View the Ocean7 G-2 Photo Gallery.

After our review the Ocean7 LM-2, we were anxious to get our hands on more from Ocean7. This time, we thought we'd trying something a little different: the Ocean7 G-2 Dive Chronograph. I've always been a sucker for dive chronographs like the Seamaster Pro Chrono and the Panerai Luminor 1950 Flyback diver, so I was very pleased when the G-2 showed up at my door.

Let's start with the specifications on this beast of a diver:

• Brushed Stainless Steel case and five-link bracelet.
• 42mm diameter.
• 17mm thick.
• 4mm thick sapphire crystal (same thickness as the crystal on the Rolex Sea Dweller).
• Water resistant to 660 feet, or 200 meters.
• Swiss quartz movement.
• Carbon fiber dial.
• $449 directly from Ocean7.

The Ocean7 G-2 Chronograph is a professional tool dive watch that brings Ocean7's design philosophy together with a highly accurate quartz chronograph. From the moment I first pulled the G-2 from its wooden box — actually, from the moment I first lifted the box — one thing became very clear to me: this was no lightweight timepiece. You can forget about every other heavy watch that comes to mind because the Ocean7 G-2 probably has them all beat. It perches proudly, prominently, and massively on your wrist, though it does tend to wear slightly lighter than it feels in your hands.

I've written about Sinn watches before, and in particular, their commitment to innovative engineering. Now it looks like they have outdone themselves once again with a new dive chronograph (stopwatch). Meet the Sinn U1000, a mechanical watch waterproof to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), and available in either steel or PVD black.

As with the other Sinn watches, this one is made from Tegimented steel which is both harder and more corrosion resistant than the normal 316L-grade steel. Innovations like argon gas filled case, copper sulphate crystals (to dehumidify), and ultra-wide-temperature-range oil are all present and accounted for in the U1000. (To learn more about these innovations, see Introduction to Sinn: a Convergence of Watchmaking and Engineering.) The crystal is, as you would expect, domed sapphire with an anti-reflective coating.

One feature that's new is the ability to use the chronograph underwater. It's not often mentioned, but almost every other chronograph cannot be used while submerged. The action of the buttons is very difficult to seal, so they are generally equipped with locking screws to hold them in place while diving. Sinn has managed to engineer a solution which is doubly impressive given that it works down to the full 1,000 meters of the U1000's range.

They also moved the crown and pushers to the left to keep them from digging into your wrist, and enlarged the pushers for use while wearing gloves. After all, if you do dive anywhere near that far down, it gets cold, and you'll need a pair. Since this is rated to -45° (Celsius or Fahrenheit — the two almost converge down that low), glove-friendly buttons make a lot of sense. The Sinn U1000 is also rated to +80°C (176° Fahrenheit), which is, of course, way warmer than you want to get.

The movement is based on the reliable ETA/Valjoux 7750, but Sinn innovated here too. After some modifications, the movement has a 60-minute sum at the 6 o'clock position, replacing the normal 30-minute dial. Much easier to read and use. The hour counter is above it at the 12 o'clock position. They also have a seconds subdial at 3 o'clock position that is black-on-black and very unobtrusive. Overall, it's a very readable, distinctive, and functional face.

The Nike Amp+ iPod control watch is unusual for many reasons. To start with, it only displays hours and minutes. No seconds, no date, no alarm, no stopwatch. And to see the time, you actually have to press a button to illuminate the LED display.

But the Amp+ isn't designed to be an all-around running or fitness watch. It's specifically designed for runners who already have the Nike + iPod kit. Similar to the Timex iControl we recently reviewed, the Nike Amp+ is a remote control for your iPod Nano, however unlike the Timex, the Nike Amp+ uses the existing Nike + iPod gadget that plugs into your iPod, so you're actually adding the iPod remote control to the Nike iPod system.

Ok, I know that's a little confusing. Let's slow down and start from the beginning.

You're a runner or walker who wants to track your workouts electronically, and easily control your iPod. After installing a special wireless sensor in your Nike shoes, the Nike + iPod kit let's you use your iPod to:

View the Casio G-Shock GW056A Photo Gallery.

I think of the Casio G-Shock GW056A as the G-Shock for people who don't like G-Shocks. It's certainly the most subtle and unrecognizable G-Shock currently in the lineup, and most importantly, the slimmest.

