The new Chanel J12 Marine watches that were announced earlier this year are hitting the market.   While not a big “fashion brand” fan when it comes to watches, I think these new diver watches deserve some respect (or do they not?).  Chanel also launched a cool new interactive website to highlight the J12 Marine.  The website simulates an “underwater experience”  — yea, it probably cost a gazillion bucks to produce this website, but it’s kinda neat — check it out!

Here’s a video, then the pics, etc below:

The watches come in a variety of sizes (42mm and 38mm) and colors (blue, black and white).  All have ceramic bezels, unidirectional rotating bezels and are water resistant to 300 meters.  The strap is rubber with a “Chanel” engraved buckle.  The J12 Marine is priced in the $5,000 range if I’m not mistaken.  This is a lot, particularly given the movement — while probably a reliable Swiss-made one — is nothing special.  You are paying for the “Chanel” name.  Kinda like buying a diamond from Tiffany & Co., know what I’m saying?

Chanel J12 Marine Blue 42mm – Ref H2559

&

Chanel J12 Marine Blue 38mm – Ref H2561

Chanel J12 Marine Black 42mm – Ref H2558

Chanel J12 Marine White 38mm – Ref H2560

Corum finds its dive watch credentials…

This year Corum has introduced a phenomenal dive watch – the Admiral’s Cup Deep Hull 48.  Those of you who, like me, don’t get all that much excited about Corum’s Ti Bridge watches, should definitely give this particular watch special consideration.  This watch is in fact Corum’s first dedicated dive watch, perhaps a surprising fact to the casual watch enthusiast.  But to its credit, Corum did everything right to make this watch a legitimate choice in the high-end dive watch segment.  

Corum Admiral’s Cup Deep Hull 48

Limited Edition 500 pieces, Ref 947.950.04/0371 ANI2

48mm titanium case, on a black rubber strap with titanium buckle

The Deep Hull’s specifications demonstrate that it is a serious diver.  The substantially sized 48mm, 12-sided case is forged of high-grade titanium and delivers an impressive 1,000 meter water resistance.  And it also has a decompression valve (aka helium-escape valve) which during ascent evacuates helium that has accumulated inside the case due to the diver’s depth and long periods of time underwater.    Lest the casual observer assume this watch’s depth rating to be for mere mortals, Corum has very boldly stamped the “1000M” depth rating on the edge of the case:

You can also see in the above picture how nicely designed the dial is.  The watch has luminous hands and hour markers, designed in Corum’s signature “nautical pennant” style.  On many if not most Corum watches, these nautical pennants are multi-colored and for me (a non-sailor) a bit too much.  But I really like the monochromatic look of the Deep Hull.  Also as noted on the black dial, the movement is a “certified chronometer” aka a very precise timekeeper.

In summary, I think that this watch is a winner, and in the words of the #1 dive watch blog on the ‘Net, the Corum Admiral’s Cup Deep Hull 48 is “as suited to the consummate professional at helm of a racing yacht as it is to the deep sea diver“!  Indeed, the timing for the release of the brand’s first ever true dive watch could not be better!

New for 2010…

Breguet Marine Royale (Ref 5847BB/12/BZ0)

45mm 18-carat white gold case, automatic movement, alarm (marked by the blue triangular hand, on/off indicator at 12 o’clock, alarm power reserve indication aperture between 9 and 11 o’clock), date, luminous hands, water-resistant to 300m, sapphire-crystal caseback.

Did you know it has been just over 10 years now since Swatch Group acquired Breguet?  Yes indeed, I tell you its true, but enough history for now.  The watch you see here represents the 2010 model for Breguet’s Marine collection.  In addition to the specs above, the watch is also available in white gold with black dial, rose gold with black dial, and rose gold with rose gold dial.    I estimate prices for all these models will be in the $35,000-$45,000 range.

While I think that the Breguet Marine collection has gotten stronger each of the past few years, and while I could certainly see myself “looking good” while sporting a watch like this off the upper deck of something like this, I still have trouble seeing this as a true “dive” or even “marine” watch, though with 300m water resistance and Breguet quality construction I’m not sure if my perception is warranted or not.  It’s just that when I think of Breguet, “King of Tourbillons” is often the first thing that pops into my head, not marine/dive watches.

Don’t get me wrong — I generally like Breguet watches, and if I had my druthers, I would opt for a Breguet Type XXI (specifically, the very striking, very awesome Ref 3810BR/92/9ZU – pink gold case with dark brown dial and brown strap) or perhaps even the new Breguet Type XXII rather than this Marine watch.  But to each his own, right?  Let me know what you think of this watch and Breguet in general — drop a comment below!

No, not sleep apnea!  I’m talking about a tribute watch for champion free diver Guillaume Néry…

Announced at Baselworld 2010, this new BALL Engineer Master II dive watch now features a world time function.  The 45mm diamter brushed steel case (black or white dial) houses a modified ETA 2836 movement (added the world time function).  With bi-directional rotating bezel, screw-in crown(s) and 300m water resistance, this should be a pretty solid diver.  Comes on a rubber strap or brushed stainless steel bracelet.  The watch was created as a tribute to Guillaume Néry (his portrait is engraved on the caseback), and yes there is more to his story below.

