Posts Tagged ‘Diver’
Bundeswehr-Issued IWC Porsche Design Ocean 2000
When I say integrated sports watch, you almost certainly imagine a RO, Nautilus, or Overseas. You almost certainly do not imagine a Laureato, Octo Finissimo (despite it holding all the records today), or this: an imaginative 1980s diver with a full integrated titanium bracelet issued to Bundeswehr combat dive units known as Kampfschwimmers. This is…
Read MoreGilt 5513 Rolex Submariner
A true gilt dial just hits different. See, there is no one perfect 5513 dial; there are some less common such as the ‘Bart Simpson’, some more common such as the latter productions with white gold surrounds, some common yet gorgeous such as Maxi dials, some a bit bizarre such as 80s Spider dials, and…
Read More6159-7001 Seiko Hi-Beat Professional 300m
If you think the depth and breadth of vintage marques like Universal Genève or Enicar are strong, they are. And yet, neither really hold a candle to the world’s longest running vertically-integrated manufacture outside Switzerland. Seiko has made more dive watch offerings than I will ever be able to hold in my head. Despite that,…
Read More869109/01 Universal Genève Polerouter Sub
Though the Polerouter is probably best known in its Deluxe or Jet guise, the Sub is an equally competent vintage value. Introduced first in EPSA Super Compressor form, the Sub went on to live a long and illustrious run of references. That is, as long as any UG line can be said to have been around.…
Read MoreAqualung Blancpain Fifty Fathoms
This, I could fairly argue, is perhaps one of the most attractive vintage dive watches to ever exist. The Navies of France, Germany, and the United States all used the now-legendary Fifty Fathoms at some point in time and in so doing made it a relatively famous and desirable tool. Blancpain produced about twenty versions…
Read More3646 Panerai ‘Kampfschwimmer’ Type D
1943 Panerai have very little relation to the Richemont powerhouse of today. Modern Panerai gets a hard time from many enthusiasts, this can happen when you are less-than-truthful as to where your movements are born. A fraction of that criticism is deserved, while the larger whole is likely not. There are many attractive and technically…
Read MoreP810 Cornavin AMF Diver
There has been nothing like the Carnavin P810 before or since its 1960 introduction. Some will say this is as it should be, as the aesthetic is polarizing to say the least. Yet, I find its extremely quirky layout more charming for the simple fact that is an extreme of form following function. The series…
Read MoreValue Prop: 6088 Benrus Ultra-Deep
This unsuspecting yet charming diver holds a wealth of intrigue. This is partly due to its monoblock frontloading single-crown compressor case, immense legibility, and bakelite bezel. Perhaps even moreso, however, for its mysterious and shrouded military history embroiled in the Vietnam War. Scholarship is very much currently developing. The 6088 is not a common Ultra-Deep…
Read MoreValue Prop: 76100 Tudor Submariner
Given the feature of a 3970 in this round, I felt compelled to balance the scales with a down-to-basics, no-nonsense steel diver. I did not expect to stumble upon one so lovely or of the same era. Neo-vintage is not just collectable in Patek, VC, or AP, the era has more practical offerings as well.…
Read More6217-8001 Seiko ’62MAS’
Royalty in all of vintage Seiko, this 1966 Seiko 62MAS was genesis for all their . . .let us say quite popular modern divers. The DNA is clearly visible throughout the current range. It was the first serious attempt to appeal to the new dive market, as all previous releases had 50m of water resistance.…
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