Deep Blue Sea Chrono 1K (1000M) Diver

The American watchmaker Deep Blue has recently started selling its new Deep Blue Sea Chrono 1K quartz-powered diving watch. Sporting screw-down chronograph push-pieces, solid bubble case back and a helium release valve, this inexpensive diver is rated for whole 1000 meters!

Designed to withstand such an enormous pressure, the watch is predictably big.

Although the Miyota OS 10 quartz movement (a time-proven, reliable work horse, which is very popular among numerous watchmakers, including Citizen itself) is quite compact and slim, the new Deep Blue Sea Chrono 1K is supplied in a fairly large stainless steel case more than 45 millimeters in diameter and whole 15 millimeters thick.

Well, for a timekeeper of this class this is more of an advantage: people searching for an “extreme” diving watch expect it to have a certain presence.

Or, putting it simply, they want the gadget to make a statement.

As I have already noted, the watch sports all the amenities that one might expect from a diver. Its satin-finished steel body sports a helium escape valve, which is comfortably placed at 10 o’clock, and has a rugged-looking, easy to grip, unidirectional rotating bezel with the usual diving scale that, unlike many recent divers with sapphire bezels, has only one luminous dot at “00.”

Since the dial of the watch is not terribly large (according to official specs, the dial opening measures only 32 millimeters in diameter,) the inevitable tachymeter scale was transferred to the bezel flange, which means that you will only be able to comfortably see readings from 60 to 80 km/h and then from 300 to 500 km/h without twisting your wrist off.

On the other, um, hand, the tachymeter (and, for that matters, chronograph) would probably be the last function that most of us would seek in a semi-professional diver, so I would say that both are here purely for decorative purposes and in this sense they do their job well.

Anyway, for only $299 (if ordered on their site, shipment not included,) this is a brilliant timekeeper that one can use both as an everyday beater (if jeans or khakis are your choice of clothing) and a diving companion.

Photos: Deep Blue

Deep Blue Sea Chrono 1K (1000M) quartz diving watch specification

Price: $299
Movement: Quartz, Miyota OS 10, Made in Japan
Number of jewels: N/A
Movement frequency: N/A
Movement decoration: None
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
Power reserve: A couple of years
Case material: Stainless steel
Bezel material: Stainless steel
Crown material: Matches case
Case shape: Round
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 45.50 mm
Case height: 15.00 mm
Lug width: N/A
Dial: Different colors, 3D waffle pattern
Numerals: N/A
Hour markers: Luminous
Hands: Luminous
Water resistance: 1000 meters
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet with a wetsuit extensions; rubber strap can be bought separately for $25 (plus shipping)
Crystal: Sapphire
Case back: Solid, bubble