With its new JeanRichard Aquascope Diver Monocoque, the Swiss brand successfully bridges the stylistic gap between its original Aquascope and the newer Highlands collections. Besides the refreshed dial, the 2013 version of the Aquascope Monocoque has also received the same self-winding movement that powers the new limited edition Highlands CDC Carbon that was released last month.
45 mm
Deep Blue DayNight T100 OPS Diver in Black PVD
The American brand Deep Blue has introduced a (more than) affordable diver to its vast collection of tool watches. Currently offered at only $399 (the normal price is $499, and shipping is not included in both cases), the new Deep Blue DayNight T100 OPS Diver features a rugged exterior design that somehow reminds me of Luminox timekeeper combined with a water resistance rating of 500 meters and an easily readable dial with twenty flat tritium tubes of different colors.
Unlike the usual Superluminova or other chemical compounds, the mildly radioactive gas that fills the micro-tubes keeps glowing for at least twenty years without any need of being recharged, which makes it a perfect choice for those keeping their collection in boxes stashed in a chest of drawers while sleeping in their preassigned Vault-Tec shelters.
Edox Chronodakar Chronograph (ref. 10305 37N1 NRO)
Being an official sponsor of the Dakar rally, Edox never misses the opportunity to introduce limited editions that bear the event’s logo. Last year, they offered 500 pieces of the sporty Edox Dakar Limited Edition three-hander and now they are prepared to start selling their new Edox Chronodakar Chronograph (ref. 10305 37N1 NRO) that, too, is offered as a strictly limited edition model.
Breitling Avenger Seawolf Blacksteel Code Yellow
The Swiss brand has recently reintroduced its Avenger Seawolf “professional” diver as a limited edition model. While normally available only in polished stainless steel, this new watch comes in a special, hardened steel body that, thanks to the high concentration of carbon within its surface, looks almost black. The 2013 Breitling Avenger Seawolf Blacksteel Code Yellow features a winning combination of colors and textures that make it an almost ideal watch for a person looking for a military-styled diver with a character.
Dievas Shadow Stealth Merges the Focal with the Reaper
The automatic Dievas Shadow Stealth is a product of a successful crossbreeding between their Focal and Reaper tactical timekeepers. Featuring a highly contrast black-and-yellow color scheme that allows easier reading of time in virtually any environment, the watch also offers an extremely scratch-resistant black finish with its stainless steel body hardened in a sort of carbon bath and then treated with plasma, which forms a thin, but also a hard coating on its surface. I am not sure how well it would stand when compared to, say, DLC (which, too, has weak points of its own) but it looks and feels durable and robust.
Panerai Radiomir Composite Black Seal 3 Days PAM 505
The 2012 Panerai Radiomir Composite Black Seal 3 Days (PAM 505) is based on the ceramic Luminor Composite 3 Days (PAM 386) that was presented in October 2010. This version features the same manufacture-made caliber but is presented in a slightly larger body of the same classic “cushion” shape.