View the Rolex Sea-Dweller photo gallery.

Without a doubt, the Rolex Sea-Dweller is one of my favorite watches of all time. It represents everything I look for in a watch of this sort: simplicity, quality, functionality, and stark beauty.

The Sea-Dweller is one of the less common Rolex sport models. While the Submariner is produced in several combinations of materials and colors, there is only one Sea-Dweller. It is only available in all stainless steel, and only with a black dial and black bezel. Rolex designed the Sea-Dweller purely as a dive tool — not a fashion accessory.

Features of the Rolex Sea-Dweller:

• Guaranteed waterproof to 1,200 meters, or 4,000 feet (that's significantly higher than the 1,000 foot rating of the Submariner).
• 40mm stainless steel case which sits 14.5mm high.
• Ultra-thick synthetic sapphire crystal.
• Unidirectional rotating bezel with a corrosion resistant anodized aluminum insert.
• No date magnifier. I don't mind the "cyclops" on my Explorer II, but I prefer the cleaner look of the Sea-Dweller.
• Helium escape valve. Developed in cooperation with the French industrial diving company, Comex, the helium escape valve allows helium molecules to safely escape without popping the crystal off the watch during decompression (I told you this is a hardcore dive tool).
• Dive extension. The dive extension on the Sea-Dweller is actually nothing to write home about, but it's sufficient. This is one of the biggest improvements of the new Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA.
• Triplock screwdown crown. The Triplock system uses an additional rubber gasket (clearly visible when the crown is unscrewed) beyond the Twinlock system used on many other Rolex sport models like the old GMT Master II and the Explorer II. The crown threads beautifully, and feels incredibly robust and secure.
• Quick-change and quick-set date. Quick-change means that the date changes over to the next day instantly almost exactly at midnight (as opposed to changing gradually over the course of several minutes before and after midnight). Quick-set means that you can set the date while the crown is pulled out to the second position rather than having to change the time in order to change the date.

Some other interesting facts about the Rolex Sea-Dweller, and Rolex in general:

View the Immersion Prowler photo gallery.

Up for review today is a dive computer wristwatch from a lesser known Italian company: The Immersion Prowler. It's a digital data logger, dive computer, and full-featured watch, all in a 200m (660ft) water-resistant housing.

Let's start with the feature list:

• Stainless steel case with rubber side guards.
• Integrated rubber strap with machined buckle and clever strap retainer. It's also long enough to easily go over a 1cm wetsuit.
• Swiss-made depth sensor.
• Dive mode which starts automatically by the pressure sensor on the left side (more on this below). In dive mode, it logs the min and max depths for each dive.
• Always-visible temperature sensor, in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
• Film supertwist nematic LCD. These are the ones with a brilliant green hue from certain angles which makes it very readable.
• Electroluminescent backlight for the entire display.
• Battery life indicator. Around the outside of the dial from about 5:30 to 9:30, there is a 11-bar battery "gas gauge" that shows remaining battery life. In a safety-critical item like a dive computer, this is a great feature.
• In dive mode, the backlight comes on automatically when you tilt your wrist, as do many Casio G-shock watches. Nice touch.
• The dive log records a total of 50 dives, with log date & time, max depth, min depth, and temperature at each recorded data point.
• Sleep mode. You can have the display turn itself off after a configurable interval, to be instantly activated on any button press. Also an excellent idea, especially for a watch that you may only break out a few times a year.
• Fast ascent warning. An alarm warns you that you are surfacing too rapidly and are risking the bends.

There is also a full complement of digital watch features:

In January, we told you about the Nike Amp+ iPod watch which doubles as a remote control for your iPod Nano. Recently, Nike introduced the Nike+ SportBand which seems to be a variation on the theme with a slightly different focus.

The SportBand answers the question "What if I don't want to run with music?" This isn't as theoretical as you might think since many races ban music players. With the Nike+ SportBand, you can see all the same information that the Nike Amp+ iPod displayed on the screen of your Nano (pace, distance, calories burned, etc.), but on an LCD integrated into the SportBand itself rather than on the screen of your iPod.

