History of Divers Watches

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) March 19, 2010 -- History of Divers watches
Where else do you go for a watch for all occasions?

If there is one watch you should own, (in my view), it is a divers watch on a stainless steel bracelet, not leather. If you are fashion conscious like me, then you will only wear a black leather watch strap when you wear black shoes and a black belt. The same goes for brown. Not very versatile! A diver watch also says something about you; active, stylish and you know what you are wearing. Most people I know who are active, like sport etc, but do not have several watches, will have some form of diver watch. They are very versatile, there is loads of selection, loads of price points, and they are very handy as an every day/night watch.
History

The origins of the diver watch date back to 1926 and the Rolex Oyster, the first of the ‘waterproof’ watches. (Bump, 2007: pg 26). In 1953, Rolex introduced the Submariner, which was the first watch for serious underwater, but also “looked the part when it was worn ashore, be it for the office or an evening at the casino”. (De Burton, 2008: pg 39).

However, after the success of the early dive watches, many other brands wanted a slice of the pie, producing a diverse range of dive watches for daily use. There so many brands I could list, but I am going to only list a few of the key big players!

* Omega released the Marine watch in 1932, although this watch did not have any real great success. However, Omega has since released a gold limited edition of 135 pieces. Omega also released the now famous ‘Seamaster’ in 1948 with an automatic mechanism. Many of you will know the Seamaster as the James Bond 007 watch.

* Doxa in 1966 released the Sub 750T. Doxa wanted the dial to be easily read, so they settled on an orange dial as the preferred face colour after much testing of different colours. The orange dial was easily visible down to 30m. The orange colour had a big influence on the now famous cult watch, the Seiko Orange Monster. (Bump, 2007: pg 61).
* In 1957, Breitling developed the SuperOcean which is a favourite amongst professional divers (e.g. the military) and recreational divers. I would say that this watch is also one of the coolest watches you could own, if you only have one watch.
* Panerai Luminor, (originating in the1950’s), Submersible, as an Italian navy divers watch is always worth a look, (one of my favourite brands), or Anomino, who are what Lamborghini are to Ferrari.

* Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms from 1953, was originally commissioned by the French navy’s elite underwater section, Les Nageurs de Combat. (De Burton, 2008: pg 40)
* Longines Legend Diver originating from the 1960’s is great value.
* In 1967, IWC started production of the Aquatimer. Jaeger-Le Coultre and their Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic is a great standout
* And for something very unique, check out the Graham Chronofighter Oversized Diver.

I must admit, that my first ever ‘serious’ watch, was a Breitling Colt in 1996. To me, it will always be my favourite, as I could wear it with everything and anywhere and it always looked great. I was never big in the water, but who cares; most watches never get used for their intended purpose, so enjoy them as an aesthetic pleasure. But you know what; you don’t have to spend thousands on a diver watch, take a look at what we have at BWC; GV2, Ezteem or GANT.

If really like the idea of a divers watch but are not sure then give us a call.

Kind regards Rob
A couple of definitions

* A Diver watch must be water resistant to at least 100m (330ft or 10 atm)
* A Rotating Bezel is used by divers for keeping track of elapsed time. (A Bezel also helps keep the glass in place on the watch face)

Notes

QP Magazine, J Gurney (Issue 26, pp58-63; 2007)
The Watch, G Stone (Abrams; 2006)
Chrono, S de Burton (Issue 6, pp38-41; 2008)

Hr:Watches, D L Bump (Volume 10/Issue 4, pp54-63; 2007)
Watch Time, G L Brunner (December, pp130-138; 2007)

big     company     divers     fashion     watch