5 Recommended Vintage Diving Watches
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For men, having a cool watch is probably an eternal dream.
Among the watch genres, the most popular are probably "chronographs" and "diver's watches."
There are many wonderful current models of diver's watches, but this video focuses on vintage watches and will explain the stories behind how these watches came to be.
The table of contents looks like this.
1. Breitling Superocean 2005
2. Longines Legend Diver
3. IWC Aquatimer
4. Omega Seamaster
5. Rolex Submariner
Finally, here is a summary.
So let's get started right away.
Breitling Superocean
The current Superocean Heritage is also cool, but the original Superocean is rugged and cool, as it has almost no casual feel to it!
It has an ingenious mechanism that makes it work, and the diamond pointer hand that appears to be the second hand is actually a counter.
This is normally fixed at the 12 o'clock position, and the counter starts moving when you press the pusher at the 2 o'clock position.
It is a 60-minute counter that measures 60 minutes per rotation, and it moves slowly rather than like a second hand.
A small indicator above the 6 o'clock position tells you what is going on.
It is normally black, but when started it changes to completely white (luminous).
When the watch is stopped, only the center of the watch is lit up with a small circular light.
That's why there is a "pure black version," a "pure white version," and a "white in black version" to switch things up.
As explained earlier, the diamond pointer moves slowly, so to prevent it being difficult to tell whether it is working or not, an indicator has been installed at the 6 o'clock position to show its current status.
The bezel is bidirectional and the case size is 42mm, which is typical of a diver's watch.
The designs may look different at first glance, but the fundamental design is reminiscent of the Navitimer.
When you think of Breitling, you may think of it as a brand of watches for pilots, but when you look at the construction of the Superocean 2005, you can see that they don't cut corners with divers' watches either.
It is unlikely that you will ever need to use the functions introduced here, but it is still nice to have features specialized for divers like this.
Longines Legend Diver
I think the design is almost the same as the current model, but what's great about the Legend Diver from the 1960s is that it uses an EPSA case.
If you don't know about EPSA, please watch this video for a detailed explanation.
This diver's watch is equipped with Longines' most powerful automatic movement, the 19AS.
The 19AS is the same movement that was installed in the first Conquest, which was created to compete with Omega's Constellation, and is packed with Longines' technology.
The Legend Diver has been manufactured since 1960, and there are several variations, including minor changes.
Please see the image below.
Both dials are luminous, but the model on the right uses tritium.
Additionally, there are two types of luminous fill inside the hour hand: one where the entire hand is filled with luminous material, and one where the material is only at the tip.
As for the index, the left model has dots inside the 12, 3, 6, and 9, while the right model has bars inside.
These two different types are distinguished by their reference numbers; the one on the left is the early Ref. 7042, and the one on the right is the Ref. 7494.
The case is made of EPSA's super compressor case.
Reproductions are now available on the market, but the original has a different aura.
The dial is black mirror with cut-out gold lettering.
In later models, the caliber was changed to Cal. 290.
The size is 42mm, which is typical of a diver's watch.
People watching this video probably aren't particularly interested in new watches, but if you don't need to insist on a vintage one, you can get a current model for around 300,000 yen, which is cheaper than other companies' divers' watches and is recommended.
IWC Aquatimer
Like the Legend Diver, this model also uses an EPSA case, so the appearance is almost the same, but it is an Aquatimer made by IWC.
The design of the current version has changed considerably and has a stronger casual feel, but the original Aquatimer is still cool, with its clean, rugged look.
The first watches produced by IWC that were labelled as "waterproof" were not intended for diving.
It was manufactured in 1945 under contract to the British Army as the "WWW", an abbreviation for "watch, wrist, waterproof".
The desired use was for it to be waterproof but not actually waterproof, more like "water resistant".
Unlike other military watches of the so-called "Dirty Dozen," IWC uses a unique snap-on case back with an inner lead sealing ring to increase water resistance.
The specs are unknown, but its waterproof performance was probably only around 10m.
IWC's first truly waterproof wristwatch came more than 20 years later, in 1967, with the release of the "Aquatimer" model.
The Reference 812 AD (renamed the 1812 in October 1971) was water resistant to 20 bar (approximately 650 feet, or 200 meters).
Omega Seamaster
Famously worn by James Bond and others , Omega's Seamaster series is one of the most classic diver's watches in history and remains popular throughout history .
