signature103

The 2019 Orient Star Diver is an homage to the 1953 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. The Orient Star has given their model a clean easy-to-read look with the pill capsule shaped indices and handset. The choice of text colour helps hide three of four lines of text. Orient also added a power reserve indicator, all of these features are useful in making the time highly legible.

The Fifty Fathoms was the first watch to feature a unidirectional timing bezel (patented by Blancpain) and an automatic movement (without the need to wind the watch while diving). These two features alone make the Fifty Fathoms (300ft water resistant) an outstanding watch.

I got myself a ISO certified dive watch this week. I now understand why they are so popular. There are, I believe, three main reasons.

Tough
Firstly, dive watches are tough. They are built to take knocks in conditions where hard things like dive tanks and rocks are a constant threat. While most well made watches are tough enough these days, a dive watch is still designed against accidental contact in the real world.

Readability
Secondly, dive watches are designed to be highly legible in the toughest of conditions, murky waters are again a constant threat for diving. That being the case they are designed to be easily read.

Quietness
Lastly, dive watches are quiet. The side benefit of waterproof casing is that it means no water gets in and so little sound gets out as well. I remember the shock I had when I tried a Swatch Sistem 51. The all plastic automatic watch and movement could be heard without bringing the watch close to my ears. Watches with less waterproofing will generally mean mechanical noise will escape from the watch as well.

These are things that every watch should be regardless of being a diver’s watch or not.

A famous fashion brand once made a commercial talking about its philosophy. It goes like this: their creations have to be simple, useful, beautiful, dependable, and durable.

To be simple is to have no more components or features than is necessary. To be useful is to serve the purpose that it was created for. To be beautiful is to balance simplicity with functionality. To be dependable is to function as intended. To be durable is to function as intended over time.

These are not bad concepts to hold at all.

Men have fewer options compared to women for accessories, let alone jewelry. The watch is perhaps the one accessory that a man can express his fashion sense and tastes.

The choice of buying a watch for the moment versus buying a watch to last a lifetime shows a man’s values and qualities. A well chosen watch shows thought and conviction. It is a statement, an expression of the man.

A watch should standalone as a little piece of art but should match the wearer’s personality and lifestyle. How a man maintains a watch reflects upon how he maintains himself.