Like the Nike Amp+, you can still upload your running data when you get home, so it's just as well integrated into the whole Nike/Apple ecosystem. All you do is pop the Nike+ Link out of the SportBand, and plug it directly into your computer's USB port.

Nike has also introduced a web-based coaching system called Nike+ Coach with professionally crafted programs for a range of fitness goals. Everything from "Walk to run" to "Marathon" is laid out with motivational tools, progress tracking, peer challenges, and more. This might sound trivial, but I'm here to tell you that workout buddies — even virtual ones — are a major factor in keeping up an exercise program. Of course, you probably have to have the hardware to make much use of the virtual coach, but the cost of entry is really pretty minimal. The Nike+ SportBand sells for a very reasonable $59.

By Paul Hubbard

View the Ball Engineer Master II Diver photo gallery.

If you're looking to put something a little different on your wrist, you owe it to yourself to consider a Ball.

I came across Ball watches when I was looking for something distinctive and unique; something that combines the tradition of a good automatic movement with modern functionality; something that stands out without being ostentatious. The result was the Ball Engineer Master II Diver you see here.

The best way to appreciate the Engineer Master II Diver is to consider its impressive list of features:

• ETA 2836-2 automatic movement.
• Tritium gas tube illumination (more on this below).
• Inner rotating timing bezel with gas tube illumination (more on this below).
• Beautiful domed sapphire crystal.
• Day and date, both large and readable.
• Shock resistant to 5,000Gs.
• Antimagnetic to 4,800A/m.
• Water resistant to 300 meters, or about 1,000 feet.
• Dual screwdown crowns (one for the movement, one for the inner rotating bezel), as well as a screwdown caseback.
• 42mm brushed stainless steel case, and a unique brushed stainless steel bracelet with a hidden clasp.

As you can see, this is an extremely impressive set of features for a $1,899 Swiss watch (Ball watches were once American made, closely associated with the emergence of the railroad, but the brand was purchased by a Swiss company in the 1990s). Of particular note is the tritium illumination system. The Ball Engineer Master II Diver has no fewer than 53 individual micro gas tubes, making it the most nighttime-readable and functional analog watch I've ever seen. Even the inner rotating bezel and bezel pearl use tritium tubes for diving in dark conditions.

View the Kobold Soarway Diver photo gallery.

I've wanted a Kobold watch for pretty close to three years now. The first Kobold I fell in love with was the Polar Surveyor since it has both a chronograph, and a 24-hour hand. When I went through a military watch phase, I was dying for the Kobold Phantom. And I've always been a huge dive watch fanatic, so the Kobold Soarway Diver SEAL was a big temptation. But when I was recently fortunate enough to get my hands on almost the entire Kobold collection at one of the very few authorized Kobold dealers, the one that seemed to make the most sense for me was the Kobold Soarway Diver (non-SEAL version).

Kobold watches are known for their substantial cases which are usually between 41mm and 44mm wide (without their prominent crowns), and 15mm to 17.75mm tall. That's a pretty big watch for my relatively small arm. The Kobold Soarway Diver uses the very slim ETA 2892 movement, however, which allows the case to be a mere 10.25mm high — in my opinion, the perfect size.

I was also lucky enough to find a very special Soarway Diver. It turns out that James Gandolfini of Sopranos fame is a big Kobold fan, so when the show ended last year, he ordered 400 custom made Kobold Soarway Divers for the cast and crew. A very small number of these watches ended up being sold by crew members who, having little appreciation for fine timepieces, decided they'd rather have the cash than the souvenir. Being a huge Sopranos fan, when I was lucky enough to come across one, I snatched it up immediately.

Ever wondered what the most accurate watch in the world is? It's probably not what you think.

You might guess a radio-controlled quartz watch like the Casio G-Shock Gulfman, or the Citizen Skyhawk. That's a good starting point. Atomic watches are very accurate if you can receive the radio signals. But there are large portions of the world where they don't reach (Central/South America, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, the poles, out on the ocean — even plenty of places that are technically within range, but for whatever reason, not conducive to signal penetration).

Another possible answer is a GPS watch like the Suunto X9i which works almost anywhere on the globe. Unfortunately, it has very limited battery life, and doesn't sync automatically.