It has the same octagonal case as many of the older G-Shocks (and the new retro tribute G-Shocks), but the brushed stainless steel bezel makes the shape much more pronounced. In fact, the shape is the first thing you notice about the GW056A. My wife calls it my Battlestar Galactica watch because the unconventional shape is similar to the shape paper will apparently assume if the world is ever destroyed by Cylons (of course, I'm talking about the new Battlestar Galactica).

The extremely slim and lightweight design is really what sets the GW056A apart. In terms of features, you'll notice that it's on par with all my favorite G-Shocks:

• Atomic calibration (US and Japan).
• Solar powered.
• Shock resistant (naturally).
• Water resistant to 200 meters, or about 650 feet.
• Automatic calendar.
• Electroluminescent backlight with auto EL function (meaning it can automatically illuminate when tilted to about 40° in the dark).
• World time (48 cities, 29 time zones, and automatic daylight savings adjustment).
• Four daily alarms and one snooze alarm (which keeps sounding until explicitly disabled).
• Countdown timer (up to 60 minutes).
• Stopwatch with split time (resolution of 1/100th of a second, and a maximum time of 59:59.99).

I've owned my GW056A since they were first introduced in Japan about two years ago (which means mine is actually a GW056J — the identical Japanese version), and it still gets regular wrist time. I like to wear it in the winter because it fits nicely under my coat sleeve, and when I ride my motorcycle since it slips easily beneath a glove. Although I love each and every one of my Casios, sometimes its nice having all the G-Shock functionality without all the G-Shock bulk.

View the Casio G-Shock GW056A Photo Gallery.

Two years ago, I wrote an article called The Ultimate Casio Pathfinder in which I raved about the PAW1200 series. This was the first time Casio had combined their atomic and solar technologies with their famous Triple Sensor (digital compass, altimeter, barometer, and thermometer). A year later, I reviewed what I considered to be the new ultimate Casio Pathfinder — the PAW1300 — which is essentially the same watch in a significantly slimmer package. Today, I'm extremely pleased to introduce what even Casio is now referring to the Ultimate Pathfinder: the PAW1500 series.

In addition to being solar and multi-band atomic, having all the digital watch features you'd expect like multiple alarms, countdown timer, world time, and a stopwatch, and in addition to being a Triple Sensor, Casio has added three significant new features to the PAW1500 line:

1. Tide graph.
2. Moon phase indicator.
3. An additional 100 meters of water resistance for a total of 200 meters, or about 650 feet.

I really have to give Casio a lot of credit for adding precisely the right features to the Pathfinder line. It used to be that I had a hard time choosing a Pathfinder over a G-Shock day-to-day because I insist that all my Casio watches be solar and atomic. But then Casio made the Pathfinder line solar and atomic. I now wear my PAW1300 fairly often, but I still love the additional ruggedness of my G-Shocks. So naturally, Casio has made the new PAW1500 series more rugged by increasing the water resistance, and adding robust button guards.

There's one more feature that, in my opinion, really helps to make the PAW1500 the ultimate Casio Pathfinder. For the first time, the day, date, and month are all visible simultaneously. This may seem like an insignificant detail, but it means a lot to people like me who lead such hectic lives that it's sometimes hard to keep track of the day of the week, much less the month and date.

The new Ultimate Casio Pathfinder will be available in May in either black resin ($350), or resin with a titanium band ($400). You can bet we'll have a thorough review as soon as humanly possible.

The past few years have seen steady growth in the diameter of men's watches. In the 1950s, a dress watch was expected to be slim and small, the normal size being somewhere between 32 and 35mm wide. These days, anything less than 38mm is considered dainty, and even 50mm and beyond isn't unheard of.

However, not everyone wants such a large watch, or for that matter, the bold styling that often accompanies it. These more traditional men seem to be the target market for Seiko's recently introduced line of four mechanical dress watches, all with classic styling and very conservative 36mm cases. They are based on the new 23-jewel 6R15B movement with both hand-winding and hacking, and are known as the Seiko Mechanical line.

Features of the new Seiko Mechanical line include:

• 6R15 23J Automatic movement with hand winding and hack function.
• Accuracy of +25/-15 seconds per day.
• 50 hour power reserve.
• 19mm drilled lugs.
• Sunburst dial finish.
• Water resistant to 100m (330 ft) with a non-screwdown crown.
• Mineral glass crystal and display caseback.
• 125g on the bracelet, 65g on the leather strap.
• 12.5mm thick, and 36mm wide.
• Pricing between ¥50,400 and ¥52,500 (about $465 - $485 USD).