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My name is Nick Black, and I’m the founder of PROTOS; the realization of my obsession with creating the ‘perfect’ automatic dive watch. Originally from Scotland, I’ve been an avid watch collector (read: geek) for years. During a decade living and working in Asia I added scuba diving to my list of hobbies. I moved to Dubai in 2014 in order to further my training and experience in diving, while pursuing my dream: creating the ‘ideal’ dive watch.
In every field there are iconic designs that pervade the boundary of their category, and can influence popular culture for generations. In the car world the Porsche 911 is an obvious example. In furniture design, we might pick the Eames lounge chair. In men’s fashion, perhaps the Burberry trench coat. In the world of watches there are several key examples, from the Cartier Tank and the AP Royal Oak, right through to the Casio G-SHOCK. For me, however, the absolute benchmark in iconic watch design always goes back to the original Rolex Submariners of the 1950’s. This style was perfected (in my humble opinion) with the 5510 reference from 1959, with its Big Crown, 37mm case, red triangle bezel, and gilt dial markings.
It was during the quest to source myself a perfect example of this watch that I decided to challenge myself beyond merely satisfying an itch on my wrist, and instead embark on a mission to create a modern and affordable interpretation of an icon.
The reality was I could neither find (nor it transpired, afford), my grail watch in anything approaching good condition. What further frustrated me was the additional test of finding a contemporary timepiece that emulated the very best design aspects of the original watch reference I was pursuing.
I should qualify this with the disclaimer that there is by no means a lack of high quality, well executed micro-brands out there. Many fantastic new watch brands are consistently delivering excellent watches in appealing designs. That said, I found the market trends towards larger case sizes (almost always 42mm or above), and modern dial variations (the wrong hands!… not those dial markings!), to be glitches that my Watch Idiot Savant brain had difficulty overcoming.
At the same time this problem was tumbling around in my mind, I was working and living in Shanghai, and it dawned on me that the solution was right in front of me. In watch-geek terms it was kind of a calling. With my vision complete the stage was set. I would design and build the ‘perfect’ dive watch – and nail those aspects of the iconic Rolex reference, using the very best of modern materials. And importantly, I would keep it under the sweet spot price of $500. This was supposed to be fun after all!
I set out to produce a modern, solidly built automatic dive watch that looks the way it should. A perfectly sized 40mm case, rated water-resistant to 300m that you can actually use for diving, be it the stormy North Sea off the coast of Scotland, the sunny Maldives, or even your desk at work. A dive watch with a movement that you can set and forget, and don’t need to worry about. A grail watch we can all afford. The PROTOS Automatic Dive Watch was born from this obsession and creating it has been my passion project since 2013. This journey has taken me across 3 continents and I’ve planned, sketched, perfected and now produced the final watch.
After locking down the design elements (right down to the length of the Mercedes hands and the Pantone paint mix used to create the gilt patina effect), quality became my next preoccupation. Many renowned watch companies (with pricing into the several thousands), still use materials that are frankly defunct and should be relegated to the history of watchmaking – aluminum bezels are a case in point. Often this is in order to preserve their differentiated product lines and avoid cannibalizing their own brand sales. For me it was all about the best available parts: ceramic bezels, domed sapphire crystals, top grade 316L stainless steel. Swiss lume, maxi hands with metal surrounds, and big crowns! Crucially, though the watch had an old soul, it obviously had to have a young heart! Something reliable that required little or no maintenance. Rolex aside and reality check in place, I have always loved and admired Seiko divers. For me they consistently tick so many boxes – solidly made, robust automatic movement, timeless designs. I decided on the Seiko caliber NH35a movement for PROTOS as an unseen tribute to what has been my daily watch brand of choice over the years.
The germination of an idea has grown into an independent watch brand. With a focus on using modern materials to interpret classic iconic designs from the 1950’s and onwards, PROTOS aims to produce the best quality dive watches in its price bracket.
Making It Happen
Back in 2013 my research initially began as a hobby. During the discovery process I became engrossed, deconstructing how the watch industry operates. Why brand mark ups were so high when 3rd party movements were being used, how a handful of key factories made watches for multiple brands, the truly international nature of the watch supply chain. Exploring where individual components actually came from, I focused on sourcing the most modern spec materials and was determined to get the details right. By stripping away layers of the supply chain and working direct with the source, coupled with adopting a direct to consumer sales model, I was also able to reduce the recommended retail price (RRP) of the watch and pass savings onto the consumer without sacrificing quality standards.
The journey hasn’t been easy. Working with factories in Asia is a frustrating, time consuming, sometimes disheartening and often fruitless experience. One of the reasons for the length of time it has taken me to bring the finished watch to market, is the need to repeat the same product design and manufacturing cycle with multiple suppliers, until the right partner can deliver exactly the right product. Adding a language barrier (I speak intermediate Mandarin, and zero Japanese), to the fact that a lot of follow up is conducted long distance via email or phone, you soon develop a Zen Masters patience.
