepieces that include a magnetic sensor for compass readings, a pressure sensor that functions as an altimeter and a thermosensor for temperature. The two analog-digital watches also have stopwatch capabilities, up to five daily alarms, water resistance up to 100 m, a worldtimer, and a countdown timer. This kind of souped-up gadgetry is what Casio is best known for and it doesn’t disappoint here. Both watches are powered by Casio’s Tough Solar Power technology that eliminates the need to change a battery. It’s worth noting that every watch in Casio’s Pro-Trek series includes an altimeter. The PRG650Y-1 is available for $320 and the PRG650YBE-3 for $340.

Citizen Promaster Altichron

Citizen’s main focus last year was on ultra-rugged watches that spare no expense. Along with a diving watch that can reach a depth of 1,000 m, the Japanese brand introduced the Promaster Altichron which has an altimeter that reaches up to 32,000 feet. Citizen chose to display the time and functions in analog rather than digital form to simplify the information available. The various functions include the altimeter, a compass, a power reserve, and a date window. Like all Eco-Drive watches, the Promaster Altichron is powered by light and it has a rate of plus or minus 15 seconds per month. You can find it for $550.

Bremont U-22

It’s no secret that Nick and Giles English, the British founders of Bremont, are quite fond of flying. At Baselworld 2015, the young brand unveiled the U-22, which contained a date window inspired by an altimeter. Yes, this technically doesn’t have a functioning altimeter but it’s a great looking watch that has been flight tested by the brand up to 100,000 feet for over 12 hours in the air and to temperatures as low as -50 degrees. The watch also features a bi-directional rotating bezel that has been altered to form a compass quadrant, often used in weather mapping. The Bremont U-22 uses the COSC-certified caliber 12 ¼ BE-36AE and has a 38-hour power reserve. It costs $5,195.

The fourth WatchTime issue of 2018 hit newsstands today, with highlights ranging from our enormous, 32-page Baselworld review that includes in-depth coverage of the new Rolex GMT Master-II; a dual interview with LVMH Watch Department head honcho Jean-Claude Biver and watch-mod authority George Bamford; a long-form interview with Stephen Forsey on the evolution of the Greubel Forsey GMT; tests on the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox and Chronograph models; in-depth reviews of new watches from Oris, Nomos Glashütte, and Hublot; a deep dive into the history of the Patek Philippe Nautilus; a guide to American microbrands; and much more. Read on for more details…

• Inspired by the Nomos Autobahn’s unusual name, we drove along its namesake, the German autobahn, to the city of Glashütte, where we tested the watch prior to its Baselworld debut.
• In our giant Baselworld 2018 section, we cover all the new releases plus Logan R. Baker sits down with Jean-Claude Biver and George Bamford to discover their collaborative process. WatchTime Editor-in-Chief Roger Ruegger also turns his back on Baselworld naysayers and examines the past and future of the industry’s largest fair.
• In “Building the Foundation,” Mark Bernardo looks at five brands that are taking a slow-and-steady approach to building in-house movements.
• The Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 transports us into the future of mechanical timekeeping with its in-house-developed 10-day movement and complex design in “Time Machine” by Jens Koch.
• A change in ownership at De Bethune doesn’t mean a shift in the brand’s ideals in “De Bethune’s New (Old) Look” by Logan R. Baker.
• Side-by-side reviews of the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox and Polaris Chronograph.
• A guide to the top American microbrands including Brew Watches, Monta, Oak & Oscar, Seals Watch Co., and Vortic.
• Plus: An overview of Glashütte Original‘s three core collections; Jens Koch explores the 42-year old history of the Patek Philippe Nautilus; a review of the Oris Chronoris Date; and a look at Favre-Leuba‘s multi-year comeback plan.

You can buy the issue here for $8.95.

The Swiss watch brand Oris is well-known for the use of a red winding rotor, which became a trademark of the brand in 2002. It’s a symbol, the brand says, of the passion with which it manufactures mechanical wristwatches. At the same time, it’s a good way to catch the attention of the beholder and a good conversation starter. What else can you tell your watch friends? Discover these 25 milestone moments in the history of Oris watches, from its founding in 1904 to the present day, and you’ll have plenty to discuss.

1904 Oris is founded in Hölstein,  Switzerland, by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian, both from Le Locle. They name the company after a nearby brook.

Oris founders Paul Cattin (above) and Georges Christian (below)

1906 to 1925 The company opens five additional factories in Switzerland.

1910 Oris, with 300 workers, is the largest employer in Hölstein.

A painting from 1929 shows Oris factories in six Swiss towns.

1927 When Georges Christian dies, Oris is bought by a group of his family’s friends. The watchmaker Jacques-David LeCoultre, grandson of the famed Antoine LeCoultre, becomes president. He is also managing director of LeCoultre and, after that company merges with Edmond Jaeger in 1937, of Jaeger-LeCoultre.

1928 Oscar Herzog, brother-in-law of Georges Christian (and not related to Oris’s current executive chairman, Ulrich Herzog) becomes managing director.

1939 to 1945 During World War II, Oris is better known for its alarm clocks than its wristwatches.

An Oris alarm clock from the 1940s

1952 Oris launches its first automatic watch.

The first Oris automatic

1956 Oscar Herzog hires Rolf Portmann and assigns him the task of working to overturn a Swiss law that is preventing Oris from switching from making pin-lever escapements to making more expensive Swiss lever ones. The law, called the Watch Statute, passed in 1934, says no watch company can make such a change without the government’s permission. Oris has been denied permission repeatedly.

1966 After a decade of campaigning to have the Watch Statute reversed, Portmann succeeds, and Oris is allowed to make Swiss lever escapement watches. Its first is the automatic Caliber 645.

1968 Oris is awarded its first chronometer certificate, by the Observatoire Astronomique et Chronométrique in Neuchâtel, for Caliber 652.
1969 Oris reaches the peak of its production, making 1.2 million watches. The company employs 800 people and is one of the 10 largest watch companies in the world.

1970 The company is sold to the Swiss holding company ASUAG (later to merge with another holding company, SSIH, to form what is now the Swatch Group). That same year, Oris introduces its first chronograph, the Chronoris, which is also the first auto-racing-related Oris watch. Later, auto-themed watches would become a pillar of the brand.

The Chronoris, Oris’s first chronograph

1982 Rolf Portmann and Ulrich Herzog buy Oris.

1984 The company introduces a watch with center-mounted calendar pointer, based on an Oris watch from 1938. The calendar pointer would become one of the brand’s best-known features.

Mid-’80s Herzog starts shifting Oris’s production away from quartz watches and back to mechanical ones.

1988 Oris launches alarm wristwatches incorporating old A. Schild movements that Herzog has bought.

Oris alarm watch from 1988

1992 The company shifts its production entirely to mechanical watches.

1996 Oris launches a watch in conjunction with saxophonist Andy Sheppard. It is the first watch in the brand’s series of jazz watches. In subsequent years, the company would introduce watches bearing the names of jazz greats Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and others.

The Andy Sheppard watch, the first of the Oris jazz watches

1997 The company launches the WorldTimer, containing Caliber 690, which lets the wearer adjust the time forward or backward in one-hour jumps using pushers on the side of the case. The watch also has a patented system in which the date jumps backward if the local time is moved back over midnight.

2002 The red winding rotor, used on most of the brand’s automatic watches, becomes a trademarked symbol of Oris.

2006 A watch bearing the name of freediver Carlos Coste is introduced. Called the Carlos Coste Limited Edition Chronograph, it’s the first watch in Oris’s Divers collection.

2008 The company launches its BC4 Flight Timer, which tells the time in three time zones, one of which is adjusted using a vertical crown at 2 o’clock.

2013 Oris introduces the Aquis Depth Gauge, which indicates depth by means of a circular channel surrounding the dial. Oris holds a patent on the device: it is the first time such a gauge has been used in a wristwatch.

2014 Oris announces that it has launched its first entirely in-house developed movement in 35 years, called Caliber 110 (named for the brand’s 110th anniversary). The new, manual-wound movement, with a 10-day power reserve from a single barrel, makes its debut in the Oris 110 Years Limited Edition watch, available in either a steel ($6,500) or rose-gold ($17,500) case and limited to 110 pieces of each. The brand has followed up Caliber 110 with new in-house movements in the years since, adding a new complication with each new generation.

2015: Oris releases the first version of the popular Diver Sixty-Five, a modern reissue of a classic Oris dive watch released 50 years ago. The 1965 model had a chromium-plated brass case and plexiglas crystal, a bidirectional rotating bezel, and a black plastic strap, while the new version has a more contemporary 40-mm case in corrosion-resistant stainless steel; a scratch-resistant, nonreflective sapphire crystal with a “bubble-curved” shape; and a safer (for diving) unidirectional bezel. The bezel is enhanced with a black aluminum inlay, and the hands and indices (filled with tritium on the original model) are filled with a type of Super-LumiNova called “Light Old Radium” with a beige glow. The steel caseback is engraved with the same historical Oris emblem found on the original’s. (For a hands-on review of the Oris Diver Sixty-Five, click here.)

This article was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with additional material.

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We live in an era of cool, digital timekeeping. Our workdays are defined by electronic objects made from metal and plastic. Asphalt, glass, steel, and concrete surround us in our cities. No wonder we yearn for something different — for warm colors, materials from living sources, wood grain, textured leather and textiles; for the look of lifelike materials such as bronze, which changes over time and acquires a unique patina. Bronze also recalls the pre-industrial era and ships, which — despite the simplicity of their navigational tools — helped us discover and explore entire continents. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we present several watches created using natural materials.

1. Fine Leather: Hublot Classic Fusion Berluti Scritto

Hublot Classic Fusion Berluti Scritto

Hublot collaborated with renowned luxury shoemaker Berluti to create the Classic Fusion Berluti Scritto. This watch combines two of the most distinctive features of the French leather specialist: Venezia calfskin with its signature light-to-dark tones and script originating from 18th-century calligraphy. Because leather is a living material it must undergo special treatment to inhibit moisture that would affect the movement inside the airtight case. Hublot’s proprietary King Gold is a perfect complement to the “tobacco” leather dial. The watch is powered by automatic Caliber HUB1100, which is based on a Sellita SW 300. This model is limited to 250 pieces and is priced at $29,400.

