It’s been awhile since we’ve had Ocean7 on our pages, so it seems fitting that we’ll pick back up with them with one of their more popular watches that just got re-introduced: The LM2 V2.
As you can tell by looking at the watch, this is a diver-style watch (Ocean7 bills it as a sport watch). The first design cue that tips you off there is the wide orange minute hand (which positively dwarfs the hour hand). Next, you’ll notice that there’s a timing bezel – one that features one of the more interesting designs that a handful of watches have had (at least in terms of what I’ve reviewed). That feature is the fact that the timing bezel is actually under the domed sapphire crystal.
This does a few things. First off, you get a much bigger crystal than you’d have if the bezel was mounted externally, on top of the case; this also gives things a “smoother” look. Second, with a screw-down crown used to rotate the bezel (and then lock it in place), you’re not likely to accidentally bump it, losing the starting point you were timing from.
This is a two-edged sword, however. The more frivolous drawback is that you really can’t easily play with the bezel as you might on other divers. More critically, however, if you’re not careful with how you lock the crown down, you can end up moving the bezel a touch. If you’re timing a pot of water, perhaps not a critical issue. If you’re diving, though, that could definitely be more important. That’s not to say that you can’t lock the crown without moving the bezel – you can. It’s just not as foolproof to set as with an external bezel. A small price to pay for keeping from accidental movement, I suppose.
Also moving to the internal bezel allows for the removal of a chunk of metal (steel or aluminum) you’d normally have with an external bezel. Combined with the use of titanium for the case, that means you get a weight (on the 24mm rubber strap) of just 100g. Which is quite a light weight watch, when compared to other 44mm divers. Additionally, it’s only 13mm tall, meaning this will slip under a watch cuff pretty easily (the smooth domed bezel helps in that regard as well).
In short, you’ve got a cleanly styled and lightweight diver here in the form of the LM2 V2. Water resistance is only set for 100m, so you won’t get any deep dives in with it, but it should be fine for casual swims and the like. It’s worth noting that the relatively lower WR rating is due to the double-dome sapphire crystal (which they went to for reducing distortion).
It also works well for casual wear, with the inclusion of a date display (though, you may want to swap out the rubber strap if oyu’re not headed for water). Prices for the ETA 2824-powered LM2 V2 start at $699 (for the brushed titanium case), with another $50 getting you either a sandblasted and DLC coated titanium case, or a sandblasted/DLC titanium case with orange lume on the dial and hands. ocean7watchco.com
Review Summary
>Brand & Model: Ocean7 LM2 V2
>Price: $699 (brushed titanium), $749 (DLC titanium w/ or w/out orange lume)
>Who’s it for?: The person looking for a lightweight, bare-bones dive-style watch, perhaps their first of this style
>Would I wear it?: With what I currently have for a diver, likely not. Ignoring that, though, yes, though I’d want to swap out the included strap.
>The best thing about it: The relatively light weight (and thinness) for a larger diver
>What I’d change: Better (and more) lume on the internal bezel; additional strap options
