Four Fluorescent Dive Watches For Those Escaping To Warmer Climes
These value propositions prove that a pop of neon can make a statement year-round.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
It has been a very good year for color. From Rolex’s Datejusts to Oris’ Cotton Candy collection, the watch collecting community has embraced a whole spectrum of timepieces. After all, color lifts our spirits and adds a new dimension to classic designs like the diver’s watch.
Just because autumn is in full swing, it doesn’t mean you have to abandon all hues. The following four watches feature neon-bright colors that will light up your wardrobe this fall, whether you’re watching the leaves change or escaping to warmer climes.
Plus, they’re all priced at under $4,000 making them an attractive option for those who want to go bold without going broke.
Tutima M2 Seven Seas
More often than not, we associate dive watches with warm weather, but for hardcore divers (and desk divers), underwater adventure is a year-round possibility. If anything, a brightly colored timepiece is even more important in colder conditions for a dive watch to be seen.
In August, German watchmakers Tutima added two new colorful pieces to its titanium M2 Seven Seas line of 44mm dive watches. These models – the Signal Yellow and Signal Orange – are powered by the workhorse Tutima calibre 330. They also come equipped with either a hybrid Kevlar/rubber strap or a full titanium bracelet.
However, more than offering 500 meters of water resistance, they can function in the most extreme, frigid conditions. Plus, the M2 is endorsed by Tolga Taskin, who set the new Guinness World Record for freediving diving 245 feet in a single breath wearing a Tutima dive watch.
DOXA SUB 600T ‘Pacific’ Limited Edition
When it comes to watches, we consider blue dials to be neutral, like black and white. That’s how ubiquitous its use has become. So what makes the blue-dialed DOXA SUB 600T “Pacific” Limited Edition stand out? Why, the bright orange highlights on the minute hand, indices, and numbers on the bezel, of course.
The SUB 600T joined the DOXA dive family in the 1980s and has become a favorite amongst professionals. And at the 2021 edition of Geneva Watch Days, it was reimagined with a ceramic bezel and dial color in a shade of blue meant to match the Pacific Ocean. Yet it’s these orange pops that play off the brand-new-to-DOXA shade of blue and its 40mm brushed titanium case that really catches our fancy.
This model also introduces another DOXA debut: the clasp looks like a tang, but it is a folding buckle that allows for easy adjustment. Plus, its accuracy is ensured by the tried-and-true automatic Sellita SW 200-1 movement.
The DOXA SUB 600T “Pacific” Limited Edition is available now and is priced at $1,990.
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf GMT Neon Lime
Sometimes a little bit of color can pack a powerful punch. Case in point: the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf GMT Neon Lime.
Launched in August, this iteration of Zodiac’s classic dive watch features a clean white dial with squared applied markers, but the bi-colored bezel is fluorescent green and pure white. The effect makes a powerful statement.
This automatic diver is also practical: It’s powered by a Soprod C-125 movement, comes in a 40mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal, and has 200m water resistance.
The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf GMT Neon Lime is available now for $1,795, but it is limited to 282 pieces, and there are only a few left.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver
At the 2021 edition of Watches & Wonders, TAG Heuer released three new Aquaracer Professional 300 models. And they are excellent examples of studies in contrast. These black and blue beauties are color-themed with matching black or blue dials, ceramic bezel inserts, and rubber straps.
Our favorite is the Nightdiver. Its 43mm stainless steel case, bezel, crown, caseback, and clasp are all coated in matte black diamond-like carbon, known as DLC, a high-performance, hard-wearing finish designed for use in extreme conditions. The bezel insert is highly resistant black ceramic.
The Nightdiver, however, gets its glow up from a fully luminescent white dial, which is coated in green Super- LumiNova to deliver exceptional glow-in-the-dark performance. Not only does this provide maximum legibility in extreme low-light conditions, but the watch’s minute and central seconds hands are also filled with blue lume to contrast with the green of the dial. Plus, the hour hand and octagonal hour markers at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock are filled with green lume, and the remaining octagonal hour markers are all edged with black lacquer.
The pip on the unidirectional rotating bezel at 12 (a feature that allows divers to accurately and safely measure dive times) is also filled with a striking blue lume that matches the minute and central seconds hands. Finally, to top it off, and for added accuracy, it is powered by the automatic TAG Heuer Calibre 5 with a 38-hour power reserve.
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Nightdiver is available now and priced at $3,350.
DOXA Launches The SUB 600T Pacific Limited Edition With Our Friends From Time+Tide
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, Contributor
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