2. Bronze Diving Helmets: Oris Carl Brashear Limited Edition

Oris Carl Brashear Limited Edition

Oris dedicates its bronze dive watch to Carl Brashear, who in 1948 became the first African-American U.S. Navy diver. And he was the first soldier who continued working as a diver despite the amputation of his leg. The watch’s 42-mm bronze case recalls old diving helmets, which were still made of this material in the 1950s. The unidirectional rotating bezel and the clasp on the leather strap are also made of bronze and acquire its distinctive patina. The brown leather strap and dark blue dial, combined with the bronze metal, provide an interesting color combination. The automatic Sellita SW 200 movement powers the watch. The 2,000-piece Carl Brashear Limited Edition costs $2,800.

3. Bronze and Military Textile: Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze

Tudor equips its Heritage Black Bay Bronze with a case made of aluminum bronze that quickly acquires an attractive, aged patina. It is resistant to salt water and is ideal for use as a dive watch. The bezel and dial are rendered in a coordinating brown tone. This dive watch has an olive-green and khaki textile strap, completing the retro-military look. The French marines used a similar strap for their Tudor dive watches. An in-house caliber MT5601 with automatic winding continues to run for 70 hours without additional power, and is tested and certified by COSC. This 43-mm bronze watch costs $3,975. It comes with an additional aged-leather strap.

4. Ship’s Clocks of Wood and Bronze: Bell & Ross BR 01 Instrument de Marine

Bell & Ross BR01 Instrument de Marine

Bell & Ross found inspiration for its BR 01 Instrument de Marine watch in the marine chronometers of the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s not just the dial that recalls a ship’s clocks, but also the bronze case and the square frame made from Indian rosewood. This precious wood is hard and durable and presents a har-monic color composition alongside the bronze case and brown crocodile strap. The watch is powered by hand-wound Caliber 203, which is based on a Unitas 6498. Bell & Ross offers 500 pieces of the BR 01 Instrument de Marine, each priced at $8,700.

6. Wood Dashboards: Ralph Lauren’s Automotive Skeleton

Ralph Lauren Automotive Skeleton

Ralph Lauren’s Automotive Skeleton combines a black bead-blasted case with a bezel made of amboyna wood. This special hardwood comes from an Asian evergreen tree and is often used for musical instruments because of its beautiful grain. This natural material makes each watch unique. Company founder Ralph Lauren owns a black Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic Coupe from 1938, and the materials and color of its dashboard inspired the look of this watch. The blackened and skeletonized hand-wound Caliber RL1967 is based on an IWC proprietary movement. The 45-mm watch is priced at $50,000.

Merken

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Rome wasn’t built in a day — and neither was Rolex, Patek Philippe, Jaeger-LeCoultre and other watch manufacturers praised for their vertical integration and lauded for their array of in-house calibers. While we all applaud the handful of brands that have ramped up their in-house production, either recently or since the beginning, to a capacity that brings new and increasingly complicated calibers to market virtually every year —your Parmigianis, your Greubel Forseys, your A. Lange & Söhnes, to name just a few — we also should take note of other brands, many of them smaller, independently owned, or known throughout their history more for outsourcing their movements, that are taking a more incremental approach. In this series of articles, we take a look at five brands — three Swiss, two German — that are taking it slow and steady. First up: Oris, which began its new era of movement making with its 110th anniversary.

The Oris factory in the Swiss Jura town of Holstein.

Oris, founded in the Jura town of Holstein in 1904, can look back upon a fairly extensive history of watchmaking and movement-making, albeit one that went on a lengthy hiatus in the wake of the Quartz Crisis. Between the year of its founding and 1981, the year in which the company’s management decided to cease producing its own movements in favor of outsourcing ébauches from ETA and later Sellita, Oris developed 229 in-house calibers, including historically significant examples like Caliber 652 in 1968, the first pin-lever escapement movement to be chronometer-certified by the Neuchatel Observatory, and 1970’s Caliber 725, the company’s first chronograph.

From 1982 onward, Oris would place its focus on the less-intensive, and less costly, process of producing in-house modules for the base movements it acquired from its Swiss suppliers. This is the era that gave birth to Oris’s most famous visual signature, the bright red winding rotor that it added to all of its modified automatic base calibers.

Oris-modified self-winding mechanical movements are recognizable by their red rotors.

As Oris marked its centennial, however, its current ownership and management — headed by executive chairman Ulrich W. Herzog, one of two Oris employees who’d orchestrated the buyout from the nascent Swatch Group back in 1982 that made Oris an independent company — decided it was high time to plunge back into developing movements in-house from the ground up. To this end, Oris watchmakers and designers teamed with Switzerland’s L’École Technique Le Locle to design and produce a mechanical movement that would include a high level of functionality but would also be cased in watches that could be comfortably produced at Oris’s famously reasonable price points and live up to the company’s “Real Watches for Real People” slogan.

The project, which required 10 years of research and development, saw fruition in 2014, Oris’s 110^th anniversary, with the aptly named Caliber 110. The manually wound caliber, Oris’s first mechanical one developed in-house in 35 years, made its debut in a limited edition from Oris’s dressy Artelier collection. It offered a world-first combo of a 10-day power reserve, stored in a single, extra-large barrel, and a patented, non-linear power-reserve indicator positioned at 3 o’clock on the dial. The latter required a special gearing system and an extra-long mainspring — nearly 1.8 meters, according to Oris Co-CEO Rolf Studer, who was heavily involved with the project. When posed the question of why Oris went with a 10-day power reserve for its in-house base movement, Studer stressed the brand’s historical emphasis on both technical innovation and practicality. “When we resolved to make our own movement, we wanted to create something special, something that you don’t usually see, something for the watch enthusiast and aficionado but still within the Oris philosophy of complications: It must make sense, it has to serve a purpose, and it should be within a price range that’s realistic.”

The Oris Artelier 110th Anniversary watch (above), in which the manual-winding Calibre 110 (below) made its debut.

The movement’s 10-day power reserve is stored in a single extra-large barrel.

Oris has followed up Caliber 110 with added complications in the years since, each new variation adding a level of complexity and each thus far introducing a new combination of functions. The first three all made their debut in non-limited versions of the Artelier. Caliber 111 debuted in 2015, with a 9 o’clock date display balancing out the patented power-reserve indicator at 3 o’clock; For 2016’s debutante, the Artelier Calibre 112, Oris added a GMT with day-night indication, another combination never before seen in watchmaking. The second time zone is indicated in a subdial at 9 o’clock with dedicated hour and minute hands while the day-night display uses two apertures — one round like the sun, the other crescent-shaped like the moon — over a two-tone rotating disk that turns the sun white and the moon dark during daylight hours and the reverse during the nighttime. Baselworld 2017 saw the release of Oris’s Artelier Calibre 113, which resurrected a nearly forgotten “everyday” complication from yesteryear, a so-called “business calendar” indicating the day, date, week, and month of the year; day and date appear in windows at 3 and 9 o’clock, while a red-tipped pointer hand highlights both the week and the month on two concentric scales scale on the outside of the dial.

The Oris Artelier Calibre 113 features a 52-week “business calendar.”

The most recent Oris-exclusive movement, which debuted at Baselworld 2018, is the first to be encased not in an Artelier but in Oris’s vintage-inspired pilots’ watch, the Big Crown ProPilot. This one’s world’s-first feature is a 24-hour second-time-zone indication that the user can adjust to the nearest half-hour, a tool that is useful for travel to places like Australia and India, whose time zones don’t line up with the standard 24 designations found on most GMT and world-time watches. Not as sexy as a flyback chronograph or double tourbillon, but fully in keeping with the brand’s philosophy, or as Studer puts it, “just that little bit of extra you expect from Oris.”

Calibre 114 powers the new Big Crown ProPilot, equipped with a GMT indication adjustable in 30-minute increments.

Next week: We look at the growth of in-house movement-making at Tutima since its return to its origins in Glashütte, Germany.

A second time zone indicator ranks among the most useful watch complications, and not just for pilots and other people who fly frequently. But not all of these time-zone displays operate intuitively. They often have a 24-hour hand that can be reset in single- hour increments via the crown, but a watch of this kind may be better suited for frequent long-distance callers than for frequent flyers because when you’re spending time in a foreign country, you want to be able to read the local time from the ordinary hour hand in 12-hour format. If the central hour hand is adjustable in full- hour steps, you still need to pull out the crown first – and if you mistakenly pull the crown into the wrong position, you run the risk of setting the time incorrectly or temporarily stopping the watch.

Oris addressed this problem in 1997 and created the Worldtimer, a watch that lets its wearer operate two push-pieces to reset the local hour either forward or backward in full-hour increments. Even the date display automatically switches in both directions to show either the next date or the preceding date.

The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer

The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer perfects the concept because the bezel now takes over the function formerly performed by somewhat bulky-looking push-pieces. Spiraling lines, like a turbine’s blades, cover this rotatable ring and give the bezel a non-slip surface that makes it easier to turn. A quick clockwise twist overcomes a spring’s resistance and triggers the ordinary hour hand for the local time to leap ahead one hour; a counterclockwise turn makes the same hand jump back an hour. This functions very well, although the user must exert a bit more force than expected. A practical detail: the date display automatically switches either forward or backward when the hour hand passes midnight. The subdial at 3 o’clock shows the time in the wearer’s home time zone. The day-night display occupies a little window here: if the aperture is orange, it’s OK to phone home; if it’s black, your family is probably asleep.

Otherwise, you operate this Oris like an ordinary wristwatch. If you pull the large crown into its first position, you can easily reset the home time (and simultaneously the local time); if you pull the winding button farther outward into its second position, you can speedily correct the date.

Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer on bracelet

The complexity of the construction of the ProPilot Worldtimer’s case, in which the bezel operates the inner push-piece, isn’t visible from the outside. The height remains slim (13.5 mm), the diameter (44.7 mm) doesn’t look at all exaggerated, and the bezel makes a somewhat narrow impression. No crevice or other gap suggests that this ring can be rotated. All in all, Oris has designed and built a very solid and tidily crafted case.

