This watch was developed in collaboration with a specialist branch of the British armed forces.
Having purchased Elliot Brown watches privately it became clear that operators preferred them to the watches they had previously been issued with and approached Elliot Brown to develop a new model with spring bars that would not break, a bezel that could be operated easily even wearing gloves, whose water and dust resistance would be more than up to harsh conditions, with fit for purpose straps that would be a cinch to change and be instantly readable day or night.
We asked operators to bring their current watches and discuss what worked and what didn’t, only then we were able to fully understand the requirement and create the internal brief that made sure the resulting watch would perform faultlessly.
The result is possibly the ultimate field watch whose design language echoes that of vintage military watches yet with all the trademark Elliot Brown house design cues, creating a sense of continuity and familiarity.
The Holton Professional series is the first military issue watch to be created by a British watch company in more than ten years. It is unapologetically fit for purpose and designed for use every day no matter how harsh the conditions.
It takes its name from Holton Heath in Dorset, the location of a wartime cordite factory.
* Please note, the high grip bezel is not suitable for use with cuffed shirts as prolongued contact may cause fabric to fray *
The Ares Watch Co. Diver 1 Mission Timer Watch – from Matt Graham of Graham Combat
ARES Watches (areswatches.com) is proud to announce the release of the DIVER-1. Officially launched last week at the NYC Wind Up Watch Convention, DIVER-1 is an American made mission timer built to withstand the rigors of any conceivable operation.
Under the auspices of Matthew Graham, owner and lead designer, ARES utilizes the highly regarded specialists of Seattle’s Watch Technology Institute to ensure consummate craftsmanship. These professional watchmakers create and individually certify every Ares Watch before it is allowed into the wild.
Graham, who spent the last 12 years working for the Central Intelligence Agency, designed the DIVER-1 to be the timepiece he always wished he’d had – a quality built, made in the USA, hard use mission timer operational watch, guaranteed for life and offered at a great value.
The Ares Watch Co. Diver 1 Mission Timer Watch – from Matt Graham of Graham Combat
ABOUT THE ARES DIVER-1
The serialized DIVER-1 is a limited release hard-use mission-timer tool watch. It was designed and assembled from domestic and internationally sourced components, then tested, certified, and serviced by hand in Seattle. As of product delivery, the DIVER-1 will have endured more than 20,000 hours of rigorous operational use evaluation in various locations around the world.
The Ares Watch Co. Diver 1 Mission Timer Watch – from Matt Graham of Graham Combat
TECHNICAL SPECS
Case, Caseback, Crown, & Bezel
41.0mm 316L stainless steel bead blasted two-piece case with individually serialized, engraved, screwback construction
22mm drilled lugs with 1.8mm shoulderless spring bars, supplied with a 3-ring and 5-ring LASH nylon strap
10 o’clock ‘fat head’ 7.2mm logo’d screw down crown, featuring aggressive ‘no slip’ teeth and double Viton seals
The Ares Watch Co. Diver 1 Mission Timer Watch – from Matt Graham of Graham Combat
CASE, CASEBACK, CROWN, & BEZEL
Ronda 715Li 5-jewel / gold plated analog quartz movement with EOL indicator
10 year standard battery life utilizing No. CR2016
3V lithium-ion battery
Brass dial with C3 printed hour indicators, painted minute indices and logo
Flat sapphire crystal with inner AR coating
Brushed stainless C3 hands? Anti-magnetic rating 18.8Oe, shock resistant to NIHS-91-10 and thermo compensated -0 to 50+ C.
About Ares Watch Company: Ares Watch Co. is an American watch company manufacturing hard-use mission timers in the Pacific Northwest. Connect via Instagram, @areswatchco, or and see more online, areswatches.com. Founder and lead designer Matthew Graham has nearly a quarter century of operational experience, including 12 years within the intelligence community. The last four of those were spent as the OIC of a firearms and tactics program for low profile operations. Learn more about Matthew Graham at grahamcombat.com (@grahamcombat). Fight with what you carry; nobody is coming to save you.
Powered by the Sun, this Wristwatch-Style Computer takes Modern Diving to a New Level
The wristwatch-style Z1 is a good-looking timepiece for topside use. At the same time, it’s a ruggedly built dive computer. Its hybrid construction combines a polyacrylate case with a 316L stainless steel bezel (polyacrylate resin provides better heat-resisting properties than polycarbonate). This gives the Z1 a high-quality feel and appearance, yet enables it to excel in both durability and light weight.