Conventional quartz movements are generally accurate to ±15 seconds per month, or 3 minutes per year. That's good enough for pretty much any application, as evinced by the fact that accuracy hasn't improved much since the 1970s. More modern technology has brought a few high-accuracy quartz movements:

• The ETA Thermoline movement, as used in some Breitlings.
• Seiko 8F and 9F movements, generally good to 10-20 seconds per year.
• And today's mystery contestant: the Citizen A660.

Say hello to one of the best wolf-in-sheep's clothing watches in existence: the Citizen Chronomaster (aka "The Citizen"). The A660 movement inside the Citizen Chronomaster is the most accurate in the world right now, rated to an amazing ±5 seconds per year. There's a variety of faces and hands, but the basic watch style is a very understated men's dress watch. The cost is around $1,100 - $1,300USD at present — not bad for such impressive technology and looks.

Specifications for the model shown to the right, the The Citizen Chronomaster CTQ57-1022 (our favorite):

We've never covered a Wenger watch before, but with the introduction of the AeroGraph Countdown Chrono at Basel this year, with it's interesting combination of style and functionality, we figured it was finally time.

At first glance, the Aerograph Countdown Chronograph seems like a pretty standard watch: quartz movement, stainless steel case, 3-dial chronograph, and a date visible at the 4 o'clock position. However, take a closer look at the bezel, and you'll see that the numbers count down instead of up! We've only seen this on a very unusual Seiko dive watch, the Kobold Phantom, and the Sinn 103 UTC.

Most bezels count up. In other words, you rotate the bezel until the 0 is aligned with the minute hand, and as the minute hand moves, it counts up to a maximum of 59 minutes. With a countdown bezel, on the other hand, you rotate the bezel to a start time, and then when the minute hand hits zero, time is up. Simple, useful, quick, and honestly, probably more useful than a traditional bezel since you don't have to remember the target time once the bezel is set.

Wenger is marketing the AeroGraph Countdown Chrono to pilots, but it's equally handy for (light) diving, cooking, parking meters, or simply "call me back in 25 minutes".

Here are the specifications:

• 316L stainless steel case.
• Quartz movement.
• Three-dial (60sec/30min/12hr) analog chronograph.
• Date at the 4 o'clock position.
• Waterproof to 100m (330ft).
• Four versions:
  • Brown dial with a leather strap.
  • Black dial with a bracelet.
  • Black dial with a leather strap.
  • PVD-coated black with a black and orange strap.
• "'Scratch-proof" crystal (almost certainly mineral glass).
• Unusual count-down bezel (our favorite feature).
• SuperLuminova-coated markers and hands (should be very readable at night).
• List price of 450 - 530 Swiss francs (about the same in dollars right now).

For a change, I actually really like the brown-dial version, but I suspect the PVD-black version (which we couldn't find a picture of) would be gorgeous. The price isn't bad, either. We promise to keep more of an eye on Wenger in the future.

By Paul Hubbard

Breitling's newest watch to come out of Basel this year is the Avenger Seawolf Chronograph. Combining the versatility and reliability of the Avenger line with the water resistance of the Seawolf, Breitling seems to be getting as serious about diving as they are about aviation.

Breitling is touting the new Avenger Seawolf as the worlds only chronograph to be water tight and operational at depths up to 1,000 meters (3300 feet). This is impressive, but not entirely true. The Sinn U1000 also has the ability to remain operational at the same depths as the Breitling, but that just means they are in good company.

Breitling has developed new proprietary technology that makes their calibre 73 SuperQuartz operational at extreme depths. By using magnetically activated pushers, the pushpieces can be activated through the case with no direct contact with the module inside, keeping the watch perfectly sealed. The SuperQuartz movement is also thermo compensated which means it can account for the changes in temperature that make most quartz modules lose or gain time. The result is that the Avenger Seawolf is some ten times more accurate then a standard quartz movement.

In addition to the standard chronograph feature, the Breitling Avenger Seawolf has a "regatta timer" that will measure in ten minute scales for the beginning of a yacht race. The case is brushed stainless steel, and incorporates a helium release valve for extreme saturation diving, and a sapphire crystal.