Legibility is especially important for a pilots’ watch, which prompts us to ask: How well does the Oris perform in this crucial area? The curved sapphire crystal is anti-reflective on its underside, but it still reflects some light. Fortunately, the bold contrast between the hands and the dial assures that the time remains easy to read both day and night. The time in the second time zone isn’t quite as easy to read because the central hands pass over that subdial. The good news: this display is designed like an ordinary 12-hour dial with its own minutes hand, so it can be read intuitively and is a praiseworthy exception among watches that show the time in a second time zone. The date display is rather small, and it also must contend with the hands, four of which rotate above it and may at times cover it.

A clever arrangement results in a tidy dial with numerals that remain uncropped by other indicators. The inset subdials and the light orange accents go well with the matte black dial. The handsome, no-frills, pilots’ watch design continues on the satin-finished case with turbine spirals on the bezel and ends in the black textile wristband with a folding clasp reminiscent of the buckles on the seatbelts in airplanes.

The clasp not only looks like a seat- belt buckle, it also works the same way, which contributes to its user-friendliness and ease of operation. First, like its airborne counterpart raising the part of the clasp labeled “Lift” opens the clasp, which otherwise stays closed. Second, a clamp mechanism varies the length of the wristband. This allows the wearer to precisely and quickly adjust the band’s length to accommodate any changes in the wrist’s thickness. The wristband feels rather stiff at first, but it becomes more flexible after a few days.

A window of mineral glass in the caseback reveals the basic caliber (ETA 2836), which looks somewhat small compared to the size of the case. Functionality takes precedence over embellishment here, although Oris’s trademark – a red rotor – swings back and forth above the movement.

Range and flight speed are important characteristics in aviation. With a 38-hour power reserve (not including transfusions of energy from the motions of the wearer’s wrist), this Oris is in the usual range for watches encasing standard movements. The precision is satisfactory, too: we measured an average daily gain of 5.5 seconds.

The sophisticated adjustment mechanism for the time zone is complex and leads to a somewhat higher retail price than Oris charges for its simpler models, which are also appreciated for their affordability. But $3,600 is still a very fair price to pay in return for all you get. A comparable, practical second time zone watch can cost significantly more money elsewhere. If you like the styling but can make do without a second time zone, $1,550 will buy you the Big Crown ProPilot Date. And if it’s too sporty for your tastes, you can choose the more elegant variation with an anthracite-colored dial and polished bezel: this model also goes well with a business suit.

The Oris Big Crown ProPilot is the perfect companion for air travelers. It combines a practical and user-friendly second time zone, good legibility, down-to-earth pricing, and a handsome no-frills design.

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One of our loyal readers recently sent me an article about how some people now wear watches solely as jewelry and don’t even bother to set the time since they now rely on their cell phones for that. Well, as an employee of WatchTime, that idea surely burns my biscuits, so I got to thinking about all the places and situations in which wearing a watch is the superior choice to glancing at a phone, and came up with the following Top 10 list.

1. On a crowded train or plane. New Jersey rail commuter that I am, there are few things that bother me more then catching an elbow to the ribs as some guy digs in his pocket for a phone to check if he is going to be late to work that morning. With a simple flick of my wrist — clad in something slick like the Hamilton Ventura below — I can show him a touch of style and class, and also check the time, without bruising him in the process.

2. At the Movies. Before every movie, theaters run an entire public service announcement telling patrons not to be annoying with their cell phones and ruin the movie for those around you. Me, all I have to do is glance down at a well-lumed watch like the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 model below and voilà — I know how much time before the movie starts without generating ill will and evil stares.

3. In places of religious worship. No matter where you worship, nobody likes to see someone staring at a glowing cell phone screen in a sacred place, but a quick glance down my arm lets me know the time without being disrespectful to any deities. (And if the watch on that wrist happens to be a really lovely one like the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso below, I’ll know my deity is smiling on me.)

4. In business meetings. First and foremost, no boss wants to see you looking at your phone and ignoring slide #343 of their sales projection PowerPoint. Plus, a classic wristwatch is a great way to show potential clients you are a discerning and successful person and not some schlub fresh off the turnip truck.  Discreetly showing some classic wristwear, like the A. Lange & Söhne tourbillon below, is a lot easier than asking everyone to go to over to the window to check out the great parking spot you got for your Ferrari, right?

5. At the Beach. In the summer I’m often “down the shore” (as we say in Jersey) and have watched more than one “rogue wave” swamp someone’s beach bag. Unless you have a bag of rice handy, that could be the end of your phone. High tide catching you napping isn’t a problem with a good diver, like the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms below, strapped to your wrist. Plus I can use the bezel to keep track of the 7.5 minutes of sun exposure I can withstand before my pasty skin fries to pork-rind-like crispiness.

6.  On a date. I’m way past worrying about this one, but pulling out your phone constantly on a date doesn’t give the impression that you’re on the verge of making a love connection. So on your first date, you can choose either to look like a suave and sophisticated secret agent (like our Omega-wearing friend below) checking their mission timer before the final showdown with a super-villain or a twitchy, Instagram-addicted nerd uninterested in your soon-to-be-ex-partner. The choice is entirely yours — because the choice to go on a second date is entirely theirs.

7. At your kid’s sporting events.  You glance down at your wrist-borne chronograph — like the one below, from Oris — and note that 29 minutes have ticked off the 30 minutes in the half as you watch your kid break away and kick the game-winning goal right before the whistle — or you stand there desperately wrestling to get your phone out of your pocket and then drop it, missing your kid’s greatest sports highlight and cracking your screen, thus costing you $100 in repairs, to boot.

8. While driving. Cops won’t pull you over for glancing at your wrist, but just let them see that phone and Bingo — collect a ticket for distracted driving, do not pass Go, do not collect a $200 discount on the watch of your dreams. And if you happen to be driving on the Autobahn, perhaps wearing the Nomos watch named after it (below), you probably won’t get pulled over at all.

9. During a dive. When you’re a hundred feet down in murky water and you look down to find your fancy dive computer is showing you something that looks like this — (&(%*&^%$%$&^ — what are you going to do, pull out an iPhone or Samsung out of your flippers? Smart divers always back up their computer with a solid dive watch, like the Seiko shown here, that is set before they hit the water.

10. During any rugged activity. Do you work with your hands, fix cars, whitewater raft, play paintball, ride horses, run, mountain bike, surf, ski, sail, golf, skeet shoot, ride a motorcycle, lift weights, hunt, wakeboard, play polo, play badminton, play ping pong, play chess — you know, live life? If your answer is “yes,” then ask yourself if you really want to be fumbling for a phone and dedicating one hand to holding it or if you’d rather peek at your wrist and attend to the task at hand? (The Citizen pictured here will even keep recharging itself under the sun during outdoor activities while your phone’s battery will just keep slowly dying.)  If the answer to all of the above is “no,” feel free to keep watching the minutes tick by on that glowing blue block of soulless tech in your hand.

Anywhere I’ve missed? Please feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments section below.

The fifth WatchTime issue of 2018 hits newsstands today, with highlights ranging from our cover story featuring the Baume & Mercier Baumatic; an interview with Christian Selmoni, director of style and heritage at Vacheron Constantin as well as an in-depth look at the new FiftySix collection; a close-up of Citizen Watch Company at its centennial; tests of the new Rolex Datejust, the updated Bulgari Octo collection, and the BR-0392 Diver from Bell & Ross; as well as in-depth reviews of new watches from Anonimo, Montblanc, Oris and Seiko; plus an ice diving experience with the Panerai Luminor Submersible strapped to the wrist; brand profiles of MeisterSinger and Eberhard & Co.; and much more. Read on for more details…

• In The Essential Daily Wearer, Roger Ruegger explores Baume & Mercier’s Baumatic which not only promises to be a versatile, modern mechanical watch at an extremely attractive price — it also combines a classic look with a state-of-the-art proprietary movement.
• Citizen celebrates its 100th birthday this year. Logan R. Baker takes a look at the brand’s past, its future, and why Citizen is bigger — and more influential — than ever before.
• The Rolex Datejust epitomizes the classic wristwatch. Martina Richter tests the stainless steel model with its updated Caliber 3235 under conditions that simulate daily life.
• Roger Ruegger examines Bulgari’s top seller that not only broke four horological records in 2018 but also saw the introduction of three additional case materials in The Year of the Octo.
• Jens Koch takes the Panerai Luminor Submersible on an ice diving adventure in Ice Age.
• At the heart of the expanded Montblanc 1858 collection is an entry-level chronograph with utilitarian appeal and a dash of old-school charm for good measure. Logan R. Baker goes a week on the wrist with the Montblanc 1858 Chronograph in Trekking Peak.
• Mark Bernardo goes hands-on with the Oris Aquis Chronograph and the limited-edition Anonimo Militare Alpini in Submersible Stopwatch and Bronze & Camo.
• Buoyed by a surprise victory at the GPHG, Eberhard & Co. is making the U.S. sit up and take notice, says Mark Bernardo in La Dolce Orologio.
• Roger Ruegger finds out how the Seiko 1968 Diver’s Re-Creation with a Hi-Beat in-house caliber holds up to previous Prospex versions in The Return of Japan’s First Hi-Beat Diver.
• Plus: Rémi Guillemin of Christie’s traces the Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 at auction over the years; Logan R. Baker takes a look at 17 years of MeisterSinger in One Hand at a Time; and Mark Bernardo examines six timepieces from Parmigiani Fleurier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, TAG Heuer, Corum, Hublot, and Alexander Shorokhoff that were created in collaboration with, or in tribute to, contemporary and historical artists.

You can buy the issue here for $8.95.

Of the many partnerships that Swiss watch brand Oris has developed over the years, one of its most longstanding and productive has been its collaboration with the Williams Formula One Racing Team, which has yielded a number of notable timepieces with racing-influenced technology and materials, most recently the ultra-lightweight Chronograph Carbon Fiber Extreme that debuted in 2016. This year, Oris rolls out the latest limited edition to utilize that model’s patented carbon fiber process, the Williams FW41. Let’s wave the starter flag and delve into this week’s Watch to Watch.

