Deep Blue is one of those brands that I’ve had to admire from afar. I have not run across anyone who owns one, and it simply has not worked out for us to get one in for review. That said, even from the pictures, there is something of an allure to what the brand produces. Their latest, the Deep Blue Diver Pro, follows along in that same vein.
Patrick and I have both had a chance to check out Borealis dive watches in the past, and we both have been left with the impression that the brand is producing great value dive watches. This trend look to be continuing with the Borealis Seafarer II, now on pre-order from the brand and scheduled for delivery in May/June 2016.
Boschett is not a brand we have written about for awhile, and things had been relatively quiet. Then, not that long ago, we received word of a new model they had coming out, with the pre-order currently underway. While we looked at their Reef Ranger previously, their Harpoon lineup seems to be popular as well. So, with that, let’s take a look to see what the Boschett Harpoon Spirit of Essex has to offer.
I left the family at home and waded into deep, German-watch waters recently. I almost drowned. I attended the WatchBuys.com road show in Atlanta and learned three uses of technology that are worth remembering the next time you buy a dive watch, all demonstrated by the Sinn UX EZM 2 B Hydro.
I recently had a chance to check out the line of Sinn Watches at a WatchBuys Road Show, and the first watch that caught my eye was the new T1B in titanium. Sitting next to it was the T2B, a smaller version of the watch, also in titanium. Depending on your size preference, the Sinn T1B and T2B are really attractive with the new blue dial, are very light, and have a hidden feature to make that bezel especially secure.
Mokume-gane is a traditional Japanese metalworking technique where different metals are fused together in order to create a billet with a layered look, which is then worked into whatever shape is needed. This 17th Century technique was developed for ornate Samurai swords that were decorative status symbols. Now, this layered look is being used as a watch case in the H2O Kalmar 2 Mokume Gane Watches, available for pre-order on their web site.
You have probably noticed that Patrick and I both like dive watches. Myself, I am a diver (though I am lucky to dive once a year); Patrick, I think he just likes the look. But we both like Hexa Watches, which are hand assembled right here in the U S of A. And right now, Hexa is running a contest where you could win a new Hexa Osprey, or you can just buy one with a $250 limited time discount.
In the course of writing about affordable watches here at WWR, we very often come across new brands, and we write about a good number of them. Sometimes those freshman outings are not the greatest. The issues we see can often be overlooked given the price points that things come in at, and we call out what we see as oversights in a model. While not totally uncommon, it is more rare that we continue to be in contact with a brand, and see a marked contrast (and improvement) in what is being offered. That is precisely what we have here today with the Obris Morgan Explorer II.
As our own pages attest, dive watches are a ridiculously popular category of watches. Sure, it is a matter of style preferences, but I think it also speaks to the fact that these watches are, by and large, very robust tools that can put up with a lot. Our friends over at EveryDayCarry must see the same thing, because they just put together a guide for seven affordable dive watches, all under $200.
Overbuilt dive watches are pretty easy to find, with depth ratings going into the 1,000s of feet territory, well beyond what all but the tinniest percentage of technical divers could ever hope to come close to needing. But watches that get into the 10s of 1,000s, that is getting in the rare air (or deep water to be more apt) of specifications. Two new models of the H2O Kalmar 2 watch do just that, with ratings of 6,000 meters (~20,000 feet) and 8,000 meters (~26,000 feet) respectively.