Guillaume Néry:  A Freediving Star

28-year old Frenchman Guillaume Néry is a BALL Watch ambassador and is known for his feats as a freediver.  Perhaps not surprisingly, he is also an ardent advocate and supporter of the oceans and protecting the marine environment.  In 2006, he became the world record holder for “constant weight apnea” (aka freediving with a fin(s)) when he descended to an astonishing depth of 109 meters (357.6 feet).  He was subsequently bested by Austrian Herbert Nitsch and others, with Nitsch now being the current world record holder in the constant weight category.  Nitsch’s accomplishment?  123 meters – or 403.5 feet!

To a landlubber such as myself this kind of thing is totally insane!  At these levels, this sport absolutely pushes the limits of human physical capability.  To me it is almost incomprehensible how they can accomplish such depths — truly amazing.  You can judge for youself here in this BALL sponsored video of Néry’s then record-setting 109 meter freedive:

Néry Freedive to a depth of 109 meters (357.6 feet)

Originally introduced at Basel World 2009, it was officially announced on October 6th that the ‘20,000 FEET’ by CX Swiss Military Watch has indeed gone into a limited production run of 1000 pieces.   The watch certainly has created some buzz online due to its outrageous ability to withstand…Well just about everything.

The ‘20,000 FEET’ is a follow up to CX’s 2005 world record breaking offering of the ‘12,000 FEET’.  What possible reason would CX have for besting  a piece of their own design?  You guessed it — in 2008, a competitor’s watch beat the depth record that was originally held by the ‘12,000 FEET’.  Though to create a piece that was a “record breaker” was only part of their plan; they wanted to the watch to be functional, legible and once again contain a mechanical chronograph movement (COSC certified Valjoux 7750).  The technical team had to develop a tank that was capable of simulating the conditions that would equal the pressure of an 800 bar (8,000 meter) dive.  One particular area that caused a problem was finding a proper way to affix the 10mm thick (that is not a typo) sapphire crystal to the titanium case.  Prototypes for the ‘20,000 FEET’ started to appear in late 2008, and the rigorous testing soon followed.

When viewing the watch head on, it honestly doesn’t look too remarkable.  It kind of comes across as just another sports diver with a chronograph movement, lume in the right places and legibility literally written all over its dial.  It’s when the watch is viewed from the side that it really makes its statement.  Clocking in at a whopping 28.5mm thick this beast will most certainly have a presence on the wrist.  Don’t let the fact that its 46mm monster case is made from titanium fool you — the watch weighs in at a hefty 265 grams (for a point of reference a Breitling Super Avenger chronograph weighs just under 154 grams…and that’s a pretty substantial watch). I, for one, cannot wait to see a variety of photos of this thing on a wearer’s wrist.

I know what you’re thinking — it’s a gimmick, something designed to garner CX some attention and though part of me agrees with that presumption it’s obvious that CX wants this to be a functional diver.  The overall design of the watch says take me under water, deeeeeep under water.  Features include a helium valve, extra large crown, screw down pushers and large tactile bezel so all operations can be done with diver’s gloves on, and even with the pushers in the unscrewed position the watch is still rated at 300 meters.

So, did it break the record it was designed to?  Absolutely it did; on January 5th 2009 Guinness World Records certified that the ‘20,000 FEET’ was in fact the deepest diving watch that still functioned at 6,000 meters. Apparently not content with holding the dive record they started to perform other tests, just to see how tough the watch actually is.  Rather than describe what exactly was done, I think its probably better that you view it yourself:

Kinda gives the term “beater” a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?

CX Swiss Military Watch has dedicated a website strictly for the ‘20,000 FEET’ and its simple enough to remember; www.20000feet.com.  There you can find more video of the watch being put through it paces , along with more information on its development, and other technical spec goodies.  If you would like to be 1 of 1000 lucky owners of the ‘20,000 FEET’, be prepared to shell out about $4,500 USD (2,998 EUR) plus VAT.

Excited to see this today – the Oktopus Titanium black lacquer bezel – a nice new addition to Linde Werdelin’s Oktopus collection.  Well, actually there was only 1 Oktopus model prior to now (a black dialed, black DLC steel case model), so I guess now it is now “officially” a collection. Update: LW launched an all titanium model with the DLC in Basel; what is new here is the black lacquer bezel (Morten Linde felt that it made for a nicer addition to such a  masculine watch; I do not disagree). This is a cool looking watch, I like the look of the black lacquer bezel, and the fact that it is in titanium makes it even more desirable, in my opinion (in case you did not see it, I favorably video-reviewed another titanium-cased Linde Werdelin, the SpidoLite SA here).

The Oktopus is water resistant to 1,111 meters (3,333 feet) and is compatible with LW’s sports instruements – of course “The Reef” (diving instrument) is what you would want here.  If you want to indulge yourself – LW is accepting pre-order yours today - the Titanium Oktopus will set you back about $10,000, and is expected to be available from November 2009.

Here’s a couple pics, and the specs are below.

