By Jovan Krstevski
How silly of me to muse over this out-of-this-world looking wristwatch from CLERC Genève but the absolutely stunning engineering simply fascinates me. We all have different design and usage standards, but for the professional divers, of which I’m not, the new Hydroscaph GMT Power-Reserve Chronometer promises new depths and new heights to the horological leaps. Albeit, I assume that you’re not the office bound hippie or perhaps a social genie because this stunning machine looks like it’s ready for eardrum breaking pressure levels so make it worth the pay and don some diving gears to test its claims.
Let’s go ahead and examine this sophisticated piece of technology from top to bottom. It’s not only for divers you know, anybody who can afford it can feel extremely proud wearing it. Trust me, you won’t be bored reading my rumblings especially if you’re planning to get one on your very wrist right now.
The 43.8mm case with lateral reinforcements comes in 3 choices, steel and 18K red gold and black DLC-coated steel.; note that these are very high density steel capable of withstanding up to 800m of water pressure. At such depth, a regular diver’s watch quickly implodes. Other tests also prove that the watch is also capable of surviving damages from shocks, magnetism, and water-tightness in deep waters. What’s more stunning is that if you leave it outside your underwater camp per se, it can manage to do away against seawater corrosion; one tough diver’s watch indeed. The crown has a sophisticated connection with the bezel, meaning that you basically need to deploy the retractable flap built in to the crown to pivot the bezel to a desired position. I also like the automatic helium release valve and the iconic rotating bezel which adds more protection.
The dial is quite lovely to look at even with overly technical specs. It comes in white, brown, black and midnight blue which is rather the signature colors of a diver’s watch. Once you’re down there, everything becomes hazy and these choice of colors aids readability. The black Central hours, minutes and seconds hands and the Date aperture at the 3 o’clock position look neat too. The special feature of the watch is the new power-reserve indicator at 12 o’clock. You can find the dual-time display dial at the 6 o’clock position. A durable and glare-proofed sapphire crystal protects the display from both front and back sides.
The new Hydroscaph GMT Power-Reserve Chronometer draws power from the in-house mechanical self-winding movement Clerc Calibre C610 which have been certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) for its remarkable precision and reliability. It’s armed with a 42 hour power reserve which is perfect for long intercontinental travels considering that the movement also powers the dual time at the 6 o’clock. The lovely and exclusive movement with 31 jewels can also be viewed from the dual-porthole exhibition case-back which is simply stunning to observe.
Of course, what better secures the watch, than an vulcanised rubber or alligator-finish rubber with folding clasp. It doesn’t only feature an incredible grip and stability, it also adds sophistication for the wearer. For more info, please visit clercwatches.com
Jovan Krstevski – Founder, Proprietor & Executive Editor
Watch collector, aficionado and an Event profile in the Swedish nightlife. He launched Watchgeek back in 2011, which is now known as WristReview and is one of the most widely read watch blogs on the Web. He quotes ’WristReview is a site to help people find, explore, discover and enjoy wristwatches.’ His passion for horology jump started in his early teens, when he was given his first mid-range wristwatch which was an Omega Seamaster. Since then he has always been in love with wristwatches! Besides WristReview, he also writes for a number of publications. P.S. He is also a huge fan of The Man of Steel/Superman. Read his articles here.
