Like their unique Illum Aqua Ladies, the new Angular Momentum Cushion Diver has most of its surfaces covered with the ever-glowing Email Lumineuse luminescent enamel.
While most smaller Swiss watchmakers tend to make their living simply by putting the sacred “Swiss Made” lettering on the dials of their products, Angular Momentum stays afloat thanks to a number of decoration techniques that are hard to master and even harder to use in an industrial process.
The first of them is the beautiful technique of painting on the inner side of a sapphire crystal, which is called Verre Eglomise, and the other is the technology of making non-radioactive luminous enamel, which is known as Email Lumineuse.
Looking like the common Superluminova, the Email Lumineuse enamel offers glowing, which is not only more intense but also longer-lasting.
According to the Swiss watchmaker, the enamel needs only 10 minutes of “charging” under the sun to glow for as long as 35 hours.
During the day, the substance doesn’t look particularly impressive, but when the darkness comes, it glows like a neon ad on Times Square.
Like their other diving companions, the new Angular Momentum Cushion Diver has almost all of its surfaces covered with the enamel.
Its dial, counterclockwise rotating bezel, and even the cabochon on its screw-in Staybrite crown are covered with pale green enamel, while the extra-wide hour and minute hands are treated with brighter “Plique a Jour” blue and green translucent enamel.
While Angular Momentum masterpieces are usually presented in simple-looking round bodies, this one is presented in a three-partite case, with a round bezel and case-back and a cushion-shaped middle.
Thanks to the chosen design, the 44 mm watch not only doesn’t look massive on a normal wrist, but it also doesn’t intimidate bystanders with its friendly, even playful appearance.
As for the official water resistance rating of 200 meters, I doubt that you can actually safely use it as a serious diving companion, yet, for a person who simply needs a timekeeper that could be used for some basic snorkeling and, perhaps, a mild diving expedition around coral reefs in shallow waters, the trinket still means business and you can easily use it for these tasks.
But, still, I have an impression that this is more of an “art” watch rather than a “tool” timekeeper and it probably belongs in a museum or in a display box of a private collection rather than on an ocean beach with all of its fine sand and corrosive, salty water.
As usual, the Cushion Diver is powered by a “historic” Fontainemelon FHF 908 NOS (new-old-stock) self-winding movement, which is, alas, not seen through the solid screwed-in case back cover.
See also: Angular Momentum Smooth Diver
Photos: Angular Momentum
Angular Momentum Cushion Diver specification
Price: CHF 4200 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, Caliber Fontainemelon FHF 908, 17 jewels, 21,600 vph, NOS (new-old-stock,) Swiss Made
Movement decoration: Standard finish
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power reserve: 45 hours
Case: 1.4435Ncu Staybrite steel, alternately mirror-polished and brushed
Crown: Steel with green Email Lumineuse cabochon
Case shape: Cushion
Bezel shape: Round
Size: 43.70 mm
Dial: Green Email Lumineuse, enameled
Numerals: Email Lumineuse painted on the bezel
Hands: Email Lumineuse “Plique a Jour”, luminous
Water resistance: 200 meters
Strap: Black structured rubber with Staybrite buckle
Crystal: Sapphire
Back: Solid