SOLAR POWERED DIVE COMPUTING
But where the Z1 really shines is in its sleek, technically advanced design.
A thoroughly elegant device, the Z1 is SCUBAPRO’s first solar powered
dive computer. Not only does this eliminate the need to dispose of discarded batteries, it also eliminates the need to find a power source when it’s time to recharge the battery, making it perfect for traveling divers. Part of our SCUBAPRO Cares line, the Z1 is another SCUBAPRO product that takes our oceans and our planet into consideration.
Basically, if the Z1 is exposed to light, its internal battery is charging; whether you’re outdoors in the sun, or indoors beneath fluorescent lighting. And because the Z1 is Bluetooth enabled you don’t have to worry about where you left your download cable; downloading, data analyzing and some adjusting of settings can be done wirelessly.
Simple to use, the Z1 provides four clearly labeled control buttons to take you through the menu system. All data is presented in easy-to-read alphanumerics backed by green screen highlights. The onboard digital compass lets you navigate the depths with confidence, and the innovative backlight function illuminates the screen beautifully. Its super bright white LED light is automatically activated simply by tilting your arm in the dark, using the Z1’s ambient light sensor.
The Z1 allows you to live your life in dive mode, without being leashed to a cord and power source. What’s more, the Z1 is compatible with all of the SCUBAPRO M2 and Chromis bands. A simple accessory change allows you to go from orange to yellow to red to blue to pink to purple to white. All bands match the rest of the SCUBAPRO line including the HYDROS PRO, Seawing Novas, Synergy masks and even our S620 Ti regulators. Express your personality – and your love for diving.
Z1 FEATURES & SPECS
• Solar charging system provides hassle-free battery charging.
• Internal battery can be charged by outdoor sunlight or indoor fluorescent light.
• Power saving function maximizes your dive time between charges.
• Battery can last for more than 8 years before needing replacing. (Maximum life span depends on use and
conditions.)
• Hybrid construction combines an attractive polyacrylate case and 316L stainless steel bezel for
lightweight durability.
• Buhlmann (ZHL-16C) algorithm offers Nitrox capability from 21% to 100% O2 for up to 4 Nitrox mixes. • Provides full time-keeping functions, including a stopwatch.
• Digital onboard electronic compass allows for easy navigation.
• A non-step altitude measurement configures the pressure reduction based on the current atmospheric
pressure rather than using an altitude ranking.
• Large, bold numbers in the center of the screen, plus eye-catching green highlights, ensure that all dive
data is always easy to read.
• Super bright backlight can be activated for 1.5 seconds or 3 seconds by simply tilting the arm (when the
Auto-Light function is set to ON).
• Audible and visual alarms keep you alert to your dive status.
• Depth and time interval alarms are diver-selectable prior to the dive.
• Logbook stores 30 dives and includes a dive history which can be analyzed with wireless technology. • Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy connectivity lets you download dives to any iOS or Android device.
• Dive modes: Scuba, Freediving and Gauge.
• Maximum operating depth: 328ft/100m.
• Available in a variety of eye-pleasing casing and wrist band colors (see below).
• Will also accept M2 and Chromis colored wrist bands.
SUMMARY
Ultra-modern and eco-friendly, the Z1 dive computer is one of the many innovative, “green” products that demonstrate SCUBAPRO’s commitment to our planet. A stylish design, simple to use, and powered by the sun, wearing the Z1 at work and at play lets you celebrate your status as a modern diver, plus demonstrates that you are in tune with the latest technology and committed to an eco-friendly world.
Elliot Brown watches aren’t like other so-called sports watches.
Ian Elliot and Alex Brown share 20+ years of unique watch building knowledge from the world of extreme sports which is how they were able to create the worlds most rugged “tool” watches.
Working on the coast and enjoying just about every land and water based coastal sport was the catalyst to develop a range of watches that not only function in extremes but also look great with a suit or uniform.
This Canford 202-004, like all other Elliot Brown watches has survived at test at 200m in water before being declared fit for use. It features a neat inner timing bezel operated via the upper crown and even when in the our or adjust position, the lower time and date adjust crown is still fully water proof.
The Swiss movement is housed inside a unique steel housing, suspended on a series of elastomer dampers to give immense shock protection. The highly legible dial and hands feature a Superluminova coating that will glow for up to 8 hours.