Being a diehard Breitling fan, I really think they have a winner on their hands as this piece is gorgeous, functional, understated, and impenetrable.

By James Stacey

There aren't a lot of people who need a watch that can survive the airless void of space, but Richard Garriott happens to be one of them. He's headed for the International Space Station and some extra-vehicular activity (spacewalking). Garriott could have just chosen to wear the vacuum-rated Omega Speedmaster, or maybe a Fortis Cosmonaut, but instead he turned to one of my favorite watchmakers: Seiko.

Seiko has a long tradition of creating limited-edition watches for explorers in extreme environments. They've made some extraordinary watches, and routinely use the lessons learned in later production models. For example, they made Landmasters for trips to both poles (the GMT hand goes counter-clockwise for the Landmaster South Pole!), an amazing shrouded diver for commercial divers, a ceramic and titanium masterpiece for Mt. Everest, and even a watch specifically designed for hikers of Japan's mountains. As most of these are limited editions, they are tragically hard to find, and rarely even seen.

For Garriott, Seiko has designed a true masterpiece introduced this year at BaselWorld: the Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk. Have a look at these features:

• Spring Drive 5R86 movement for accuracy under the extreme temperature swings of space (-20° to +70° Celsius, or about -4° to 160° Fahrenheit).
• Titanium case with the sides etched out by a new CNC (computer numerical control) machine that Seiko built in order to help get the weight down to only 92.5 grams.
• Completely air-tight case capable of surviving direct exposure to space.
• Oversized buttons for use while wearing space gloves.
• Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.
• Waterproof to 100m, or 330ft (in case of a water landing, I guess).
• 12-hour chronograph.
• GMT hand for 24-hour UTC time (which is used in both space and aviation).
• New luminescent material that Seiko says is three times as bright as a typical luminescent watch.
• A special dial and hand design for maximum readability.
• 53mm by 15.2mm which is huge.
• Limited edition of just 100 watches (price not yet announced).

They made some interesting design decisions on this one, and I'm smitten by the results. The dial is ultra-readable, with unobtrusive chrono hands, a subtle but still readable "there if you need it" blue skeletonized GMT hand, and bold white hour and minute hands reminiscent of the 6S37 Flightmaster. The power reserve subdial is subdued, and the date window is symmetric with the 9 o'clock marker. Blue makes a low-key accent, carefully placed to be non intrusive. The sculpted case and top-mounted buttons and crown (referred to as a "bullhead" design) make for a stunning and unique timepiece.

The Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk is to space what the new Rolex Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA is to the ocean. Even at 53mm, I'd happily wear it. It's gorgeous, functional, and built like a titanium tank. Let's hope Seiko introduces a production model soon.

At BaselWorld 2008 this year, Rolex announced an update to their already amazing, top-of-the-line diver: The Rolex Sea-Dweller. They're calling the new model the Rolex Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA. The DEEPSEA has several changes from the original Sea-Dweller:

• As with the new Yacht-Master 2, it's more heavily branded. The previous Sea-Dweller was notable for its restraint; this one adds the "ROLEX" repeated around the chapter ring, additional blurbs on top of the "ringlock", and "DEEPSEA" above the center. At least there's still no cyclops (date magnifier), and thankfully, they did not add polished center links like the new GMT Master 2.
• As with the Anniversary Submariner and new GMT Master 2, the Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA gets the new "maxi-dial" which means that the hour markers are larger, and both the the minute hand and the hour hands are slightly wider.
• The depth rating increases from silly to ludicrous: 1,220m (4,000ft) on the original to 3,900m (12,800ft) on the DEEPSEA.
• The crystal goes from flat thick sapphire to domed thick sapphire.
• New super-hard ceramic bezel with platinum-filled numbers. We first saw this design on the new GMT Master 2.
• Much-improved ratcheting clasp that increases in 1.8mm increments.
• The caseback goes from flat stainless steel to a titanium/steel alloy.
• The new "Ringlock System", which is a stainless steel ring under the crystal that absorbs some of the pressure.
• New blue-colored lume on the dial and bezel dot — very cool!.
• Larger case with slightly updating styling.