Linde Werdelin Oktopus 1,111m titanium

Limited to 88 pieces

Dial close-up

Technical Specifications

Size 46mm (w) by 49mm (l) by 14mm (h)

Movement ETA 2892-A2 elaboree 42 hour power reserve

Case Titanium gr. 5 case with microbille finish

Black lacquer bezel

Screw on stainless steel case-back

Unidirectional turning bezel with 10 minute markings 3.8mm anti-reflective sapphire crystal (backside coated)

Screw in crown with LW logo

Helium Escape Valve At 9 o’clock

Dial Black galvanic matt dial with silver print Arabic numerals rhodium plated applied indexes with Super LumiNova (C3 Blue Line)

Hands Diamond cut with applied Super LumiNova (C3 Blue Line)

Water Resistance 1111M / 3333ft

Strap Black soft rubber strap with titanium ardillon buckle

Ulysse Nardin announced today a new limited edition (100 pieces) Maxi Marine Diver – the “Monaco YS”.  That’s “YS” as in “Yacht Show” – because the brand is participating this year (for the first time) in the Monaco Yacht Show.  It’s actually a pretty cool looking watch, although I find the timing of this announcement to be a bit strange – why didn’t Ulysse Nardin just get in on the “Only Watch 2009″ charity auction held yesterday as part of the same Monaco Yacht Show festivities?  Anyway, here’s the watch:

The case is 42.7mm in diamter, in black DLC (diamond-like-carbon) treated and hardened stainless steel, with a see-through caseback so you can admire the movement. Water resistant to 200 meters.  As for the watch’s functions – it has a small power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock and a small seconds and round date window at 6 o’clock.   The partially skeletonized hour and minute hands are equipped with dark grey luminous material which glows in the dark (presumably in the normal yellow-green color of most lume).  The dial has UN’s distinctive black wave-patterned bezel, accendted with 18 ct rose gold inlay.  Interestingly, rubber strap has a black ceramic folding clasp as well as black ceramic accents which can be seen in the above photo.  Here’s the watch from a different angle:

While this watch could certainly do without the cheesy “Limited Edition” stamp on the strap, the rose gold inlays contrast nicely with the black DLC and make this overall sharp looking dive watch.

Blancpain is releasing a limited edition 500 Fathoms to commemorate its sponsorship of the Cannes International Boat & Yacht Show for 2009.  Blancpain’s ties to the maritime world are well known, and so I suppose this is a nice way for the brand to mark its fifth year of participation in the prestigious yachting event, as well as to announce the launch of its new 500 Fathoms that was announced at Baselworld earlier this year.

The limited edition 500 Fathoms has a great looking 48mm brushed titanium case that houses a Blancpain Caliber 1315.  The movement is wound by a cool looking rotor and is engraved “Cannes 2009″.

The 500 Fathoms Cannes 2009 model comes fitted with a black rubber-lined sail canvas strap, while an additional rubber strap and a dedicated tool to secure it lend the finishing touch to this set delivered in an ultra-sturdy watertight presentation box designed to withstand extreme conditions.

You can check out some scenes from the 2008 event in the photo gallery below:

(Photo Credit: Jérome Kelagopian & Mathieu Walter)

OMEGA Planet Ocean Ladies 600m Arrives

Finally an OMEGA Planet Ocean for ladies.  At 37.5mm diameter, this new OMEGA  (pictured below) is nicely proportioned  for a smaller wrist, but with all the performance attributes watch enthusiasts have come to expect from OMEGA – 600m water resistances, helium escape valve, and an OMEGA-exclusive co-axial movement (automatic Caliber 3313).  The watch is also a COSC-certified chronometer.

The only potential drawback for guys who own their own OMEGA Planet Ocean?  The next watch on your “to buy” list may very well be this one – I think this watch is sure to be a hit with your significant other!

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Advantage? You decide (leave a comment below)

Check it out – a Rolex DEEPSEA, and the new Oris ProDiver, both at work in the North Sea! I am pretty sure these are two separate occasions, or else we might have seen the clash of these 2 titans unfold before our very eyes

First, here is a video of what purports to be “The First Rolex deepsea to undergo an operational commercial saturation dive. 2000 hrs gmt 25 Nov 2008 from dive support vessel Technip Wellservicer working for British Petroleum. Working depth 125 Meters North Sea”  WARNING: aside from having a Rolex DEEPSEA in it, this movie is extremely boring. Even the footage in which the diver shows off his Rolex (I think that is an official “Rolex #1” diver’s hand signal, right?) is rather lackluster – so just watch between minutes 1:00 and 2:00 - And use your imagination people, this is the North Sea they’re in!

Next we have the new Oris Pro Diver, as worn by Oris “Ambassador” (a perfectly fitting description of this rugged looking fellow) Roman Frischknecht. In these few pictures, Roman is 200km of the north east coast of Scotland – in the 10 degree North Sea – at work as an underwater welder. You can see the massive size of the ProDiver -51mm- but it is probably surprisingly light as it is made of Titanium metal.

There is also a video by Oris – a bit more interesting than the Rolex production above, but you’ll have to visit the Oris website to view it (click here to watch).

Tale of the Tape