TechnoMarine BlackWatch diving chronograph

Earlier last month, during the Baselworld 2009 trade show, the Swiss watchmaker that sells entry-luxury watches (it is mostly known for its Hummer series of watches inspired by the famous off-roader) has presented its new line of all-black TechnoMarine BlackWatch diving chronographs.

Available with either an automatic ETA Valjoux 7750 (a rare bird in this price range) or a quartz ETA 251.272 chronograph movements, the new TechnoMarine BlackWatch diving chronograph watch offers usual functionality in an unusual -although somewhat bombastic- design.

If my memory serves me well, it’s been only about ten years since TechnoMarine launched its own watch making business.

Since you can’t really sell “Swiss made” watches unless its Swiss made components are installed in a case on the Swiss ground, in 2000 the California-based company changed its address from Los Angeles to Geneva and became TechoMarine S.A.

Being more of a fashion than a pure watch brand, TechoMarine seems to more care about the watch’s exterior looks rather than about worry its interior workings.

So, buying one of their timepieces, you get a standard movement packed in a “bold design”. Well, doesn’t Omega do the same thing?

This particular diving watch comes packed in a deliberately large stainless steel case covered with black PVD coating.

As you can see on the photos, the BlackWatch, which is quite large itself, sports a set of even larger hour and minute hands generously covered with the SuperLuminova luminescent material. So, I guess, there won’t be any problems with the device’s legibility, even 200 meters below the water surface.

The only usability issue with the mechanically-powered model is that its winding crown is located at 9 o’clock.

You will have a hard time operating the device unless you wear it on your right hand. The quartz-powered watch is free of this problem.

TechnoMarine BlackWatch diving chronograph watch specification

Price range: $1450 (quartz model) / $2600 (automatic model)
Movement: ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic or quartz ETA 251.272 chronograph movement
Complications: Chronograph, date
Power reserve: A couple of years (quartz) / 46 hours (automatic)
Case material: PVD-coated stainless steel
Case dimensions: 53 mm
Case height: 16 mm
Dial: Black (automatic), Blue (quartz)
Water resistance: 200 meters
Strap: Black rubber with black PVD-coated steel folding clasp
Crystal: Sapphire