As before, it has a helium escape valve, which only matters if you do saturation diving. The movement is the same 3135, but with the addition of the new antimagnetic Parachrom Blue hairspring which we've discussed before on the Rolex Milgauss.

Price was not announced, but expect it to be steep. The Sea-Dweller has always been one of their more expensive models, and these updates certainly won't make it any cheaper. (We'll update this article when pricing is available.)

I was honestly a bit surprised to see this update. Rolex is usually slow to revise or introduce new models, and they've done several in the past year or two: The Anniversary Submariner, The Rolex Milgauss, The new Yacht-Master 2, the new GMT Master 2, the Cellini, and now the Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA. While I don't always like the results, I'm delighted to see Rolex increasing the pace and updating their classic styles. Bravo!

By Paul Hubbard

View the Casio G-Shock Gulfman GW-9100 photo gallery.

The new Casio G-Shock Gulfman is an interesting new addition to Casio's G-Shock line. It has the same set of features as all the G-Shocks I review:

• Atomic calibration.
• Solar powered.
• 200 meter water resistant (about 650 feet).
• Automatic calendar.
• Electroluminescent backlight.
• 48-city world time.
• 5 daily alarms, 1 snooze.
• 60 minute countdown timer.
• Stopwatch.

However, it also has a couple of new tricks:

• Multi-band atomic. That means it can calibrate in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan (most previous G-Shock models only calibrate in the US and Japan).
• Titanium case and caseback. Most G-Shocks use stainless steel, so the GW-9100 is slightly lighter, and slightly more corrosion resistant.

I like the new features of the GW-9100, and I also just really like the look. I like the texture of the titanium case, and the nice large LCD. It also has extra large buttons which makes it easier to operate than most G-Shocks.

If you're already happy with your solar atomic G-Shock, I don't think the new Gulfman represents such a big improvement that you need to rush out and buy it right away. But if you're thinking of getting into the G-Shock game, the GW-9100 is a very good place to start. It certainly makes a fine addition to my G-Shock collection.

View the Casio G-Shock Gulfman GW-9100 photo gallery.

View the Seiko SKA367 photo gallery.

One of the things I enjoy about wearing Seikos is that there's so much to discover post-purchase. Often, a watch will have a coherent style that you find you enjoy long after it originally caught your eye. Let's take a closer look at a mid-line Seiko Diver to see what I mean.

Meet the Seiko SKA367, a yellow-faced Kinetic quartz dive watch with a typical complement of features:

• Waterproof to 200m (660ft).
• Stainless steel case with Hardlex mineral crystal.
• Quick-set and quick-change date window at 3 o'clock.
• Power reserve button to check battery level.
• Six month power reserve if not worn, with low-battery warning.
• Screwdown crown and caseback.
• 48mm wide by 15mm high.
• Stainless steel bracelet with dive extension (also available with a rubber strap).
• Lumibrite (Seiko's very bright luminescent paint) on the hands, bezel dot, and indices for nighttime readability.
• List price of $475, with street price of around $360.

When you first see the Seiko SKA367, the yellow face and high-contrast black hands leap out at you. The dial is eminently readable, and a very cheerful yellow color. The crown also has a yellow highlight band that matches the dial and lends the watch a nice stylistic coherence.

Today I'd like to introduce you to another maker of fine aviation watches that we think you'll like: Fortis. Meaning "strong" in Latin, Fortis was founded in 1912 by Walter Vogt in Switzerland, and has made a strong resurgence since 1987. Specializing in flight and space watches, Fortis is the official supplier to the Russian space program and the International Space Station. They have a strong design aesthetic of clear faces, instrument-themed hands, and high-contrast dials. Very functional, and with their ETA/Valjoux movements, quite reliable as well. I'd like to pick a few out of their lineup to go over in detail.