The Oris Williams FW41 Limited Edition has a carbon fiber case and dial.

With a design inspired by the 2018 Williams Fw41 race car, The Oris Williams FW41 Limited Edition makes an instant impression with its 44-mm multi-part case, constructed of carbon fiber in a patented process developed in cooperation with the Williams team, whose telltale checkerboard pattern flows seamlessly onto the carbon fiber dial, whose central chronograph hand and subdial hands are painted in the bright blue color emblematic of the Williams F1 racing team. The black bezel, made of blac DLC-coated titanium, is printed with a tachymeter scale and the dial’s flange, which is assembled into the surrounding case, features the counter scale for minutes and chronograph seconds. The indices and hands are treated with Super-LumiNova for nighttime legibility.

The chronograph subdials are zeroed at 8 o’clock rather than the traditional 12 o’clock.

At first glance, the tricompax 12-9-6 subdial arrangement appears fairly standard for a racing-inspired chronograph watch but a closer look reveals another Williams-specific design: the “zero” points for the chronograph counters at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock are not at the usual 12 o’clock position but at 8 o’clock — a visual homage to the design of instrument panels on historical Williams race cars. The date wheel, partially exposed in a large aperture on the right side of the dial, is also unconventional. The small seconds are displayed in the 9 o’clock subdial. The grooved crown and chronograph pushers are in black DLC-plated titanium.

The solid caseback is engraved with a Williams race car.

Behind a solid, screwed caseback, also made of black DLC-coated titanium and engraved with the image of a racecar and the watch’s limited edition number, lies the movement, Oris Caliber 774, based on the reliable Sellita SW 500 integrated chronograph caliber. A self-winding movement with 25 jewels, a 28,800-vph frequency, and a 48-hour power reserve, it has been enhanced with Oris’s hallmark red rotor. The Williams FW41, which is limited to 410 pieces in honor of the Williams team’s 41st season of racing, is mounted on a black rubber strap with a steel folding clasp and comes in a special presentation box with a certificate of authenticity. The retail price is $4,700.

The Oris Williams FW41 is limited to 41 pieces and comes in a handsome presentation box.

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The latest version of Oris’s racing watch, the Chronoris Date, has no timing function. Is this good or bad? We take an in-depth look at the watch in this feature from WatchTime’s August 2018 issue.

Oris’s racing chronograph – the Chronoris from 1970 – has been back on the scene since last year, this time making its appearance as a three-hand model: the Chronoris Date. The oval stainless-steel case, a rotating inner bezel for timing minute intervals, the date display and the three centrally mounted hands are unchanged. However, the orange seconds hand is no longer used for the timing function, but is limited to the standard passing of seconds. Oris has deviated from the model’s design as a chronograph nearly half a century after its first issue. But strangely enough, this doesn’t detract from its appeal. It has the same number of hands as the 1970 Chronoris and has an even neater and sportier look than the original.

The Oris Chronoris Date is a non-chrono revival of a racing-influenced chronograph from 1970.

How can the number of hands be the same as on the 1970 chronograph? It’s due to the unusual design of the historic model. The Caliber 725, which Oris had built according to its own specifications by chronograph specialist Dubois Dépraz, did not have a continuous seconds or a minutes or hour counter. And there was only a single stopwatch hand in addition to the two hands that showed the time. It was possible to time an interval of several minutes by adjusting the rotating inner bezel with the additional crown at 4 o’clock. This solution, which was certainly more cumbersome to use than a conventional chronograph, enabled Oris to create a clear, minimalistic and unique look with its very first chronograph.

The current Chronoris looks even tidier than the original model, mainly because it has no tachymeter track, which is unnecessary without a timing function. And the silver-tone rotating inner bezel, which replaces the original orange three-quarter inner ring, increases the symmetry of the dial. Oris has kept the orange color for the stopwatch hand and also to highlight the hour markers.

The year of the first Chronoris: Formula 1 driver Piers Courage speaking with racing team founder Frank Williams at the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix.

The watch’s unique steel bracelet, with no less than 15 rows of links and a safety folding clasp, fits well with the sporty retro design. It looks good and feels great thanks to curved links and solid construction with screwed pins. The single-sided folding clasp with deployant buttons lies snugly against the wrist. Scratches that naturally occur are simply part of the package and could only be avoided with complicated surface hardening.

The linked bracelet is attached to the oval case in a way that suggests a ‘70s look. Like the 1970 model, the entire case is polished except for the radiant satin top. And the caseback is not transparent. While this adds to the spirit of authenticity, we would have liked to have a see-through back. Instead, the Chronoris case is sealed with a fully threaded steel caseback with only a historic Oris emblem engraved on top. The automatic Sellita SW200 movement is undecorated except for the rotor with a red center section that symbolizes the brand’s exclusively mechanical watches.

The unique bracelet is attached to the case in a way that suggest a 1970s look.

The case is quite thin for a sports watch, measuring in at 12.4 mm. The Chronoris Date is a pleasure to wear and operating it is effortless. The pull-out winding and setting crown at 2 o’clock is large and easy to grasp and the screw-down crown at 4 o’clock, which is used to adjust the rotating inner bezel, has even deeper grooves for a better grip. Unscrewing and releasing this crown allows it to stand out prominently from the case, for ease of use. The inner minutes ring ratchets cleanly and, thanks to its half-minute precision, it can be easily aligned even when the hand is between two markers.

The overall wearability is also aided by good rate results, because no one wants to reset an everyday watch, which is what the Chronoris Date is – in the best sense. Our timing test gave us an all clear. Although the timing machine showed a wide distribution of individual results in the various positions, the average gain of only 3.7 seconds per day is rather low. Several weeks of real-life wear showed even better results with a lower daily average of +2 to +3 seconds.

The Sellita Caliber SW200 made for Oris has a rotor with a red center.

The Chronoris Date is a well- designed, user-friendly, retro sports and everyday watch. Is it the perfect watch? No. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing. You may have to make some cuts and decide for yourself if they matter. Drawbacks might include the simply processed hands whose painted finish on the sides is less uniform than on the top. Sharp eyes can see grainy surfaces on the white hour and minutes hands; this is less apparent on the orange seconds hand, though it can be seen with magnification.

The caseback is also modest in its finishing, and executed in solid stainless steel instead of with a transparent sapphire crystal. The enclosed back is appropriate for a model that recalls an era before today’s more popular see-through casebacks, but the engraving of the vintage Oris emblem to mark the Chronoris as a re-edition of an earlier model is not that impressive.

Despite the modest finishing of the caseback and hands, watch fans will still be getting a deal with the Chronoris Date at a price of $1,950. Sports watches with such desirable qualities are just as much of a trend as exciting retro designs – especially if they are not exact replicas of the originals. The best ones bring features to the present in a meaningful and stylish way. That’s how a chronograph with no chrono justifies itself – with charm and style.

All in the family: When the original Chronoris was issued, British racing driver Damon Hill’s father, Graham Hill, was a successful driver in various racing series.

SPECS:

Manufacturer: Oris SA, Ribigasse 1, 4434 Hölstein, Switzerland
Reference number: 733 7737 4053
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Movement: Sellita SW200 “Spécial,” auto-matic, 28,800 vph, 26 jewels, hack mechanism, quick date adjustment, Incabloc shock absorber, fine regulator with eccentric screws, 38-hour power reserve, diameter= 25.6 mm, height = 4.6 mm
Case: Stainless steel, curved sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating, bidirectional inner bezel for minute-precise timing and screw-down crown, fully threaded stainless-steel caseback, water resistant to 100 m
Bracelet and cla­­sp: Stainless steel with one-sided safety folding clasp
Rate results (deviation in seconds per 24 hours):
Dial up +4
Dial down +7
Crown up -3
Crown down +8
Crown left +2
Crown right +4
Greatest deviation 11
Average deviation +3.7
Average amplitude:
Flat positions 313°
Hanging positions 287°
Dimensions: Diameter = 39 mm, height = 12.4 mm, weight = 122 grams
Variations: With black dial; with rubber, textile, or black or brown leather strap ($1,750)
Price: $1,950

SCORES:
Bracelet and clasp (max. 10 points): The 15-row (!) stainless-steel bracelet has curved links that fit the wrist very nicely, plus screw connectors and a sturdy single- sided folding clasp. 9
­­­Operation (5): Grooved crowns and a solidly ratcheting bezel. Quick date adjustment and hack mechanism make setting the time easy. 5
Case (10): The case is well executed but the solid caseback is only engraved on the surface. 7
Design (15): This watch is sportier and more cleanly designed than the original from 1970. 13
Legibility (5): The time and date are easy to read but the minutes hand is too short and the minutes track is too busy for accurate minute reading. 4
Wearing comfort (10): The streamlined case, supple bracelet and ergonomic clasp lie comfortably on the wrist. 10
Movement (20): The tailor-made rotor is the only decoration on the Sellita SW200 movement. 10
Rate results (10): Acceptable average daily gain of 3.7 seconds on the timing machine and 2 to 3 seconds on the wrist. Points are subtracted here for maximum deviation of 11 seconds. 6
Overall value (15): The price is appropriate. 12
Total: 76 POINTS

The vintage-look trend that has been so prevalent in the watch world in recent years has showed no signs of abating. Modern re-editions of historical pieces continue to emerge from some of the most venerable watch brands. Here are just seven notable examples of “vintage-inspired” watches launched in recent years.

1. Omega Globemaster

Omega Globemaster

The Omega Globemaster — the first watch to receive the brand’s “Master Chronometer” certification — is technically a new model in the Omega portfolio, but it gets its design cues from earlier models: the “pie pan” dial echoes that of a vintage Omega Constellation from 1952; and the fluted bezel is derived from that of another Constellation model from 1968. The 39-mm case (available in stainless steel, yellow gold, two-tone steel and yellow gold, and Omega’s proprietary Sedna gold) has a brushed finish, with two polished bevels connecting the edges of the lugs to the bezel. The top ridges of the fluted bezel have a smoothed finish. The “Master Chronometer” movement, Caliber 8900, meets not only the strict precision requirements of Swiss testing agency COSC, but additional standards established by Omega and METAS, the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology, which include functioning while exposed to magnetic fields up to 15,000 Gauss. Click here for more details on the Omega Globemaster.

