SKU Code: SM/SUB/B/RL

We have found that an increasing number of customers need to track time in two separate time zones easily and without additional hands or complications. Historically, the solution was to buy a dedicated GMT watch, but this isn't necessary for most people because there's a much simpler and more user-friendly solution.

The majority of dive watches have what's termed a "count-up" bezel, designed specifically for diving applications. While we supply many organizations and individuals with dive watches, demand has greatly increased over the last two or three years for a 12-hour bezel rather than the standard diver's "count-up" pattern. The reason is that many divers today use a dive computer alongside a standard diver's watch—often on different wrists. Historically, the purpose of the rotating bezel was to alert divers when their air supply was running low.

Because most divers' tanks run out of air in about 60 minutes, rotating "count-up" bezels are split into 60 markers, each representing one minute. Since the dive computer renders this function superfluous, it makes sense to increase the watch's flexibility by changing the bezel pattern to fulfill another function while still retaining the 300 m / 1000 ft water resistance rating and traditional diver's watch appearance.

The 12-hour bezel design is incredibly simple to use. Unlike dedicated GMT watches that have an additional hand, with these watches you just offset the bezel by the required number of hours, and you're good to go. For example, Miami is 6 hours behind Paris and most other Western European cities. This means if you're in Paris or Berlin and it's 3 pm (15:00), and you want to know at a glance what time it is back in Florida, you would turn the bezel until 9 o'clock (09:00) appears alongside the 3-hour marker. Now, the hours in Florida correspond to the hours in Western Europe, and that's all there is to it—frankly, it couldn't be easier.

This particular watch is based on a 1960s military specification for diver's watches, but in addition to the feature outlined above, it has some subtle upgrades such as a sapphire crystal and an automatic self-winding movement. The watch is housed in robust stainless steel and can be hand-wound if required. The movement also has a hacking function for synchronization and represents exceptional value for such a high-specification timepiece.

Although the watch uses Luminova instead of the Tritium used in the 1960s, it has an encircled "T" rather than the "L" normally used for Luminova on military watches. This is for historical reasons. Luminova, unlike Tritium, does not deteriorate with age and is not radioactive. On this particular variant, the paint color mimics the appearance of aged Tritium paint.

This watch measures 39 mm in diameter and is fitted with a black NATO strap.

Dimensions and Specifications:

• Water Resistance: 300 m / 1000 ft
• Movement: Automatic 24 Jewel NH35A
• Crown: Screw-down locking crown
• Caseback: Screw caseback
• Crystal: Sapphire crystal*
• Width: 39 mm
• Thickness: 14.4 mm
• Lug to Lug: 47.5 mm
• Weight: 88 g
• Luminous Paint: Luminova paint
• Strap: 20 mm black NATO webbing strap

* Many people ask us: What are the benefits of sapphire crystal over a standard mineral crystal? The answer is that synthetic sapphire is by far the best material for watch crystals because it is very strong and both shatter and scratch resistant. These characteristics make it highly appealing to military and security personnel, police officers, and people who lead active outdoor lifestyles—groups that account for over 70% of our customers. To put things into perspective, we find that when clients have accidents resulting in a cracked crystal, over 90% involve watches with mineral glass crystals. Even though we use hardened mineral crystals, they still don't come close to sapphire for durability under adverse conditions. Sapphire crystals are so strong because after the sapphire glass is manufactured, it's heat-treated to remove internal stresses—which can cause weakness. It's then crafted into watch crystals, and two layers of anti-reflective coating are applied. Interestingly, sapphire crystal is now used on some smartphone components, such as camera lenses. Of course, sapphire crystal comes at a price; hence, it's typically fitted to higher-end watches.