The Fortis Flieger

Probably the most iconic Fortis is their classic Flieger watch. Built around the well-known ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, it's 40mm wide (also available in a 34mm wide case) and features a screw-down crown and caseback that combine for an unusual (for an aviation watch) 200m (660ft) water resistance. The super-hard sapphire crystal is anti-reflective coated on both sides, and the hands and indices are superluminova-coated for legibility under any conditions. I've actually opened one of these and regulated it; it's well-made and quite sturdy. I was impressed, and enjoyed wearing it for a day. The orange second hand is wonderful, and I really like the uncluttered face and dramatic hour & minute hands. With a street price of around $600, it's a good price for a solid Swiss watch of high function and durability.

View the Citizen Skyhawk A-T photo gallery.

Most pilots and aviation enthusiasts tend to be gadget lovers. Whether it's an entirely new digital avionics package in the cockpit, or one of the most advanced aviation watches on the market, we lust after it. So when the Citizen Skyhawk A-T was announced last year, my interest was piqued. While the Skyhawk line of aviation watches has almost 15 years of history and refinement, the combination of Citizen's Eco-Drive movement with atomic timekeeping technology (as denoted by the A-T moniker in the name), and a new design, this watch not only makes a great companion while in flight, but looks great and gives you something to brag about back on the ground.

Features

The Citizen Skyhawk A-T is the third generation in the Skyhawk line, and represents a major step forward in features. While you do lose one alarm (from three alarms to two), you gain functionality such as atomic timekeeping, perpetual calendar, LCD backlight, and world time pre-programming for 43 cities and time-zones. Additionally, the watch is now rated to be water resistant up to 200 meters (about 650 feet), versus the 100 meters of the previous generation.

Features of the Citizen Skyhawk A-T include:

Casio seems to be gradually bringing the G-Shock and Pathfinder lines closer together. The first Casio Riseman was introduced back in 1997, but has been discontinued for some time. About three years ago, Casio introduced the G-Shock GW-400J which borrows from the Pathfinder line by integrating a thermometer. More recently, Casio announced the Ultimate Pathfinder (PAW1500) which, like the G-Shock line, is now water resistant to 200 meters (650 feet) rather than the previous 100 meters. And now Casio is reviving the Riseman line with the very strong Casio Riseman GW-9200.

Features include:

• New multi-band atomic timekeeping. Most of Casio's atomic watches are multi-band now, meaning they calibrate with atomic clocks in Mainflingen (Germany), Rugby (England), Fort Collins (Colorado), Fukushima (Japan), and Fukuoka (also Japan). But the Riseman GW-9200 goes a step further by also calibrating with the 77.5 kHz atomic signal in China, making it the first 6-band atomic watch I've ever seen.
• Solar powered.
• Water-resistant to 200 meters, or about 650 feet.
• Barometer pressure indicator and differential pointer (graph) with a range of 260 to 1,100 hectoPascals (millibars).
• Altimeter with a range of -700 to 10,000 meters, altitude data storage, and altitude differential pointer (ascent/descent graph).
• Thermometer with a range of -10°C to 60°C.
• Stopwatch with a resolution of 1/100th of a second, and a maximum capacity of 24 hours.
• World time with support for 33 cities.
• Countdown timer with a maximum of 24 hours (a nice improvement over the Pathfinders).
• 5 daily alarms and one snooze alarm.
• Time transfer function which allows you to swap the primary time zone with a secondary time zone (simplifying frequent travel between two zones).
• Electroluminescent backlight with automatic illumination feature (the ability to automatically illuminate the LCD by tilting the watch toward you).
• Dimensions: 51mm x 48.8mm x 15.9mm, and 60.9g.

All that is keeping the new Riseman from being a true triple sensor Pathfinder is the digital compass which, unfortunately, is one of my favorite features of the Pathfinder line. However, the GW-9200 is clearly one of the most sophisticated digital watches on the planet. It looks fantastic, and has some additional small improvements like the ability to view the date and day of week simultaneously. I just hope that, unlike the GW-400J, we will be able to toggle between metric and imperial units for things like temperature and barometric pressure, however I'm guessing not, and I'm guessing it will not be released in the US (though I will be very happy to be proven wrong).

The Casio G-Shock Riseman GW-9200 will be available on June 28th, 2008 and will retail for ¥27,000 which, as of today, is about $260.