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.

American watchmaker Michael Kobold, along with one of my favorite actors, James Gandolfini, are auctioning an incredible one-of-a-kind Soarway Diver SEAL package for the benefit of Hurricane Katrina victims. Since the American Red Cross is endorsing the auction, I'm assuming the proceeds will go to them, which I believe is the worthiest cause that exists right now.

The Kobold Soarway SEAL Avantgarde is one of the most robust watches I have seen. It is waterproof to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), and is engineered to resist just about anything you can throw at it. The Avantgarde contains a second interior case constructed of thick, soft iron which shields the watch from magnetic forces, and no fewer than two separate shock-resistance systems. It contains a helium escape valve to allow divers to use the Avantgarde for saturation diving, and is constructed primarily of titanium which keeps the watch at a relatively light 111 grams.

This particular auction contains more than just an amazing timepiece. The full package includes:

• The Kobold SEAL Avantgarde with both a canvas NATO strap and a hand-stitched alligator strap.
• A wooden collector's box, signed by James Gandolfini and Michael Kobold.
• "Gandolfini thinks Kobold is No.1" poster, signed by James Gandolfini.
• DVD-set of HBO's hit TV series "The Sopranos," signed by James Gandolfini.

You can find out more about the Avantgarde, and about the auction, on Kobold's site. If you can manage to place a bid, this is really a remarkable package (at least to me as I'm both a huge Kobold and Sopranos fan). And if you can't place a bid, please consider donating what you can directly to the American Red Cross. I know to watch fanatics like us, it sometimes seems like there are few things in life as important as our hobby, but at times like these, we really need to realign our priorities.