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Top 6 Vintage Inspired Diving Watches
Diving watches have long been among the most popular category of watches. It is known to withstand a lot, to be versatile and it has its distinctive look that cannot be mistaken for any other watch. Here we take a closer look at seven epic diving watches that have taken their inspiration from vintage models!
Longines Legend Diver
The Longines Legend Diver or LLD as it is known in watch circles and among watch collectors, made a return to the Longines range in 2007 but has its origins in the late 1950s. The vintage model of the Legend Diver is so famous that it is one of Longines' most sought-after models today, and we are delighted that Longines also offers essentially the same watch but in a new modern version here.
The new models are close the the originals and are 42mm in size with 300m water resistance just like the originals had. Of course, they also have the recognizable internal rotating diving ring that not many diving watches have. To rotate the diving ring, a crown is used instead of a traditional diving ring on the outside.
The Longines Legend Diver is available with a black dial as well as with overtone dials in blue, grey, red, and beige. If you prefer a smaller watch, Longines has also created a 36 mm version with a white mother-of-pearl dial, black dial, and overtone dials in blue and burgundy.
Rado Captain Cook
Rado's extensive Captain Cook diving collection is named after the famous British explorer, 'Captain James Cook' and was first released in 1962 in 37mm size. In 2017, the collection came back in the form of a limited watch in the same size and now after a few years, the collection has grown to over thirty models mainly 42 and 43 mm which is an impressive amount of models and variations.
In 43 mm, you can choose between a steel or bronze case and you can also choose to get a chronograph. Some of the 43 mm models are also made in Rado's innovative High-Tech ceramics.
Our favorite watches from the Captain Cook collection are in the 42 mm size, where the balance between size, shape, and function is perfect! You get 200 meters of water resistance (300 meters in a few of them), and a large variety of models are offered in either steel, bronze, or two-tone PVD. The dials also come in many variations, including black, blue, and burgundy dials.
Mido Ocean Star
The diving watch and the Ocean Star collection come from the Swiss brand Mido, which is a well-established watch brand. The company is today owned by The Swatch Group, which they have in common with, among others, the watch giants Omega and Longines. It is also a watch brand with a long history of creating waterproof watches, and as early as the 1930s, Mido was called the 'king of waterproof'.
In the 1940s, the first models that would become the 'Ocean Star' were developed and officially released as a diving watch in the 1960s. Mido Ocean Star comes in many different variations today, which makes it easy to find a model that suits you! Most have a case made of steel, but you can also find the materials bronze and titanium in the collection, which are suitable materials for a diver's watch!
The Mido Ocean Star collection is a versatile collection where the diving watches are often combined with other functions such as chronographs, chronometer-certified models, and even a few that have a GMT function. The Mido Ocean Star comes in sizes 40 mm and up to 44 mm, where the most important differentiator is the water resistance, which is usually higher in the larger models (up to 600 meters).
Oris Divers 65
The Oris Divers 65 is, as the name suggests, a diver's watch that came into existence in 1965. At that time, it was created in the size of 36 mm, which is still an existing model in the collection. However, the most popular Divers 65 watches in the collection come in 38mm or 40mm sizes, which are two excellent sizes for every man's wrist.
Most models have a steel case, but some also come in bronze. The well-known 'Cotton Candy' models, which are characterized by colorful dials, have a bronze case where a beautiful bronze link can also be purchased. Oris Divers 65 is a collection that has a distinct design, as all Oris collections have. It has a domed sapphire crystal which, together with the beautiful dial with visible index markings, gives a lovely vintage feel.
The watch is waterproof up to 100 meters, which technically does not count as a diver's watch, but since the model has a screw-down crown, it is still a durable watch created by Oris. If it is the inside that is most important to you, two of the models also have the in-house movement 'Caliber 400', which has an impressive power reserve of five days.
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf
The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf is one of the world's premier diving watches if you look at its history with a series of impressive innovations! Today's model originates from the original model that came out in 1953, which was the same year that the company Blancpain created the world's first diver's watch: the Fifty Fathoms. The Zodiac thus came before the Rolex Submariner, which first came on the market a year later.
The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf was also the world's first diving watch to have a diving ring, which is now standard on all diving watches.
The 40mm size is a perfect size for a vintage-inspired diver's watch. Most models have a water resistance of 200 meters and have either a black dial or a variety of other colorful colors that Zodiac is known for using.
DOXA Army
DOXA Army is a small collection from the company which is one of the world's leading companies that only produces diver's watches. The Army collection contains two models that only differ in the material of the diver's ring, where one is made of steel and the other is made of bronze. Both models also have a ceramic insert on the ring and can be found with a steel link or rubber band.
The watch's case is easily recognizable from DOXA's other SUB models, which have a rich history. They first came out in the 1960s and were the first category of diver's watches to have a helium release valve. Between 1968 and 1975 came the Sub 300 T model that met the stringent requirements of the Swiss army when they were looking for a suitable watch for the country's elite force. After a period of collaboration, they chose to also develop a watch together, which is now celebrated with the model DOXA Army.
On both models in the collection, the dial has a sand beige color that is unlike anything else on the market and which, together with the strong super luminova on the hands, creates a feeling of vintage. The watch is not as thick as other diving watches as the case is under 12 mm. This makes the DOXA Army a versatile watch and since there are no direct lugs, it is worn much smaller than the size of 42.5 mm suggests.
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