2. Tudor North Flag

Tudor North Flag

The Tudor North Flag derives its name and design inspiration from the British North Greenland Expedition in the early 1950s, in which members of the expedition team wore circa-1952 Tudor Oyster Prince models. These “tool watches” were instrumental in carrying out this exploratory mission to some of the earth’s harshest climatic conditions. The North Flag owes some of its “scientific equipment” look to these early watches: a satin-brushed steel case (40 mm in diameter) with ergonomic curves, highlighted by a bezel composed of matte ceramic on one side and brushed steel on the other, along with a conical winding crown that screws down for a 100-meter water resistance. The caseback features a sapphire window through which one can view the movement, automatic Caliber MT5621, which also happens to be the brand’s first in-house-made movement. Click here for more on the Tudor North Flag.

3. Breitling Transocean Chronograph 1915

Breitling Transocean Chronograph 1915

The Breitling Transocean Chronograph 1915 marks the 100th anniversary of a major design innovation that we too often take for granted on contemporary chronographs. In the early 20th century, all chronographs were monopushers, with the controls for starting, stopping, and returning the timer to zero all placed in the crown. In 1915, Gaston Breitling, son of founder Léon Breitling, designed a timing watch with a separate pusher to control the start, stop and reset functions. He placed it on the side of the case at 2 o’clock, just above the crown. The 2 o’clock positioning would soon become standard, as it was easy to reach and control on the wrist. This limited edition watch plays off of these roots, updating them for a dial and case design in keeping with the Transocean collection. An angled pusher sits at 2 o’clock, above the fluted crown. The silvered dial has a bicompax display: a small-seconds subdial is at 9 o’clock and a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock. The watch is fitted with an all-new manufacture movement, Caliber B14, which is manually wound and Chronometer-certified by COSC. (For more on the Breitling Transocean Chronograph 1915, click here.)

4. Longines Pulsometer Chronograph

Longines Pulsometer Chronograph

A watch from the 1920s provided the template for the Longines Pulsometer Chronograph, a timepiece whose primary function was intended for use by medical professionals. The so-called “doctor’s watch” has a pulsometric scale printed in red around the periphery of the lacquered, white dial. Used in conjunction with the sweeping chronograph hand (which is operated by a monopusher in the crown), the scale enables the wearer to measure one’s heartbeat in a simple and reliable manner. The 40-mm steel case has a sapphire crystal in the front and back and contains the Longines-exclusive L788.2 movement, developed by ETA, which is outfitted with a column-wheel chronograph and holds a power reserve of 54 hours.

5. Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref. 5524

As many watch enthusiasts are aware, Patek Philippe has a long history in world-time watches, developing its first “Heure Universelle” timepieces with famous watchmaker Louis Cottier, in 1930 and awarded a patent for its original “Travel Time” mechanism in 1959. What fewer may know is that the brand also has a history in aviation, developing notable “siderometer” (or “hour angle”) wristwatches back in the early days of flight, two of which are now on display in Patek’s museum in Geneva and serve as the inspiration for the Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref. 5524. This very unconventional Patek watch has the look of an early-20th-century pilots’ watch (albeit one in a white-gold case) and is equipped with Patek’s Caliber 324 S C FUS, with an easy-to-use and aviator-friendly second-time-zone function. Aesthetic touches include the dark navy blue dial, inspired by the body paint of 1930s American fighter planes, and the vintage brown calfskin leather strap with contrast top-stitching, reminiscent of the leather belts worn by 1930s pilots. (Click here for more on the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time.)

6. Seiko Grand Seiko 62GS

The Seiko Grand Seiko 62GS is based upon the very first Grand Seiko watch with an automatic movement, released in 1967. Following up on the previous two Grand Seiko Historical Collection releases — the re-imagined 44GS in 2013 and the 1964 “Self Dater” last year — the recreation of the 62GS is highly reminiscent of the original, which fans of the brand fondly remember for its mirrored, multi-sided case (achieved with Seiko’s “Zaratsu polishing”); large “bezel free” dial opening; long, sharply edged hands typical of the Grand Seiko line; and recessed crown at 4 o’clock, a clever means to convey to the watch’s owner that hand-winding was not required. It is powered by Seiko’s mechanical Caliber 9S65, with automatic winding and a 72-hour power reserve. Inherited features from the original watch include the lion emblem on the caseback and “Diashock” logo (referring to Seiko’s shock protection technology) on the dial. (For more on the 62GS, along with other versions of it, click here.)

7. Oris Diver Sixty-Five

The Oris Diver Sixty-Five revives the look of an Oris dive watch released 50 years ago and gives it a 21st century makeover. The 1965 model had a chromium-plated brass case and plexiglas crystal, a bidirectional rotating bezel, and a black plastic strap, while the new version has a larger, more contemporary 40-mm case in corrosion-resistant stainless steel; a scratch-resistant, nonreflective sapphire crystal with a “bubble-curved” shape; and a safer (for diving) unidirectional bezel. The bezel of the Diver Sixty-Five is enhanced with a very of-the-moment black aluminum inlay, and the hands and indices (filled with tritium on the original model) are filled with a type of Super-LumiNova called “Light Old Radium” whose beige glow contrasts nicely with the black dial in the dark. The steel caseback is engraved with the same historical Oris emblem found on the original’s, the crown screws down to ensure a water-resistance to 100 meters, and the modern version is available on a black textile NATO strap and steel bracelet as well as a rubber strap. The movement is Oris’s automatic Caliber 733, which is based on a Sellita SW200. (For a hands-on review of the Oris Diver Sixty-Five, click here.)

This article was originally published in 2015 and has been updated.

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Oris’s Aquis collection of professional-grade divers’ watches has grown to encompass a variety of limited editions devoted to marine conservation and preservation causes (i.e., 2017’s Hammerhead), a handful of small complications like big dates and small seconds, and notably, an innovative mechanical depth gauge. At this year’s Baselworld, the Holstein-based brand added a chronograph to the lineup. It was a timepiece that instantly caught my eye and one that I knew I would want to review. Here are my impressions of the Oris Aquis Chronograph.

The Oris Aquis Chronograph is the latest addition to the professional-grade divers’ watch series.

To begin, as per usual, with the case, it needs to be stated up front: this is a monster of a timepiece from a size standpoint, and in profile, it suitably brings to mind a submersible of some kind. At 45.5 mm in diameter, it’s got the heft you’d expect of a steel watch of this girth; the wrist presence is impressive and not at all subtle. And yet, it never strained against any of my shirt cuffs and never felt like it was dragging my forearm down; maybe it’s the rubber strap, maybe it’s how that curved convex caseback nestles oh-so-naturally into the subtle indentation of the wrist, but once you start wearing this watch, it begins to feel like a part of you.

The stainless steel case measures 45.5 mm in diameter.

The unidirectional rotating divers’ bezel ratchets smoothly and audibly to set dive times (or any types of timing intervals, really) and is extremely easy to grip — though admittedly I did not attempt to do so whilst wearing diving gloves or any other type of thick gloves. The black unidirectional rotating bezel insert has a gleaming, polished finish that makes it appear as if it’s an extension of the subtly convex sapphire crystal (and also, in some lighting conditions, can look like a dark blue extension of the dial). Indices for the first 15 minutes of dive time, Arabic numerals at the 10’s, and indices at the 5’s are all etched in white into the insert, which is made of ceramic. Orientation in the dark depths is provided by the inverted triangle at 12 o’clock and its Super-LumiNova-coated dot. Only at the tail end of my review period did it occur to me that perhaps a more matte finish to the bezel would have been more preferable, and perhaps more utilitarian for a diver. At this point, we don’t know, but I appreciated the touch of luxury that the polished finish lent the piece.

The ratcheted edge of the rotating bezel is easy to grasp and turn.

The attractive, maritime blue dial manages to look complex and busy while still being eminently legible in all conditions. Super-LumiNova coats the large, wedge-shaped hour hand, the long, tapered, lance-like minute hand, and the applied hour markers (with a single dot at 6 o’clock, and a double dot at 12 o’clock). The contrast with the dark blue dial is stark; and as we know, legibility is goal number one of a professional dive watch.

The hands and indices are big, ultra-legible, and coated with Super-LumiNova.

The subdials are slightly recessed from the main dial, in a slightly less vibrant shade of blue, and with white0numbered and marked scales surrounding a snailed center. Stacked at 12, 9, and 6 o’clock, they convey the readouts of chronograph’s elapsed minutes (up to 30), the running seconds (with an unusual two-sided hand), and elapsed hours (up to 12); a thin rectangular date window is ensconced inside the borders of the hours subdial.

A subtle snailed finish decorates the recessed subdials.

Operating the chronograph is a tactile joy. The pushers are rounded and respond instantly to soft but deliberate pressure from a fingertip. The central chronograph hand is also tipped with lume, so it’s easy to see in the dark as it races around the dial. The screw-down crown — which helps ensure this titanic timepiece’s impressive water-resistance to 500 meters also known as 50 bar; both are indicated on the dial) — pulls out to two positions, the first to quick-advance the date, the second to set the hours and minutes. Like the bezel, the crown, which is graced with an Oris logo on the top, is notched for easy gripping.

The notched crown has a relief Oris logo.

Behind the solid steel caseback, which is screwed down and engraved with Oris’s classical crest and a meters-to-feet conversion table, beats the movement, Oris Caliber 774, which uses a Sellita SW500 as its base and features the typical Oris refinements, including the hallmark red winding rotor, though it is, of course, hidden from view in this particular case configuration. The automatic winding movement has 25 jewels, a 28,800-vph frequency, and a 48-hour power reserve.

The caseback features an engraved meters-to-feet scale.

Suitably, the watch comes on a very sporty strap, made of black rubber and attached to the lugs by screws. The closure is a steel folding clasp and it includes a diver’s extension that allows the wearer to tighten or loosen the watch by nearly half an inch. This was the first time I had worn a watch with such an extension for an extended period and it was much appreciated; this would in most instances be a watch suited for thicker wrists than mine, so to make it fit securely I had to not only take the buckle tab to the last hole, I also had to close the divers’ extension to the very last notch. That said, I had no complaints whatsoever about the fit of the watch once I had it adjusted in this manner. As I alluded to above, this is a watch that doesn’t necessarily grow on you but certainly feels like it’s growing with you once you’ve had it strapped on for a few days.