In continuous production since 1948, the Seamaster family has defined the diver's watch and has always led the way in style, cultural influence and technical innovation.
Although not the first in the series, the Seamaster 300 reference CK2913 is the origin of the innovation and heritage that has made the Seamaster famous for over half a century.
Although the CK2913 was released in 1957, the Seamaster's history technically began in 1948.
1948 marked the 100th anniversary of Omega's founding and the London Olympics, for which Omega served as the official timekeeper, and the Seamaster was released at this milestone.
The first Seamaster was tested for water resistance up to 60m and was sold as a practical, waterproof dress watch.
It wasn't quite the tool of a professional diver, but it was a far cry from a delicate dress watch you couldn't wear for a day at the beach.
This first-generation Seamaster was inspired by the watches Omega designed for the British Military, and features a sturdy case, utilitarian design, easy-to-read dial and reliable operation .
That watch will be the Dirty Dozen.
If you don't know much about this watch, please watch this video for a detailed explanation.
The Seamaster began life as a practical dress watch and later evolved into a watch designed specifically for divers.
This resulted in a watch that, while retaining a classic and sophisticated appearance, is also easy to understand and functional, making it an essential item in a diver's equipment.
There are eight variations of the CK2913, starting with the 2913-1 released in 1957, up to the 2913-8 released in 1961.
The CK2913 was subsequently succeeded by references 14755 and 165.014.
Unfortunately, despite having "Seamaster 300" written on the dial, it could only actually dive to a depth of 200m.
That said, given the Seamaster's coolness and history, it can be said that the Seamaster is a diver's watch that everyone recognizes.
Rolex Submariner
It is a well-known fact that its name value is far superior to that of other watch brands.
They are almost always preceded by the word "most."
For example, it can be described as the most iconic, most recognizable, most influential, most imitated and most important sports watch of all time.
Add to that the dubious honor of being the most counterfeited, and I think there is probably no man who doesn't know the brand name Rolex.
The Submariner we are looking at today was introduced in 1953 and was the first diver's watch to be water resistant to 100m.
At the same time, Blancpain, which was developing a watch at the request of the French Navy, introduced the Fifty Fathoms, a diver's watch with a rotating bezel.
If you are interested in the Fifty Fathoms, please watch this video for more details.
However, the Submariner was technologically ahead of the competition, as it was mass-produced and had reached a level of perfection that made it possible to sell it to the general public.
The watch was fitted with a rotating 60-minute bezel to help divers keep track of the time spent underwater, and the dial featured plenty of luminous material to ensure visibility in the darkest waters.
The first Submariner was made in stainless steel and featured a black bezel and black dial with white indexes and hands for high contrast and easy readability.
Among all Rolex models, the Seamaster is recognized as the watch that has remained the least redesigned.
Rolex specifications, features, and materials have improved over the past 60 years, but the basic design remains from this original generation.
Rolex Submariner and James Bond
The Rolex Submariner has always been more than just a diving instrument, with an elegant style.
Its sophisticated minimalism pairs well with everything from a t-shirt and jeans to an impeccably tailored tuxedo.
Agent 007 wore a Submariner in the film, pairing it with everything from a wetsuit to a dinner suit.
In the first Bond film, Sean Connery uses the Submariner reference 6538 throughout the film.
It's speculated that the watch was actually the producer's personal favourite, and that he lent it to Connery while he was filming Dr. No.
The Submariner Reference 6538 continued to appear in sequels to the epic Bond series, including From Russia With Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball .
And since 1995's GoldenEye, James Bond, a former military man, has always been required to wear an Omega watch, which is used by the military.
That is why Omega Seamaster watches have been used from this work onwards.
summary
To sum up, well-known watches are packed with history, performance, and technology to back them up.
However, what I would like you to remember from this video is that a famous watch does not necessarily mean it is a watch you like.
The Rolex Submariner and the Omega Seamaster are both famous, but I think there were many other brands that were very cool as well.
When it comes to vintage watches, it is difficult to find original Submariners or Seamasters, but you can find them from other brands.
Also, I'm sure that many of you watching this video would like to wear a watch that is different from others.
Although it's not included in this ranking, I love the design of the Univa Geneva Polerouter Sub, which uses an EPSA case.
Upon further investigation, I find that there are still many brands that produce diver's watches using EPSA cases, so I think that collecting those as well will make my experience of watches even more enjoyable.