My first ever prototype back in 2014 followed months of design tweaks and manufacturing delays by a factory, only for me to receive a mediocre watch with “PPOTOS” on the dial! Needless to say I learned from the experience and did more groundwork. At times, I had to put the project on hold entirely for long periods, like when I relocated from China to Dubai, got married, changed companies, trying and dropping suppliers on the way. These were the unanticipated challenges of trying to build a micro-brand from scratch.
Fortunately my persistence paid off. The result is I now have full confidence in PROTOS, having partnered with proven, reliable manufacturers experienced in watchmaking in China, Hong Kong and Japan. Each was selected following 3 years of research and the aforementioned tough trial and error periods, only becoming a partner after meeting strict prototype criteria, multiple sample delivery, and quality control for every single watch produced (we test every watch, some companies only test a sample percentage of what is produced).
Not all factories are created equal! My partners all operate under exacting internationally accepted QC guidelines as they primarily export to EU and US markets. This is reflected in the 12 months warranty I provide with every watch.
Ultimately, a $500 micro-brand dive watch does not compete directly with a $5000 watch from a luxury brand. PROTOS is not COSC certified, your friends haven’t heard of it and you can’t visit your local AD and try it on before you buy. But then, this is not a watch to boost your social status from a brand perspective. Instead, it will make you feel great. And you don’t need to be precious with it. This is a tool watch you can wear with confidence. It is solidly made. It looks the business. There is a tangible quality to the overall timepiece here that enables it to compete with watches twice or even 3 times the price. It looks high end and feels expensive.
Having set out to make my own grail watch, I feel like this is only the beginning. What I can conclude having taken this first step, is that I am genuinely satisfied with the result. I’ve been wearing the PROTOS for 6 weeks now and I love it. It gets more wrist time than my 114060 Submariner, and gets just as many looks. The bezel glints and the crystal is flawless. The clicks on the bezel feel awesome. And that lume! Check out the lume pic in this article, it is incredible. My personal favorite touch is probably the most polarizing for watch lovers: the gilt patina re-created on the dial and hands. To me, this is what makes the watch stand out from the crowd, and I can’t stop glancing at my wrist. Surely that is the true test!
What’s Next?
With the final prototype complete and having passed all design and performance requirements, I am now raising funds via Indiegogo to begin the first round of manufacturing. The funds raised by the campaign will be used to purchase raw materials for the cases and bracelets, the crystals, watch parts and the watch movements. We can then finally begin manufacturing the first full production run of watches and meet minimum quantity requirements. Any additional funds will be used to produce more watches. If the funding goal is met on deadline we will start shipping watches in early December.
This is where you guys come in. As much as a platform to tell my story to like-minded watch enthusiasts, I am also using this forum as a call to action! If you share my passion for vintage dive watches, this is a chance to support a new generation of watches that salute the icons. Built to modern standards and designed to be worn every day. I am determined to make the best watch possible in its class, for all of us to enjoy.
Check out the specs below for more details on the watch so you can decide for yourself. For an in-depth look at the specs please hit the Indiegogo link below.
SPECIFICATIONS
- CASE SIZE: 40mm Diameter, 15.4mm Height (including case back and crystal), 20mm Lug Width, 47mm Lug-to-Lug
- CASE MATERIAL: 316L Marine Grade Stainless Steel, Matte Brushed with Polished Sides, Solid Steel Case Back
- DIAL: Matte Black, Applied Maxi Hour Markers, Yellow Metal Surrounds, Hand Applied Lume
- HANDS: Maxi Mercedes Hands, Yellow Metal Surrounds, Hand Applied Lume
- CRYSTAL: Domed Sapphire, AR Coating on Inside
- CROWN: 8mm Big Crown with Embossed Logo
- BEZEL: Black Gloss Ceramic with Red Triangle and Lume Pip at 12, Indented White Indices, Uni-Directional 120 Clicks
- LUME: Swiss C3 SuperLuminova on Hands and Hour Markings and Bezel Pip
- WATER RESISTANCE: Tested to 1000 ft / 300 Meters / 30 Atmospheres
- MOVEMENT: NH35a Japanese Movement by Seiko
- BRACELET: 316L Stainless Steel Oyster Style (20mm tapered to 16mm), Matte Brushed Finish, Polished Solid End Links, Double Locking Safety Clasp with Debossed Logo
Wrist shots on Instagram: @protoswatches
You can pledge your support by backing Protos on Indiegogo, and Early Birds get the watch on their wrist for US$390 including worldwide shipping. (RRP after that is US$490). protos.watch
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