The Duality of Time
The Duality of Time: A Tale of Two Dive Watches
Whether a professional diver or amateur explorer, for those who venture beneath the waves, a reliable dive watch is more than a mere accessory; it is necessary.
By Roberta Naas
Special Correspondent
The importance of dive watches cannot be understated. While modern technology offers advanced dive computers, the robustness and reliability of a dive watch remain unmatched, offering a fail-safe option for tracking crucial dive times and ensuring a safe ascent.
Dive watches are designed to withstand the intense pressures and harsh conditions of the deep sea. According to the ISO 6425 standard, which governs professional dive watches, a watch should be water-resistant to at least 100 meters.
However, for more serious diving activities, water resistance of 200 to 300 meters and higher is often preferred, and many high-end brands push these limits even further. Some models boast water resistance to 600 meters up to an astounding 1,220 meters, ensuring that even the most adventurous divers are equipped to handle the extreme conditions of deep-sea exploration.
Beyond water resistance, a good dive watch is built for precision and durability. Many top models are COSC-certified chronometers, meaning they have passed stringent testing for accuracy under various conditions, including pressure, temperature, and depth changes.
The construction of a dive watch is just as crucial, with features like double- or triple-locked winding crowns, silicone O-rings, and screw-down casebacks all working together to ensure the watch remains sealed and functional underwater.
Watches made for diving are also designed with additional protections, such as oversized crowns for ease of use while wearing gloves and helium escape valves to prevent damage during deep dives. This feature is especially vital for divers who descend to significant depths and require decompression upon resurfacing because, as gas builds up inside the watch, these helium valves allow it to escape safely, preventing internal damage.
Another essential feature of the dive watch is the unidirectional rotating bezel, which allows divers to accurately measure their elapsed time underwater. These bezels click into place and move in only one direction, ensuring that if the bezel is accidentally moved during a dive, it only shortens the remaining time rather than extending it, providing an extra layer of safety.
Most dive watches also come equipped with durable bracelets or straps, often featuring an extension clasp to fit comfortably over a wetsuit and double-lock clasps to prevent the watch from coming loose during a dive.
Today, we’re looking at two dive watches: one is from a brand known for its dive watches and has classic and enduring styling, while the other is from an independent brand and boasts a cutting-edge design. Interestingly, both are crafted in 18-karat 5N rose gold, and both offer a not-so-common feature on dive watches: a moonphase indication.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms
Swiss watch brand Blancpain is renowned for its commitment to precision, innovation, and adventure. The brand’s journey into dive watches began with Jean-Jacques Fiechter, who was co-CEO of Blancpain in the mid-20th century, and his passion for the relatively new sport of diving led to the creation of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms in 1953.
Fiechter’s vision for a reliable and safe dive watch came after a near-fatal diving accident in Cannes, where he ran out of air. Luckily, he survived, but the life-changing event inspired him to design a watch that could serve as a critical tool for divers.
Thus, the Fifty Fathoms was born, and it was groundbreaking, featuring a patented rotating bezel for timing dives and a double-sealed crown for enhanced water resistance. (Fun Fact: Its reliability soon garnered the attention of militaries, including the U.S. Navy, which adopted the Fifty Fathoms for its underwater missions.)
The watch has undergone many iterations ever since, with key introductions including the inclusion of the MIL-SPEC moisture indicator in 1957, which allowed divers to ensure their watch was still waterproof after each dive. In fact, just last year, the Fifty Fathoms collection celebrated its 70th anniversary with multiple new versions.
Recently, the brand released the newest iteration: Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune ($55,300), presented in 18-karat gold. One of the standout features of the new Bathyscaphe is its striking blue gradient dials with a sunray finish that captures the play of light and adds depth and dimension -- making it a statement piece both under the sea and on land.
The complete-calendar watch (with date, day of week, and month) is offered on a highly complex gold bracelet with hand-satin-brushed links joined with transverse pins for ultimate flexibility. Even the screws are placed using a patented system. Meanwhile, the unidirectional diving bezel is created in ceramic with Ceragold hour markers.
However, the true grit of this watch is in its complicated Caliber 6654.P movement (with its 321 parts, including a silicon balance spring) that not only allows for diving but also showcases the phases of the Moon. Vibrating at 4Hz, this 43mm watch is also water resistant to 300 meters. In its entirety, the newest dive watch is a deft blend of technology and heritage in a classically elegant presentation.
Linde Werdelin Oktopus
Turning to a bit of twist in design (especially for a dive watch), Swiss independent brand Linde Werdelin recently unveiled its revolutionary-looking 18-karat rose gold dive watch, the Oktopus Moon Gold Black Ink.
With a boldly modern 18-karat rose gold case rated to 300 meters of water resistance and a bezel boasting more than 100 grams of gold, the Oktopus Moon Gold Black Ink ($50,993) marks the brand’s first full-gold watch in almost a decade. Meanwhile, its sandblasted bezel and 44mm case feature a microbille finish for a more “lived-in” feel.
On the dive-watch-side of the style coin, the watch’s sapphire crystal is anti-reflective. Plus, it is equipped with a titanium crown and caseback to ensure water resistance.
Making this dive watch even more unusual is the brand’s signature moonphase indication, which is, in and of itself, unusual. In fact, the moon phases are not located in a single subsidiary dial like most moonphase watches. Instead, the phases are showcased in an arc along the deep Black Ink dial for a graphic and architectural interpretation.
Each moon boasts a luminous aspect, as well, and the full moon is blue, while the watch dial is black when there is no moon at all in the night sky. In fact, the graphic moonphase complication was first developed in 2009 by the brand along with master watchmaker Svend Andersen of Andersen Geneve. Sadly, only eight pieces will be made annually.