Yesterday, we started taking a look at the E.O.Diver Tactical ICS from Tawatec, and were dissecting the parts of the model name to see what features can be teased out. Today, we’ll cover the last tactical feature, and go over my experiences with the watch to date.
Perhaps the most useful element (and the most “fun”, in my eyes) though would be the usage of the tritium tubes. Basically, once the lights go down, you will have no trouble telling the time, or even timing something using the bezel. Not only that, this particular model uses a mix of colors (blue for the markers and seconds hand, orange for the hour hand and 12 o’clock position, and green for the minutes hand and bezel indicator). In short, you’ve got a self powered light show on your wrist.
The camera is dramatically understating the visual impact of the tritium...
Now, in daily wear, this is a very capable watch. I found the 22mm rubber strap (with signed buckle) to be very comfortable. Additionally, the 47mm wears smaller than the spec suggests, and is very light (2 ounces!), given the composite it’s made from. Day or night, reading the time is dead simple on the three-hander; I had no issues reading the date window either.
If this was just a “regular” quartz three-hander, I might have issues with the $265 price. But when you consider how light the watch is, it’s great night-time readability, and the clean black, red and white color pallette, the price makes sense. Would I have liked to see a screw-down crown or the date display in black, rather than white? Sure, but at this pricepoint, it’s not a major issue. If you spend time out in the dark, or down in the water, or just want a great watch for the weekend, this is definitely one to consider.
