XICORR Circle 'Garda' DIVER

By TLex Established in 2011, Xicorr is a new Polish watch company focusing on affordable mechanical watches. Their first sports model, the Xicorr Circle is characterized by its 42mm round brushed Stainless steel case with its 12 recessed bezel screws. Its lugs continue with the round theme, they are also downwardly curving.

The Circle has a very attractive minimalist aesthetic. Its dial in particular is clean and simple. It features Xicorr's signature circular hour markers and hour hand, working in combination with a rounded baton shaped minute hand and sweep second hand, again with a circular pointer.

The basic Xicorr Circle is not a dive watch. It has just 150m of water-resistance. However a new partnership with Polish technical diver, Darek Wilamowski, who has over 20 years of diving experience will see Xicorr produce a special Limited Edition Circle watch with an increased water-resistance and (possibly) a Helium escape valve, too.

The XICORR Circle 'Garda' LE will have 300 meters of water-resistance, which will be displayed on its dial (above the ‘automatic’ text) and its caseback along with an outline of the Italian lake from which the watch takes its name. Darek plans to smash the world record by diving down to 300meters beneath Lake Garda. He will be equipped with a Xicorr Circle, which he has been dive testing.

Diving is one Darek's passions in life, the other is watches. When he heard about Xicorr and their watches he really liked what he saw so arranged a meeting with them. The first meeting was very interesting for both parties. Darek had a chance to see the Circle watches in person and Xicorr found out about their fellow countryman's diving accomplishments, which include some extraordinarily deep dives:

Lake Garda, 2009 - 216m

Lake Garda, 2019 - 245m - Polish record

Lake Garda, 2010 - 211m

Lake Garda, 2011 - 264m - Polish record + world record for the deepest lake dive

Dahab, Egypt, 2011 - 200m

Dahab, Egypt, 2011 - 220m

In 2013 Xicorr plan to release what they describe as a 'real' diver. The watch which is still in the design phase has been designed under the guidance of Darek. Its case will measure 52mm diameter and will be water-resistant to 1000 meters. It will also feature Xicorr's 12 signature bezel screws.

For further details of Xicorr follow their logo below and as always stay tuned for more soon . . .

EXTático Regulador PROJECT

By TLex Here are a couple more sketches of the EXTático Regulador PROJECT . . .

KAVENTSMANN Abyssos

By TLex The latest deep diver project from Kanventsmann, the Abyssos. Its bronze case is sandwiched between a steel bezel and caseback, each secured by 11 screws. The Abyssos has been tested to 400bar, the equivalent of 4000 meters of water-resistance . . .

VintageVDB CUSHION

By TLex VintageVDB release the new VDB Cushion. As its name suggests the watch case takes on the form of a classic cushion. Its highly polished steel case measures 48mm.

It is fitted with a divers bezel with coin-edging, a 5min click-cycle. The bezel is sports an degraded ornage luminous 12hr marker and 4 white markers from 5-20.

Its dial is in brushed Tantalum it features degraded orange luminous markers and indexes and benz handset to compliment its vintage Rolex 1065 Cal.

Further features include: an oversized VDB signed winding crown and higly domed crystal. It is fitted on a handmade custom leather strap with VintageVDB buckle.

Another spectacular outing from VintageVDB! Please also check out the new VintageVDB CUSTOM Made plus the VDB 2013 PROTOTYPE . . .

Jorn Werdelin onDIVING

By TLex Jorn Werdelin talks about his personal experiences as a diver; whilst he remains somewhat philosophical about diving, Jorn is always equipped with his hi-tech diving instrument, the REEF itself attached to an LW timepiece such as the Oktopus MOONPHASE or new Oktopus II DOUBLE DATE (bottom).

By Jorn Best enjoyed in the summer and in warm waters near the equator diving is an activity that I find immensely pleasurable. Filled with adventure and the beautiful aesthetics of the deep sea, probably one nature's most fascinating of extremes.

When I immerse myself in a dive, it allows me to leave the world behind and just focus or enjoy the moment, and when I come up I feel incredibly satisfied.

