The Coolest Things at Basel - The ARCHIMÈDES

In the time honored tradition of all of my colleagues in the Fourth and Fifth Estates, I too will now share with you what I found to be the coolest items at Basel.  I'm going to be spooling them out one at a time.  

I will kick it off with the feel-good, love-song-triumphant return of Milus.

The story of Milus is a long one, and we'll dig in deeper in a future post, but for many of us we are well-acquainted with the Snow Star.  And again, we'll get deeper into that in another future post ; )

But suffice it to say, not so long ago Milus went dark.  And it looked as if it might stay that way until one Luc Tissot rode into Biel/Bienne and saved the day!  The result was the re-launch this year of Milus.  And to their credit, this was one of the sanest, most intelligent launches I have seen in Basel for some time.  No fashion models, no "famous friends" of the brand, and most certainly not a million different SKUs (Models).  They brought three models, limited color ways, and a clear communication of what Milus is now.

And one model, in particular, caught my eye -

This is the Archimedes. It is available in blue, or my favorite, black.

A solid case back is just one of the many thoughtful design details that I really appreciated.  It is in keeping with the theme of the watch, and let's be honest, why would you want a display back on a vintage inspired watch?

And what is that?  Why an HRV valve, of course!  Which you might expect on a watch costing three times the amount.

A wonderfully soft, yet strong leather strap with signed buckle instead of the all too often used deployment buckle.  Again, it maintains the spirit of the watch itself.  The strap is a "quick spring" version allowing you to change the strap without a tool.  It will also ship with a cordura/sport strap to allow you to enjoy your Milus in the briny deep.

And it is all rounded out by the packaging - a wonderfully practical solution - a leather zippered pouch that can be used for travel.  

The case measures 41 mm and is of stainless steel.  The movement is ETA's 2892A2 "Top".  Helium release valve and internal bi-directional bezel.  Water resistant to 300 meters / 1000 feet.

Suggested retail is CHF 1919 and if I understood correctly, it is available for order now.

 

Deep Star 1000 Automatic

From Deep Blue 

Courtesy of Deep Blue

Measuring 45 mm in diameter and 55 mm from lug to lug.  The Deep Star 1000 is warranted water resistant to a depth of 1000 meters or 3300 feet.

Courtesy of Deep Blue

Deep Blue lists the movement as Caliber 9015 Automatic. It has 24 jewels and provides hours, minutes, seconds and the date (between 4 o'clock and 5 o'clock).

Unidirectional ceramic bezel, and recessed HRV (helium release valve) directly opposite screw down crown at the 9 o'clock position of the case's side.

The bracelet is mesh and of stainless steel. The suggested retail is $999.00

Dive In

With the Pontos S Diver from Maurice Lacroix

Courtesy of Maurice Lacroix

Just when it seems that every dive watch is the same, if you take a few minutes to look around you will find something different - pleasantly so.  Instead of the (sorry Rolex, OMEGA, etc.) all too common ceramic ratcheting bezel and stainless steel bracelet, the folks at Maurice Lacroix took a different approach.  Okay, in fairness this model is available with a stainless steel bracelet, but this iteration with the leather is the one that speaks to me.

An integral automatic HRV function rests at 9 o'clock.  The dive time is indicated through an internal countdown adjustable ring.  This is controlled by the screw-down crown at 2 o'clock.

Here are all the specs straight from the source:

CASE

- Ø 43 mm, stainless steel case

- Sandblasted aluminum turning scale, matching dial finish

- Automatic helium escape valve at 9 o’clock

- Vertical brushed middle-case and side lugs, with polished bezel and facet on lugs

- Engraved case-back

- Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides

- Water-resistant to 600 m (60 atm)

DIAL

- Black sun-brushed dial

- Applied indexes with large area of luminescent coating for excellent legibility when diving

HANDS

- Diamond-cut hands with large area of luminescent coating for excellent legibility when diving

- Minute and second hands with red coating on tip

STRAP/BRACELET

- Genuine leather strap or robust three-row stainless steel bracelet

- Additional Nato strap available

BUCKLE

- Stainless steel buckle on both straps provided

- Double security deploying clasp on metal bracelet

MOVEMENT

Automatic caliber ML115 

- Functions:

– hours, minutes, seconds indicated by central hands

– Date at 6 o’clock

- Vibration: 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4 Hz

- Power reserve: 38 hours

- Jewels: 26

- Adjustments: 3 positions after full winding and after 24 hours

- Decoration: rhodium-plated movement

AQUADIVE's NOS Model 77

This just in from AQUADIVE -
AQUADIVE is proud to be the only watch company in the world today to offer an updated NOS version of their vintage iconic timepieces. The soon to be released AQUADIVE NOS Model 77 (December 2012), is based on the iconic 70's design and model, the 1977 AQUADIVE MARITIME.

Courtesy of Aquadive

The NOS Model 77 is a classic beauty, housed in a genuine NOS vintage case with a unique 70's Swiss design. Only a limited quantity of these cases are still available in our inventory. The NOS Model 77 case is all original with beautiful stainless steel suburst finish and extremely durable PVD coating on the lower part of the case. In the 70's, AQUADIVE would be one of very few companies who applied a layer of copper alloy to the case to make the PVD coating extremely durable. The original unidirectional rotating bezel has a black aluminum insert and operates on a very precise and solid 60 click mechanism. The model 77 case measures 41mm wide - excluding crown - by 48mm long, and has 22mm lugs.

