It is my firm conviction that each watch collection must have at least one classic diving watch. I am not just talking about a timepiece with a 100 meter or more water resistance, I am talking about that look, with the three link metal bracelet, rotating bezel, and large and bright hour indicator dial. In other words, a Rolex Submariner ‘homage’ watch. It is ok, there are few watches that deserve such an homage, the classic Rolex diving watch is one of them. Otherwise, if you don’t have a watch of this ilk in your possession, you aren’t only going to feel left out, but you’ll be missing out on a phenomenon of watch ownership where one style of watch, really seems to fit perfectly in every occasion and for all purposes.

To satisfy that end, you have literally hundreds of options, within a range of style, quality, and function. On the low end are $50 Casio watches that to an extent give you a taste of the look. On the high end are fine watch makers like Blancpain who can put even Rolex’s high prices to shame. Then there are those excellent sub $1000 choices of which there are many, and today I present you with yet another option from the likes of German watch powerhouses of Marcello C., Stowa, Limes, and now Nivrel.

Nivrel watches have a good deal of merits, but I will save such praise for another time, my focus now is on the “Sea” series of diving watches. Of which are the Red Sea, South Sea, and Deep Sea; which accordingly have red, yellow, and blue trim. By this I mean that the tips of the hands are specially colored along with the model name, and the first fifteen minutes on the rotating bezel scale. The Nivrel Red Sea and South Sea watches only differ in color, while the Nivrel Deep Sea has a deeper depth rating of 1000 meters rather than 300 meters for the other two. Inside each of the watch you will find a familiar ETA 2824-2 automatic Swiss movement, and a look enhanced by a half century of refinement.

Other than the color modifications, the rest of the watch is a rather strict adaptation of the Submariner style of diving instrument. Which is not bad thing. Other makers refine the look to best represent their individual brands, while Nivrel took the approach of adding a dash of color. What is interesting is that other watches in the Nivrel line up are totally unique to the brand, so it must say something about the classic diving watch look that encouraged Nivrel to make such a “faithful” adaptation.

At 42mm in width, and retaining all the other standard measurements, this is a great watch to enhance any collection, whether you have and classic diving watches or not. Years of proven utility and quality have made watch such as this a essential for any watch lover. Prices are very fair for what you get at between $650-$1000 depending on the source. Some of these watches are still in production, while others are not. So you are bound to find a great example.

See Nivrel watches on eBay here.

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