Page 57 - Sharp Summer 2021

The Devil You Know
The Bulova Oceanographer “Devil Diver” is a fiendishly bold summer watch
Back in the 1960s, when Jacques Cousteau revealed the romance of the underwater world and weekend warriors traded their tennis rackets for scuba tanks, watch brands everywhere got serious about building tool watches for di- vers. Bulova’s contribution was the Oceanographer Snorkel, a classic dive watch with a luminous dial, a steel bracelet, and a bezel with a countdown timer. While most underwa- ter watches of the day were rated to 600 feet, the Oceanog- rapher could dive to 666 feet. Watch nerds quickly seized on a connection to a quote in the Book of Revelation identify- ing 666 as “the number of the beast” (a.k.a. Satan), and the Devil Diver was born. Bulova has now added a non-limited version of this historic tool watch to its collection. With its vintage-style dial in traffic-cone orange, a textured rubber strap, and a robust automatic movement, the Devil Diver might be the perfect watch for summer. $895
BIG PILOT’S WATCH PERPETUAL CALENDAR
Legendary IWC watchmaker Kurt Klaus pioneered the perpetual calendar — a watch that can run for hundreds of years without needing adjustment — in the 1980s. This version is updated with a seven- day power reserve and a movement visible through the sapphire case back. $41,000
BIG PILOT’S WATCH TOP GUN EDITION “MOJAVE DESERT” The 46 mm case is crafted from ultra-hard ceramic in a dusty hue evocative of the U.S. Air Force’s desert training grounds. Like the pilot’s watches IWC made in the 1930s and 1940s, this one features a soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields. $18,500
BIG PILOT’S WATCH 43
A direct descendant
of IWC’s game-chang- ing 1940s Mark 11, this model features a new in-house movement with ceramic components and 60 hours of power reserve, and a new EasX- CHANGE strap system. A choice of black, blue, or green dials gives it an added shot of modern style. $12,000
CITIZEN’S NEW PROMASTER AQUALAND IS A LIFESAVER
With its oversized 46 mm case,
big, colourful hands, and aluminum
rotating bezel, there’s no mistaking
the new Citizen Promaster Aqualand
for anything but a serious profes-
sional dive watch. Born in 1985 as
the world’s first watch with a digital
depth gauge, the 2021 Aqualand
adds Citizen’s revolutionary solar-
powered Eco-Drive movement. This version, limited to just 1,000 pieces, also includes the Lifeline JAWZ, a titanium rescue tool made to cut rope, netting, or anything else that could tangle a diver under the water. $1,595
SUMMER 2021 SHARPMAGAZINE.COM 57