Product Code: DIV/82SS/AU/D2

These diver's watches are a modern remake of our 1980s model, specifically remade for a U.S. contractor who secured a large sale to one of their clients. The watch features a robust stainless steel case and is equipped with a high-performance automatic 24-jewel self-winding movement. Several upgrades have been made to the original design, including a shatter and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and an increased water resistance rating.

Historical and Technical Background

This model takes inspiration from the 1980 UK Ministry of Defence specification for automatic diver’s watches (DEF STAN 66-4 [Part 1] Issue 3). It retains hallmark features such as the unidirectional bezel and clearly legible dial, originally marked with tritium.

In this modern version, we’ve swapped the now-obsolete tritium for non-radioactive Luminova and replaced the original mineral glass crystal with ultra-durable sapphire. The final two images show a scan of the original MOD spec file.

Key Features and Upgrades

• Movement: High-performance automatic 24-jewel NH35A self-winding movement with a 41-hour reserve
• Crystal: Shatter and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
• Water Resistance: 300m / 1000ft
  
• Design: Sterile dial and caseback for a clean appearance
• Visibility: Uses Luminova for excellent nighttime visibility *
• Strap: Standard 20mm NATO strap, with a variety of color options available for customization (supplied with 2 NATO straps)

Specifications

• Water Resistance: 300m / 1000ft
• Crown: Screwdown locking
• Caseback: Screw caseback
• Dimensions:
  • Width: 45mm including the crown, 40mm excluding the crown
  • Thickness: 15mm
  • Crystal Diameter: 31mm
  • Lug to Lug: 49mm
• Weight: 89.5g
• Movement: 24-jewel NH35A with a 41-hour reserve
• Strap: 20mm NATO webbing strap (includes 2 NATO straps)
• Packaging: Giftbox included

Benefits of Sapphire Crystal

Many customers ask about the benefits of sapphire crystal over standard mineral crystal. Synthetic sapphire is extremely strong, shatter-resistant, and scratch-resistant, making it ideal for military and security personnel, police officers, and active outdoor enthusiasts. These groups account for over 70% of our customer base.

Our observations show that over 90% of incidents involving cracked watch crystals occur with mineral glass. Even hardened mineral crystals do not match the durability of sapphire. Sapphire crystals are strengthened through a heat treatment process that removes internal stresses and are then coated with two layers of anti-reflective coating. While sapphire crystals are more expensive, they offer superior longevity, resilience, and performance, justifying their use in higher-end watches.

These models represent excellent value and are competitively priced for such a high-performance automatic watch. This watch combines the historical design and functional integrity of its predecessors with modern upgrades to meet the needs of today's professionals and enthusiasts.

* While the original watches used tritium, these new versions use Luminova, with the encircled "T" retained for historical accuracy.