Introducing: Hemel Sea Dart

The last couple of time we’ve been talking to you about Hemel, it’s in in reference to any of a number of air-related watches that they have released (you can see more about those here). They’ve also released some diver models, and just recently, their third iteration (aka the HD3) was released – the Hemel Sea Dart.

As compared to the Hydrodurance that is still available, the Hemel Sea Dart goes away from that 60s skin diver look, and embraces more of what we’d consider a “good old” steel tool watch styling. Steel case, steel bezel, and a steel bracelet, albeit one with beads-of-rice set in the center to give things a hint of dressiness. Then again, with a case diameter of 39mm and a thickness of just 11.5mm (no small feat for a 300m diver), this is a watch that will happily slip under a cuff to pull dress watch duty if you like.

With all that steel, it allows the eye to drift to focus on the dial of the Hemel Sea Dart. Or should we said dials? There are quite a number of them available, mostly in sunray finishes, and one fully-lumed version. There are a lot of colors that are quite popular as of late (say, that teal and salmon), while the blue and green give you classic pops of color, and the black dial (of which there are two, one that is gilt) and white dial give you that classic understated approach.

Tucked into the case of the Hemel Sea Dart is the well-known Miyota 9039. You won’t see it in the watch, as the caseback is solid (but quite engraved). Fully enclosing it to ensure that 300m WR rating, you’ve got a sapphire crystal up top, and a lumed screw-down crown on the side.

When you’re stepping into the world of micro-brand watches, it’s hard to go wrong with a dive watch, as they’re robust and work for just about everything. The latest Hemel Sea Dart gives us some interesting looks, and comes in at a reasonable $499.99 for all of the variants. We will of course be working to get a loaner in, so keep an eye out for that review. hemelwatches.com

Tech Specs from Hemel

Case
- Diameter: 39 mm
- Material: 316L stainless steel
- Finish: Brushed w/Polished accents
- Case back: Screw-down, Engraved
- Lug width: 20mm
- Lug to lug: 45mm
- Crown: Signed, lumed, screwdown, winding
- Front crystal: Double domed, Sapphire
- Water resistance: 300m
- Bezel: Steel, rotating, 120 click, C3 Lumed Pip

Movement
- Mechanical: Automatic & Manual Wind
- Caliber:
  - Miyota 9039
  - hacking second hand
  - 28,800 bph
  - 24 jewel
- Power reserve: 42 hours
- Retainer: steel