Courtesy of AQUADIVE

The NOS Model 77 is supplied on a specially designed NATO or rubber dive strap. The case, bezel, case back, and Anton Schild automatic movement are vintage genuine NOS parts originally manufactured in the mid 70's in Switzerland. The crystal, gaskets, galvanized dial, hands, and ETA movements are all new Swiss made parts. The new 5mm thick crystal and gasket insure much higher depth rating than the original. So the NOS Model 77 case is now depth rated beyond 200m/660ft. An HRV was also added at 2'clock to insure that the model 77 can also be used by professional divers.

Courtesy of AQUADIVE

The modern black dial is a two piece galvanized and all Swiss made construction. The hands are a 100% reproduction of the original hands found in the vintage automatic version. The NOS self-winding 21 Jewel Anton Schild movements are regulated to 20 seconds a day, due to age and features of this particular movement. They have all been disassembled, oiled, cleaned, and serviced by our master watchmaker. They are the movements that were originally used in this case back in the mid to late 70's. The vintage date wheels in the Anton Schild movement are white with red digits. Back in the 70's, it was a common feature for date wheels in terms of legibility. So to stay true to the vintage heritage of this model, AQUADIVE did not switch the date wheels over to modern black versions on these vintage movements. With the modern ETA 2836 Elabore movements, the date wheel is black.

The Model 77 was first developed in the early 70's, and is entirely constructed and manufactured in Switzerland. The case was originally designed to accommodate a mechanical three hand, or chronograph, automatic movement; hence the thickness of the case back. In preparation for the digital revolution, it was later adapted and offered with a US developed LED module from the mid 70's until the early 80's. The LED module displayed hours, minutes, seconds, month, and date. Only a limited amount of this model were ever produced with the automatic movements. And very few used examples of this model - in either form - even exist today. And that makes them highly coveted by dive watch collectors around the world. When first manufactured, the case was depth rated to 20ATM.


www.aquadive.com

The Devil is in the Details - the subtle beauty of the Bathyscaphe 300

Okay, in all fairness we are talking about a watch that measures 47 mm in diameter and 53 mm from end to end.  So subtlety might not be a word that springs to most minds, but I continue to be impressed by the quiet way that the Aquadive Bathyscaphe 300 flexes its dive watch muscles.  The Bathyscaphe's HRV (Helium Release Valve) is a prime example of this -

How many times do we see a watch company go out of their way to make sure you see a large, protruding HRV nob to ensure that anyone and everyone will know what a rugged, tough guy you are?  To be clear, there is nothing wrong with this, if that's what makes you happy.  Then there are the other, more reserved design approaches where the HRV is an "automatic" (meaning you do not have to unscrew the crown), and they sit in a dignified manner - usually at 9 o'clock on the case just opposite the crown.

But the folks at Aquadive had a far more elegant solution in mind.  They placed the HRV in between the lugs of the watch case at 6 o'clock.  The result is an HRV that works just as well as those placed at 9 o'clock, and easier than those that must be manually unscrewed.  Moreover, it is protected from potential harm as the strap and spring bar must first be breached for any possible damage to befall it.

I think what I like most about this solution, is that the wearer still knows it's there.  It is hidden, not obvious, not for everyone to see - and I like that!

Subtle strength.

Karl Shreeves and the Diving With Legends SUB

Once again, Karl Shreeves has been good enough to share a story about one of the watches in his collection.  Karl and his story were featured in the Diving with Legends book this past year.

The DOXA 1200T HRV DWL

Besides being high-quality, robust and functional automatic dive watches, the DOXA line holds a special place among timepieces. It enjoys an historical legacy as the dive watch for serious enthusiasts – a recogition DOXA earned with innovative features, not the least of which was the first helium-release valve watch available for general purchase in 1969 – the SUB 300T Conquistador.

For those not familiar, commercial divers sometimes work under pressure in helium atmospheres.  Helium itself a very small atom, over time and under pressure, slowly penetrates seals that are perfectly water and air tight. Upon surfacing and releasing the surrounding pressure, a dive watch can burst due to the build up of helium gas inside, unless it has a release valve.  Historically this has been the fun visual of the crystal popping right off of the watch!  Of course, apart from commercial divers very few divers need a helium release valve, and what does this have to do with DOXA today? Glad you asked.

This past spring, DOXA rolled out the limited-edition (99 issued) DOXA 1200T HRV DWL (Helium Release Valve, Diving With Legends) with the publication of Dr. Peter Millar’s Diving With Legends. The book features the biographies and stories of two dozen divers, many of whom are well-known in the underwater community (www.divingwithlegends.com). In celebration, DOXA graciously gave a 1200T DWL to each of those featured, with the remaining available to collectors at www.doxawatches.com.

Those familiar with the DOXA line will recognize the 1200T DWL’s heritage immediately. It is a hefty, solid watch (approx 171 g/6 oz with bracelet) that sports DOXA’s trademark orange dial (with DWL logo) and one-way bezel with USN no decompression limits. Those familiar with its cousin 1000T will find it similar, though the T1200 is rated to 1200 metres versus 1000 (hence the names, of course), with the DWL inscribed with its release number (shown is 50/99).

Arguably, the 1200T DWL’s standout feature is the recessed helium-release valve at the 9:00 position. You probably don’t need an HRV, but that’s besides the point. Beyond the cool-factor, the valve subtly reminds us that DOXA engineered this watch for leading-edge divers – not a small statement coming from a company that has engineered top-end automatic dive watches for hardcore divers for more than 40 years.

More at www.doxawatches.com