The clasp is equipped with a diver’s extension.

The Oris Aquis Chronograph is offered in five styles.

The Oris Aquis Chronograph (which is available in five styles, with this blue-dialed look being far and away my favorite) carries a retail price of $3,700. It’s a lot of watch for under four grand, but of course, we’ve come to expect such value propositions from Oris.

The phrase “tool watch” was originally coined to describe watches that serve as tools to accomplish specific tasks, such as a divers’ watch with a rotatable bezel and high resistance to pressure that is designed to be used underwater. And while you wouldn’t want to use these tool watches to hammer nails, they emphasize functionality and are robust, accurate, legible and (ideally) not excessively expensive in case they suffer a scratch or two during rough usage. In this article from our archives, we present eight of them.

1. ORIS BIG CROWN PROPILOT DATE ($1,550)

Oris Big Crown ProPilot Date

This pilots’ watch from Oris achieves optimal legibility thanks to its matte dial and impossible-to-overlook hands and numerals, which are coated with plenty of luminous material. The big crown can be operated while wearing gloves. The textile strap is steplessly adjustable thanks to a clamping system; the clasp works like the buckle on a seatbelt aboard an aircraft. With a date display on its dial and a time- tested automatic movement inside its case, this watch offers everything you need. Stainless steel, 41 mm, Sellita SW 220, automatic

2. TUDOR PELAGOS LHD ($4,400)

Tudor Pelagos LHD

The letters “LHD” in the name of this divers’ watch stand for “left-hand drive,” like a car with its steering wheel on the left. For a watch, LHD means that the crown is located opposite its usual position. This is convenient for a southpaw who wears the watch on his right wrist. But this watch can also be worn on the left wrist, thus keeping the crown especially well protected against impacts. Tudor’s own auto- matic movement has earned a chronometer certificate and accordingly runs with great precision. The titanium case is extremely resistant to salt- water and can resist water pressure to a depth of 500 meters. A helium-release valve rounds out the professional equipment. Titanium, 42 mm, manufacture Caliber MT5612, automatic; click here for more details.

3. CERTINA DS ACTION DIVER AUTOMATIC ($895)

Certina DS Action Diver Automatic

The DS Action Diver Automatic upholds the ISO standard for divers’ watches. The stainless-steel case is water resistant to 200 meters and has a rotatable bezel with a diving scale. The dial has luminous indexes, along with plenty of luminous material on the hands to assure that the face is always clearly legible, even underwater and in the dark. The time-tested automatic movement and the robust stainless-steel bracelet equip this timepiece for every mission. The price is appealing, too. Stainless steel, 43.2 mm, ETA 2824, automatic.

4. SEIKO PROSPEX AUTOMATIC DIVER’S ($495)

Seiko Prospex Automatic Diver’s

Nicknamed “Turtle” because of the shape of its case, the Prospex Automatic Diver’s was introduced in the 1970s. With an indestructible urethane wristband, a case that resists water pressure to a depth of 200 meters, and a unidirectional rotatable bezel, this watch is optimally equipped to accompany a diver underwater. And despite its low price, it has a self-winding manufacture movement. Seiko makes the crystal from Hardlex, which isn’t quite as scratch-resistant as sapphire, but nonetheless harder than ordinary mineral crystal. Stainless steel, 44 mm, manufacture Caliber 4R36, automatic.

5. TAG HEUER AQUARACER 300M CALIBRE 5 ($2,800)

TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300M Calibre 5

This classic divers’ watch from TAG Heuer has a trendy military look with a black titanium case, sand-colored textile strap, and sand-colored elements and gray luminous material on the dial. The watch has plenty to offer from a functional standpoint, too: Black titanium-carbide coating resists scratches and the screwed crown contributes toward achieving pressure resistance to a depth of 300 meters. The nonreflective treatment on the sapphire crystal helps assure good legibility. Titanium coated with titanium carbide, 43 mm, ETA 2824 or Sellita SW 200, automatic.

6. BREITLING AVENGER BLACKBIRD ($5,105)

Breitling Avenger Blackbird

The militarily inspired Avenger Blackbird has a distinctive 48-mm case made of DLC-coated titanium. The coating helps prevent reflections from light, which could betray its wearer’s location. With a unidirectional rotatable bezel, screwed crown, and water resistance to 300 meters, this timepiece is also suitable for diving. In addition to the case, the dial and textile strap are also black. The luminous material on the hands and indexes is beige in daylight conditions. Breitling’s Caliber 17 is based on an ETA 2824 movement and has earned a chronometer certificate to confirm its accuracy. DLC-coated titanium, 48 mm, ETA 2824, automatic; for more on the Blackbird, click here.)

7. ROLEX EXPLORER II ($8,100)

Rolex Explorer II

This watch, which debuted in 1971, is made for adventurers, researchers and expedition members. Equipped with a second time zone, the continually updated design has become iconic. This model epitomizes a tool watch, although its high price might make its wearer feel annoyed if the case should suffer a scratch or two. The 904L stainless steel that Rolex uses is more resistant to saltwater than ordinary 316L steel. And Rolex’s manufacture caliber is regarded as the sturdiest and lowest-maintenance automatic movement. Rolex’s famous accuracy is assured not only by a chronometer certificate, but also by the brand’s in-house standards, which specify that the watch be so finely adjusted that it neither gains nor loses more than two seconds per day. Stainless steel, 42 mm, manufacture Caliber 3187, automatic.

8. ALPINA ALPINER 4 AUTOMATIC ($1,395)

Alpina Alpiner 4 Automatic

Developed for rugged excursions and mountain climbing, the Alpiner 4 is equipped with a sturdy, 44-mm stainless-steel case and a unidirectional rotatable bezel. A soft-iron inner case protects the automatic movement against magnetic fields. The hands and indexes are coated with white luminous material for good legibility. The screwed crown helps keep the case water resistant to 100 meters. Stainless steel, 44 mm, Sellita SW 200, automatic; more details here.)

This article appears in the July-August 2017 issue of WatchTime Magazine.

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Take the plunge with us into the colorful world of water sports. Here you can find professional instruments with appealing technologies, styles, and prices. In this article, we present divers’ watches without complex additional functions (e.g., chronographs) because the watches listed here are designed to focus your undivided attention on the time of day and the dive time. Screwed crowns and unidirectional rotatable divers’ bezels are standard equipment on dive watches and, therefore, are not specifically mentioned in the following descriptions.

IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000

IWC Schaffhausen recently added bright yellow accents to its professional divers’ watch. Its other features are the same as those on the standard model with conventionally colored luminous material: water tightness to 2,000 meters, 46-mm titanium case, rubber strap with an extension piece, manufacture Caliber 80110, and special dive-time system. The dive time is preset by turning the bezel counter-clockwise, which causes the inner scale to come along for the ride; but when the bezel is rotated clockwise, the inner dive- time ring remains motionless. With so much built-in security, no reservations remain – except perhaps the price of $9,500.

Sinn U2 S

Boasting a case made of specially hardened submarine steel with a hard coating, this ticking jack-of-all-trades from Frankfurt am Main resists corrosion by saltwater and stays watertight to 2,000 meters. But that’s not all: Sinn’s own stay-dry technology relies on a sulfate capsule to effectively capture any moisture that might penetrate into the case as the years go by. Furthermore, tests conducted inside a climatic exposure cabinet guarantee that this 44-mm wristwatch functions perfectly at temperatures ranging from -49 to + 176 degrees Fahrenheit. The bracelet and case are equally well protected against scratches; the former culminates in a folding clasp with a divers’-extension mechanism. Along with the time of day or night and the date, ETA’s self-winding Caliber 2893 also shows the time in a second time zone. Considering all you get for your money, $3,230 isn’t a bad price to pay.

Seiko Prospex Automatic Diver’s

This Japanese manufacturer’s Prospex line includes higher-priced dive watches as well as excellent entry-level models. The classic among them is designated as reference SRP777K1. It measures 44.3 mm in diameter, stays watertight to 200 meters and – thanks to a hardened mineral glass rather than a sapphire crystal – costs only $495. Like every Seiko watch, it’s equipped with one of the brand’s own calibers. In this case (no pun intended), the movement is self-winding Caliber 4R36. The highly elastic, corrugated, urethane strap stretches to slip over the sleeve of a diving suit. Lumibrite luminous material, a Seiko development, glows with uncommon brightness.

Longines HydroConquest

A solidly built Swiss divers’ watch with ETA’s bestselling Caliber 2892, a steel bracelet, a divers’ extension in the bracelet, and a price tag of just $1,000: That’s what we call a favorable price-performance ratio. But those who opt for     41-mm stainless-steel watch will have to make do with an aluminum bezel. The case stays watertight to 300 meters, which is 50 percent deeper than the required 200 meters, but it’s not in the extreme class of pressure resistance offered by some Breitling, IWC, Rolex or Sinn models.