Unlike many other sports, diving for me is a personal challenge that involves no competitive element against other people. I take the most pleasure when I am with others but it is always a very personal experience.

Diving is a very sociable sport, it is most fun when it is surrounded by other holiday activities such as lunch, dinner, a great location, hotel and being with friends or family. Enabling ourselves to create and pursue these great moments in life is what gives meaning to Linde Werdelin . . .

RICHARD MILLE RM 028 Brown PVD

By TLex Don't adjust your screens, it's meant to look like that! New for Summer 2012, Richard Mille release a new diver's watch, the RM 028 Brown PVD, a new version of their famous RM 028 diver, which saw a release in 2010. 

Since then the RM 028 has seen more colors than the inside of a bag of skittles, but this one with its Brown PVD finish and Orange detailing wins the price for having the most audacious color scheme or that which most resembles some kind of confectionery.

The RM 028 Brown PVD, which will be available from Richard Mille retailers and boutiques this Summer has the same technical characteristics as its RM 028 siblings: the DUBAIL, AMERICAS, ST. TROPEZ, BRAZIL & MEXICO, ST. BARTH and B.O.C. 

Also see the new RM 032 DARK DIVER.

H2O Orca SERIES on BRACELET

By TLex The new H2O Orca Series is transformed by H2O's own-design 24mm solid link 316L brushed steel bracelet.

The bracelet features a very nice clasp with a push-button divers extension for fitting over a wet-suit. On the underside of the clasp and on the extension itself H2O have had some lovely perlage decoration added.

Further features include: micro-adjustment, half links and 3 different fixed positions of the clasp for fixed adjustment. The bracelet links utilize hex-screws.

One really cool and rather unique feature of the bracelet is that it is reversible. The links have a rounded finish on one side and a angular finish on the other side, so you can chose the side you feel best suits each of the Orca cases. How cool is that?!

The bracelet isn't offender with the Orca, but is available to order separately for 150USD. A hardened version will also be available for 180USD.

ORCA WR TEST The H2O Orca has just recently been tested in Germany to 200bar, the equivalent of 2000 meters. No mean feat, when you consider that the Orca not only has a Sapphire crystal exhibition caseback, but that it measures just 13.50mm thick!

CITIZEN Scuba Fin DIVER

By TLex No prizes for guessing where Citizen drew inspiration from for their latest diver! The new CITIZEN 'Scuba Fin' Eco-Drive DIVER features a 45mm x 12mm thick black ion plated solid Stainless steel case.

The case is fitted with a unidirectional rotational divers bezel, screw-down crown and scratch resistant mineral crystal. It has a water-resistance of 200 meters.

It is powered by Citizen's reliable Japanese made Eco-Drive Quartz caliber, itself fueled only by light, so it will never need a battery change! The Scuba Fin sports a shiny honey-comb pattern dial with luminous hands and hour markers.

There's a date display at the 3 o'clock. The dial is offered in black, grey or silver (model depending) with a contrasting black, blue, green, orange or white 15 minute scale.

The Scuba Fin is equipped with a 26mm wide black Polyurethane rubber divers strap with a steel buckle clasp. It has 5 year manufacturer warranty. MSRP is around 300USD.

EXTático Regulador PROJECT

By TLex Whilst the design of EXTático's new 'Regulador' Project in many ways recalls that of the forthcoming EXTático DIVER and ROJO Diver it takes its basic design concept from a scuba divers' regulator, hence the name 'Regulador', Spanish for regulator.

Extático are a brand that are inspired by industrial conceptual-ism. They have sketched several shapes for their concept watches, which are based upon industrial objects shapes such as diving apparatus and the like.

Technical specifications of the Regulador Project are based on the EXTático Diver, so expect a 316L Stainless steel constructed case with a water-resistance of 400 meters housing an ETA 2824 automatic caliber. The watch will be presented on a custom RUBBER divers strap.

EXTático's idea is to produce the watch (seen here) with its blue bezel insert plus another color typically used on a divers' regulator such as yellow, red or orange.