811 AD IWC Yacht Club

IWC-811-AD-Yacht-Club

Picture the scene, it’s 1973. You’re cruising down the French Riviera to pick up your significant other with nothing on your mind other than what ratios you’ll request in your Negroni tonight. You’re in an ‘old’ 275 GTB, not a new 365 Daytona because the ask is a bit dear and and the price of…

Read More

Scubapro 450 Seiko 6306-7001

Scubapro-450-Seiko-6306-7001

We all love a double-signed dial. But one need not seek out Hausmann, Serpico, or Beyer; double-signed divers exist in tool watches too. In that vein, most collectors will immediately think of Comex 5514s or Aqua-Lung Doxa. However, all of the above have the uncanny ability to cost whatever the top of your budget is…

Read More

Opera Exotic Diver 10470

Opera-Exotic-Diver-10470

I live for fun dials. My life is sad, I am aware. But nonetheless, I cannot hide my enthusiasm for this ultra-outrageous 1970s diver from Opera watches. I know nothing about Opera other than that they created some shouty divers from ETA bases in the mid 70s. This 2783-base example incorporates a 38mm case, domed…

Read More

Seiko 6159-7001 Professional

Seiko-6159-7001-Professional-Diver

Seiko’s first 300m was a landmark. Five years after the 62MAS, on the heels of the 150m 6215, Seiko released this beauty. The 6159 was Seiko’s first monocoque case design with a screw down crown. This was a new high, or rather low depth, for the brand—and an innovation within dive watches generally. This design…

Read More

Ahead of its Time: IWC Aquatimer 812 AD

IWC-Aquatimer-812-AD

The early Aquatimer 812 AD is a thing of austere beauty, very unlike the shouty models of today. They may easily be mistaken for other (lesser) super compressors, but make no mistake: this is one serious bit of kit. For their first ever diver, IWC utilized the famous cal 8541 with Pellaton winding system from its Ingenieur…

Read More