Rolex Sea-Dweller and ROLEX Deepsea

Manufacturers of professional divers’ watches essentially measure their products against these two Rolex models. While the case of its “little sister” (the Submariner) is 12.5-mm slim and can pass as a sporty and elegant dress watch, the approximately 15-mm-thick Sea-Dweller (shown above in the 2017 version) and the whopping 17.7-mm-thick Deepsea are genuine professional instruments. The Sea-Dweller stays watertight to 1,220 meters while the Deepsea keeps its feet dry all the way down to 3,900 meters. Outstanding features of these 43-mm and 44-mm models include Rolex’s special stainless-steel alloy (which is uncommonly resistant to corrosion by seawater), scratch-resistant bezels made from a ceramic developed by Rolex, an automatic manufacture caliber with chronometer certification, helium valves, and folding clasps with intelligently conceived divers’ extensions. The many technical advantages help justify the price: $11,350 for the Sea-Dweller and $12,050 for the DeepseA

Oris Aquis Depth Gauge

Like the ordinary Aquis, this 46-mm special instrument is robustly constructed, watertight to 500 meters, and scratch resistant on its front side, thanks to a ceramic bezel. But this model also provides a unique technical highlight: No other brand offers a watch with a depth gauge quite like this one. When this watch submerges for a dive, water penetrates into a ring-shaped channel along the rim of the sapphire crystal and compresses the air inside the channel. The diving depth can be read on the dial’s periphery at the point where the dark water meets the bright air. Powered by Sellita’s automatic Caliber SW 200, this stainless-steel watch with a rubber strap and additional steel bracelet is delivered inside a watertight carrying case. Each wristband has its own folding clasp with integrated divers’ extension. For this power package with a unique depth gauge, $3,500 isn’t too high a price to pay.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver

Audemars Piguet ventures into colorful spheres with last year’s update to the Royal Oak Offshore collection. The most eye-catching versions of this 42-mm-diameter, 300-meter-watertight stainless-steel watch come in bright green, yellow or orange; white and blue versions are also available. Technical strong points in manufacture Caliber 3120 include a longer-than-average 60-hour power reserve, a soft iron inner case to protect against magnetic fields, and an inner rotatable ring that can be turned in both directions via an additional screwed crown. A shortcoming for divers: The rubber wristband has no extension mechanism. A shortcoming for the frugal: The price of this version is $19,900.

Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver

Last year, Bell & Ross introduced its first dive watch in the square case shape for which the brand has become renowned: the new BR 03-92 Diver. Its squared ergonomic case, made of satin-polished steel and measuring 42 mm in diameter, is water resistant to 300 meters and houses the automatic BR-Cal.302, based on the Sellita SW 300. Price is $3,700.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

Fifty fathoms are equal to 300 feet or nearly 100 meters – the depth to which the original Fifty Fathoms from 1953 remained watertight. The contemporary version of this iconic divers’ watch is watertight to 300 meters and comes with a sapphire crystal that curves above the rotatable bezel. Caliber 1315 amasses a five-day power reserve and is protected against magnetism by a soft iron inner case. The stainless-steel case is 45 mm in diameter. The canvas wristband is water resistant, but its wearer has to make do without an extension mechanism. Divers who appreciate luxury must part with $14,500 to own this watch.

Certina DS Action Diver Automatic

Certina’s entry-level divers’ watch is attractively priced and equally attractively designed. The 43.2-mm-diameter stainless-steel case comes in black or blue; a version with a gray titanium case is also available. Although the steel versions offer a sapphire crystal and a metal bracelet with built-in divers’ extension, they cost just $895. A useful feature: Not only is the zero point luminous, so are all the other indexes on the bezel. The water tightness up to 200 meters satisfies the standard specified for divers’ watches.

Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman Titanium

Hamilton’s new dive watch is available with dials and bezels in various colors. Notwithstanding its burly 46-mm size, the titanium version is comfortable to wear. From a technical point of view, this model offers lightweight and sturdy titanium in tandem with a special safety mechanism for the crown, a helium valve, and a further evolved descendant of ETA’s Caliber 2824 known as the “H-10.” If left unmoved after it has been fully wound, this new caliber will continue to run for 80 hours rather than the previous span of just 38 hours. The water tightness is quite deep (1,000 meters), but the individually designed rubber strap lacks an extension mechanism. This well-equipped watch retails for the surprisingly low price of $1,445.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Master Chronometer

Omega’s Seamaster family offers divers’ watches in a wide range of designs and in an equally wide range of prices. All of these time-pieces boast professional features and Omega’s own self-winding movements with chronometer-accurate coaxial escapement. A good cost-benefit ratio is provided by the 43.5-mm Seamaster Planet Ocean Master Chronometer: In return for its price of $6,550, divers get an attractively styled watertight steel watch that stays watertight to 600 meters and has a metal bracelet, a helium valve, a ceramic bezel and antimagnetic manufacture Caliber 8900, which relies on two barrels to amass a 60-hour power reserve.

Omega Seamaster Ploprof

The Omega Seamaster Ploprof boasts an even greater number of professional features. The case, which measures 55 mm by 48 mm, is made from lightweight titanium and stays watertight to twice the depth (1,200 meters) of the Planet Ocean. For safety’s sake, the bezel can be rotated only when the diver presses the orange button. When this button is depressed, the bezel can be conveniently reset in both directions. Two easy-to-use divers’ extensions are contained inside the secure folding clasp on the titanium link bracelet. As with the Planet Ocean, innovative protection against magnetic fields is provided by a totally antimagnetic movement (automatic Caliber 8912), so Omega can equip the case with a sapphire back. This companion for professional divers costs $13,800.

Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic 3 Days Automatic Titanio

With a 47-mm titanium case, ceramic bezel, and protection against magnetic fields, this model is one of the professional dive watches from Panerai. Also worth a mention: inside the watch is the automatic manufacture Caliber P.9010 with temperature-insensitive Glucydur balance and a three-day power reserve. The case stays watertight to 300 meters. The corrugated strap can be stretched to fit over the sleeve of a diving suit. The price is not insignificant: $11,000.

Luminox Deep Dive Automatic Scott Cassell Special Edition

Thanks to hands and indexes that bear tubules filled with tritium gas, this dive-watch leader from the Swiss sports watch brand continues to glow with undiminished intensity for many years, and without having its wearer recharge the luminous indicators at a light source. This watch is also convincing thanks to its water tightness (500 meters), helium valve, and sturdy rubber wristband with an extension piece to facilitate wearing over the sleeve of a thick diving suit. Power is provided by Sellita’s sleekly simple Caliber SW 200, which is fabricated in large series, thus enabling Luminox to offer this watch at the affordable price of $2,200.

Doxa Sub 1500T MKII

The orange-colored Doxa Sub is considered a classic among dive watch enthusiasts. It’s available in various designs and with water tightness to different depths. The model shown here can descend to far-reaching depths: Its stainless-steel case protects Soprod’s self-winding Caliber A10 against incursions by water to a depth of 1,500 meters. The case is 44.7 mm in diameter and is equipped with a helium valve. As on almost all Doxa Sub models, the rotatable bezel is calibrated with a decompression scale. Military frogmen use such scales to read the number of minutes they can stay at a specified depth (measured in feet) without having to pause for a decompression stop during their ascent. An extension piece can be pivoted from the bracelet’s folding clasp. Each of the 1,500 pieces in this limited series sells for an affordable $2,390.

Tag Heuer Aquaracer Caliber 5 Blue Camo

Last year’s Aquaracer update from TAG Heuer came with an “Arctic” blue camouflage pattern and matching NATO strap as well as a water resistance rating of 300 meters. Its 43-mm case is made from Grade 2 titanium with a matte black PVD treatment. The watch is powered by TAG Heuer’s Caliber 5, which is based on the ETA 2824 or the Sellita SW200. The price for this version is $2,800.

This is the first of a three-part series on bronze watches by contributing writer Justin Mastine-Frost. This series will address the various aspects of owning and caring for a bronze watch that extend beyond the obvious passion for patina. Topics covered will include the pros and cons of aging the material naturally versus with chemicals and what you need to successfully clean the metal. First up? A look at why bronze has risen to such immense popularity over the past decade and what you should look for when you’re thinking about purchasing your first bronze watch.

There’s no arguing that there has been an unrivaled boom of bronze in recent years – ushering in what one could only call a new “Bronze Age” in watchmaking. In part fueled by a growing love of unique and individualized timepieces, and in part by the enthusiast community on Instagram, bronze has rapidly become the new “it” metal – especially in the more approachable end of the luxury watch industry. The metal’s transformative properties run contrary to anything else in the market, having the ability to age over time, and depending on the alloy composition, the end result can vary significantly from one watch model to the next. While some will want to maintain that crisp bright bronze color as factory-fresh as possible, others are quick to find ways to force the aging process, giving their bronze watches the appearance of having spent years on the ocean floor. Much as we’ve talked about many of the beautiful bronze beasts to hit the market in recent years, we’ve yet to delve into what is really entailed when it comes to the day-to-day life of bronze watch ownership.

Montblanc is no stranger to bronze watches, and its latest releases at SIHH in January 2018 included this smart 1858 Geosphere in a dive-style case, alongside a few more bronze additions to the collection.

A Sea of Options 

With the ongoing growth in the category, watch enthusiasts are anything but short on options for bronze watches. Initially, a category reserved for dive watches, the past year has seen bronze (or bronze and steel) offerings surface from Montblanc in the form of the 1858 Automatic, 1858 Automatic Geosphere, and 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition that are anything but dive-ready tool watches. These dressier offerings were a welcome change of pace, especially in the case of the Chronograph Tachymeter – the beloved monopusher chrono powered by Montblanc’s hand-wound Minerva Manufacture Calibre MB M16.29.

The Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph in bronze.

When it comes to bronze divers, the category also continues to grow. After the immense success of the Oris Carl Brashear diver, whose limited production run of only 2,000 pieces sold out well before the year came to a close, Oris unveiled its successor in the form of a diver chronograph this past January worthy of equal levels of praise. Only slightly larger in diameter than its sibling (43 mm instead of 42 mm for the three-hand version), it features the same vintage-style domed sapphire crystal, as well as a handsome one-piece rotating bezel that uses a mix of engraved and relief indexes.

The Oris Carl Brashear Chronograph Limited Edition

On the more obscure end of the spectrum, Mühle Glashütte also opted for bronze to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the brand’s SAR Rescue Timer in 2017. Fitted with a fully luminous dial, and contrasted by its trademark rubberized bezel and a DLC-coated crown, the new model is offered on an olive drab Bund strap and has been limited to a very scarce 150 pieces worldwide.

Panerai launched its first bronze watch, the Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo, as a limited edition in 2011.

Of course, the big news in the category that ruffled a fair number of feathers in the collecting community was the arrival of another Bronzo from Panerai in the form of the PAM 671 Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo. Panerai’s original Bronzo (the PAM 382) from 2011 and the PAM 507 that followed in 2013 have long been two of most sought-after modern Panerais on the planet, and many Paneristi were once again furious with the brand for launching a third version, thus (in their eyes) making the originals less collectible in the long run. Coming at it from the industry side of the table, in a market as challenging as all the luxury brands have had to navigate in recent years, and considering the success of the first examples, launching the PAM 671 was simply a no-brainer, and being a limited edition model (1,000 pieces), shouldn’t have a truly catastrophic impact on overall collectability.

