When it comes to watches, many folks will often have a a favorite watch from particular brands. Less common is an expressed interest in the wider line, especially with the indie watch brands. For me, at least, Gavox is one of those brands that I think have something in all of their models. Sure, the earlier watches we very much similar to what we saw from Techne, but that’s not a bad thing. As of late, though, Gavox has really stepped up their game, with introductions of watches like the Aurora and Squadron. Their most recent model, the Gavox Avidiver, shows the brand continuing to branch out.
As you might infer from the name, the Gavox Avidiver is, well, a dive watch. Which is a a funny thing, given that Gavox, as a brand, is very much focused on aviation, and keeping their watches inspired by flight. Well, have no fear, the Gavox Avidiver is still carrying those aviation cues (I see them in the handset, with a broader military reference in the Panerai-esque numerals). When you consider that most of folks buying a watch like this are not professional divers, mixing in a 200m WR rating and orange-tipped hands (on a few of the models) is enough to make this considered as a diver.
Sure, in the purest of definitions, the Gavox Avidiver is not an ISO-spec diver. What it is is a well-sorted tool watch that pulls cues from a few different places. It is also the second time we have seen the brand put an automatic movement into their cases. In this instance, it’s the (what else) Miyota 9015 ticking away in the 43mm case of the Gavox Avidiver. As you look at the photos, the second crown is likely tipping you off to an internal bezel. Rather than moving the bezel (say, like we have seen from Magrette), it is simply moving the orange triangle around the dial. You could still track elapsed time, of course, and the brand also mentions using it to track a second time zone. This would be done by moving it to the hour that corresponds to the offset. For instance, if you’ve traveled and are two hours behind home, then you’d put the triangle at 2. Regardless of how you use it, it is a clever implementation, because, at first glance, you would not expect that triangle to be mobile.
It is a clever trick that the Gavox Avidiver has up it’s sleeve, and certainly helps to set the $605 watch apart from similarly-specced aviator watches. I think the Gavox Avidiver is a good fit for someone who likes the look of a pilot handset, but prefers a cleaner dial and stark utility. Speaking of that dial, I almost forgot to go over that. Obviously, it is a sandwich construction, which I think can be a very powerful design element. Aside from the dimensionality it adds, it really allows the lume to be piled on on the lower layer, which should give some very nice glow once the lights go dim.
Gavox has been doing some pretty interesting things as of late (and you might even seen one of their creations hitting the May giveaway), and the Gavox Avidiver continues the trend in a positive direction. Pure aviators or dive watches may not be for everyone, and this particular watch does a good job of walking that line, bringing utility to your wrist in an attractive package. The inclusion of the 9015 is a nice change of pace for the brand as well (as they had been all quartz before), and means maintenance should be easy. Those are my thoughts, though. Let us know in the comments what you think about this sort of style mashup. gavox.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Gavox Avidiver
- Price: $605 (for those in the EU, pricing is higher due to VAT); additional $50 for PVD
- Who we think it might be for: You like your aviators and your divers, so the peanut butter cup approach suits your sensibilities
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: This is a clever one, so yeah, I could see this one in the watch box
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: For as slender as the external bezel is, the lugs feel a bit heavy. Slimming those down a bit would be an improvement on the aesthetics
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: In the end, it’s the cleverness of that moving triangle
Tech Specs from Gavox
- Automatic Movement Miyota 9015
- Surgical 316L stainless steel case (PVD Steel of black)
- Case diameter: ø 43mm
- Case Length (Lug to Lug): 50.8mm
- Case thickness: 12.8 mm
- Between lug (Strap Size): 22mm
- Date display at 4 O’clock
- Screw-down Crown for bezel and movement
- 4 layer sandwich structure dial
- Crystal: Double domed Sapphire with bottom antireflection layer
- Luminescent hands and dial (Superluminova BW-G9 (for Black and Blue), C3 (For White)
- Internal Turning Bezel (Triangle use as a reference marker) Can be used as Chronograph, Timer, Zulu Time.
- Marker can be used as a minute or hour chronograph timer gold
- Unique serial number
- Gavox molded silicone strap (for corrosion resistance regarding aviation and diver environment)
- Can support all sort of standard Straps of 22mm
- Water resistant: 20 ATM (600 feet)