The PAM 671 Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo from 2017.

A Tale of Alloys –
Where Percentages Make All the Difference

While it’s easier to say that “bronze is bronze” in some respects, a quick glance at the wide variety of bronze watches on the market will quickly reveal some significant variance from one model to the next. More often than not, watchmakers are using what is referred to as an aluminum bronze alloy. Now bronze on its own is primarily made of copper, and a wide variety of other metals can be folded into the equation in varying percentages. In most cases, the ingredient added is tin, but arsenic, phosphorus, aluminum, manganese, and silicon can also be used to produce different properties in the material.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze

In the case of watchmaking, where corrosion and deterioration are concerns, aluminum bronze is most often the weapon of choice, though even within this specific alloy we see some variance. A maximum of 6 percent iron and 6 percent nickel are permitted, however the percentage of aluminum can vary, somewhere in the spectrum of 6-12 percent. Generally speaking, a higher aluminum content presents a slightly cooler gray hue in the bronze whereas a lower percentage allows the warm copper tones to become more prevalent. Looking at the latest swath of releases, we can easily speculate that the Tudor Black Bay Bronze carries a higher percentage of aluminum and other metals, whereas the Oris Carl Brashear Chronograph would be on the lower end of the spectrum. That said, no watch brands at this stage have been willing to release data on what their ideal bronze formula actually is.

This Oris Carl Brashear has seen a variety of forced patina treatments at the hands of its owner Stark Shapleigh, including ammonia fuming and exposure to saltwater.

As many may have noticed, effectively every bronze watch on the market uses a caseback made of either stainless steel, titanium, or in some cases, an exhibition caseback. The need for this is twofold. The copper in the alloy has a tendency to react to the moisture in human skin, creating that green substance on the surface of the metal (copper chloride) and turning both the metal and your skin green. Not only is this less than pleasant from a visual perspective, but prolonged exposure to copper chloride generally isn’t good for your health and is better off avoided when possible.

All text by Justin Mastine-Frost.

You can read Part 2 on how to chemically age your bronze watch here.

You can read Part 3 on how to clean your bronze watch here.

The function of an altimeter is simple: It measures the altitude of an object above any fixed level, with sea level being the most common point of reference. It is used in a number of activities, from extreme sports like skydiving, to ground-based activities like hiking, climbing, and skiing, but its most prominent usage has always been tied to flight. As many watch enthusiasts are aware, the history of aviation and horology have long been linked through the necessity of a pilot needing to know the time immediately while in the air. Through this, the pilot’s watch has developed over the decades to become the recognizable icon it is today. The flieger triangle at 12 o’clock, the oversized case and crown, and the development of lume have all been tied to catering to a pilot’s needs while in flight so it was only a matter of time before watch brands embraced the altimeter. Here are five brands that have done just that over the past few years. 

Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter

In 2014, Oris tapped its flight heritage to release the Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter. The watch has two crowns: the crown at 2 o’clock adjusts time and date, while the crown at 4 o’clock operates the altimeter. To activate the altimeter, you must unscrew the second crown into position one, indicated by a red ring. At position 2, the altimeter can be set. Once this is completed, the watch illustrates the altitude through the yellow indicator and the air pressure via the red indicator. The altitude scale is read through the outer dial ring and can measure the altitude up to 15,000 feet. The air pressure scale is located between the altimeter scale and the central dial. The 47-mm watch uses the Oris Caliber 733, which is a modified Sellita SW200 movement. The watch costs $3,800 on a textile strap and $4,100 on a bracelet.

Favre Leuba Bivouac 9000

Last year, Favre-Leuba marked its 280th anniversary with the Bivouac 9000, a mechanical watch that boasts the capability of measuring altitudes up to 9,000 meters (29,527 feet) above sea level. This isn’t exactly new territory for Favre-Leuba, as the Bivouac 9000 is the direct descendant of a 1962 wristwatch the brand released that was the first timepiece that could measure the altitude up to 3,000 meters. The 48-mm titanium case houses an aneroid barometer, which allows the watch to indicate the elevation at a given point by reacting to the changing air pressure surrounding it. The central red altimeter hand indicates altitude gain in 50-meter steps and goes up to 3,000 meters in one rotation. Once the watch has completed three such rotations, you know that you’ve reached an altitude of 9,000 meters The price is CHF 7,500, or approximately $8,000.

Casio PRG-650Y-1

Casio is a popular choice for many daredevils that want extreme functionality without compromising on good looks. Last September, the Japanese brand expanded its Pro-Trek collection to add the PRG650Y-1 and PRG650YBE-3, two new timepieces that include a magnetic sensor for compass readings, a pressure sensor that functions as an altimeter and a thermosensor for temperature. The two analog-digital watches also have stopwatch capabilities, up to five daily alarms, water resistance up to 100 m, a worldtimer, and a countdown timer. This kind of souped-up gadgetry is what Casio is best known for and it doesn’t disappoint here. Both watches are powered by Casio’s Tough Solar Power technology that eliminates the need to change a battery. It’s worth noting that every watch in Casio’s Pro-Trek series includes an altimeter. The PRG650Y-1 is available for $320 and the PRG650YBE-3 for $340.

Citizen Promaster Altichron

Citizen’s main focus last year was on ultra-rugged watches that spare no expense. Along with a diving watch that can reach a depth of 1,000 m, the Japanese brand introduced the Promaster Altichron which has an altimeter that reaches up to 32,000 feet. Citizen chose to display the time and functions in analog rather than digital form to simplify the information available. The various functions include the altimeter, a compass, a power reserve, and a date window. Like all Eco-Drive watches, the Promaster Altichron is powered by light and it has a rate of plus or minus 15 seconds per month. You can find it for $550.

Bremont U-22

It’s no secret that Nick and Giles English, the British founders of Bremont, are quite fond of flying. At Baselworld 2015, the young brand unveiled the U-22, which contained a date window inspired by an altimeter. Yes, this technically doesn’t have a functioning altimeter but it’s a great looking watch that has been flight tested by the brand up to 100,000 feet for over 12 hours in the air and to temperatures as low as -50 degrees. The watch also features a bi-directional rotating bezel that has been altered to form a compass quadrant, often used in weather mapping. The Bremont U-22 uses the COSC-certified caliber 12 ¼ BE-36AE and has a 38-hour power reserve. It costs $5,195.

This is the second article in a three-part series on bronze watches by contributing writer Justin Mastine-Frost. This column addresses the various aspects of owning and caring for a bronze watch that extends beyond the obvious passion for patina. Today’s topic focuses on the pros and cons of aging bronze naturally versus with chemicals.

As mentioned in part one of this series, one of the more desirable traits of any bronze watch is how the metal will patina with age. Again, depending on composition, and sometimes depending on whether or not a manufacturer has applied some sort of protective coating to the metal, certain bronze watches will inherently age faster than others. Once again, the Carl Brashear models from Oris seem by far the quickest to start turning darker and more muted, though the offerings from Tudor, Panerai, and Montblanc do not seem to trail too far behind. Exposure to moisture in the air, saltwater, and general shifts in climate will all assist in letting your bronze watch evolve day by day, but as many fans of the metal have discovered, there are a number of tricks out there that can assist in significantly expediting the process.

Fuming

Innumerable hours of vinegar fuming led to this interesting and very uneven pattern on the Zodiac Super Sea-Wolf 68, whose case was initially a very light yellow with a micro-blasted finish. Credit: Justin Mastine-Frost

Exposing bronze to certain chemical fumes (some more hazardous than others) over an 8-24 hour period will significantly impact the coloration of any bronze watch. For those looking for an easy solution around the house, any type of vinegar — white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or others – is the most likely candidate you’ll come across. Alternatively, ammonia is an equal, if not slightly more effective, option. To start the process, place the watch in a sealable container, raised up off the bottom, and add in your liquid of choice without getting the watch itself wet (remove its strap before beginning this process). The goal is to seal the watch in the container with the fumes, without it coming in physical contact with the liquid. Setting the container aside, the first few hours will be like waiting for a kettle to boil – little to no change will take place. As time goes on, the fumes will start working their magic, and before long your shiny bronze beast will start to take on a darker appearance. In the case of the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf seen above, an external coating meant that the vinegar fuming process would take far longer than normal, with this result coming after three subsequent days of 24-hour fuming sessions. When attempting these longer periods, intermittent cleaning with hot water and a cloth will help ensure a more consistent pattern of patina.

Liver of Sulfur

For comparison, the elegant and even patina of this Panerai is something that has naturally progressed at the hands of its owner, Hisham Mardam-Bey.

Using liver of sulfur to force patina has both benefits and pitfalls, but much like vinegar fuming, it can yield some pretty interesting results. Unlike fuming, which takes more of a “set it and forget it” approach, liver of sulfur acts much quicker and requires a certain level of attentiveness to execute properly. Though available in many forms, a liver of sulfur gel has proven the simplest and most efficient. In preparation for the aging process, two small bowls need to be prepared: one with a couple of cups of water in which to mix a small dab of liver of sulfur gel, and a second with a similar volume of water with a couple of tablespoons of baking soda mixed in. The use of rubber gloves is recommended throughout this process. After cleaning the watch head under warm water, gently submerge it into the bowl of water and liquid sulfur. Once submerged, the bronze will start to change color fairly rapidly, and even once removed from the liquid the shift will continue. As soon as the desired darkness is achieved, place the watch into the bath of water and baking soda to once again stabilize the metal. In speaking with fellow enthusiasts who have attempted this approach, performing repeated short cycles of this technique to slowly darken a bronze watch is your best shot at achieving the right level of patina, rather than “going for gold” on a first attempt. That said, there is, thankfully, always a way to hit the reset button.

Next week: Cleaning and Maintenance

All text by Justin Mastine-Frost.

You can read Part 1 on what to look for when buying a bronze watch here.

You can read Part 3 on how to clean your bronze watch here.