The solid and beautifully detailed case back is bolted down for a perfect seal with multiple surfaces to minimize the contact patch with the wrist in warmer conditions.
2.8mm thick hardened and tempered crystal protects the dial with an anti-reflective coating applied to the inner surface and the strao retaing bars are solid screw in items that will stand any test.
This is one mean watch and it’s no surprise Elliot Brown are finding favour amongst many military groups.
High Angle Solutions is a weekly series of articles focusing on military mountaineering solutions. It’s brought to you by UK-based Brigantes Consulting, in conjunction with several other brands, both here in the US and abroad.
In 2015, Leatherman launched the TREAD, a linked metal bracelet with different tools making up the links. Not long after, third party vendors introduced adapters to convert the Tread into a watchband. Leatherman was working in a similar concept, but they wanted their own watch and needed to get the interface right so that the watch face wouldn't be scratched or broken while using the tool heads.
The links of the TREAD band are made from 17-4 stainless steel. The watch itself is Swiss-made with a quartz movement. It features time and date and has a rotation unidirectional diver’s bezel, shock resistant sapphire crystal, glow-in-the-dark hour markers and hands (stainless only). A link tool fits into a recess at the rear of the watch.
The watchband comes with six links with the following tools: -3/32″ Screwdriver -6mm Hex Drive -4mm Hex Drive -#3 Square Drive -#1 Square Drive -Pozi-Driv #3.
Three more interchangeable links are included: -8mm Box Wrench -Pozi-Driv #2 -11mm Box Wrench.
It is water resistant up to 200 meters, TSA-friendly, and adjustable both in link choices and wristband size in 1/4″ and 1/2″ increments. The clasp can also adjust by 1/8 inch. It comes in stainless steel and black and with a five-year battery warranty, two-year movement warranty, and 25-year band warranty.
Hazard 4 has expanded their line of Heavy Water Diver watches to include the new GMT variant. This new model features a daylight ring, in addition to an additional hand for tracking a second time zone. The watch case itself is made of titanium, and the watch comes with tritium indicators, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass, a battery life of 2-2.5 years, and a depth rating of 300 meters.
Aside from the colorway above, the Heavy Water Diver GMT can also be had in Black Case/White GMT, Bead Blasted Case/White GMT, Black Case/Yellow GMT, and Black case/Earth GMT
Utah’s Rockwell watch brand has introduced watches in Kryptek and MultiCam camouflage patterns which are applied to Rockwell’s Coliseum model.
A multifunction digital watch, the Coliseum features: dual time zone, chronograph with 50-lap memory, countdown timer, and 8 alarms. Case construction is ABS, and band is made of PU. The stadium-style bezel helps protect the lens from scratching.
Features:
Construction: ABS Case/PU Band
Case Size: 49mm
Multifunction Digital
Crystal: PMMA
Water Resist: 100m
Four Buttons
Two Time Zones
Stopwatch with 50 Lap Memory
Countdown Timer
8 Alarms
Dirk a German Navy EOD Technician (Masterchief). His passion are watches. The result is BOMBFROG. He offers small charges of tactical and reliable watches for every mission. We talked to Dirk Assmann about BOMBFROG.
SPARTANAT: Dirk you are an active duty Navy EOD soldier, in civil life BOMBFROG. How did you started making military watches?
Dirk Assmann: I am an Navy EOD Technician since 21 years now and before I joined the Navy I was a big fan of pratical watches. After I finished dive school I got a IWC Porsche Design issued. A watch I had to use. Technically a complete desaster. It looked pretty, but keeping the time was not possible. As a dive supervisor I am responsible for my men. If my watch or I fail during dive operations or demolition, dead will be around. I needed an accurate watch and started making my own. This lead us to our brand.
SPARTANAT: What is characteristic for a good watch?
Dirk Assmann: You need to make a difference. Watches for land based operations need different functions than watches for dive operations. The perfect watch on the ground is a digital watch with a lot of useful tools. As a survival specialist you learn a lot at that school, but being country side as an civilian guy, you would love to have a compass, altimeter, count down or stopp watch function. At dive operations you don´t need all of that. You need a watch with a clean face and good lighting. You need to rely on the accuracy even in dark water
SPARTANAT: What models does BOMBFROG offer? What is your target group of customers?
Dirk Assmann: We get new watch models from year to year. We are very proud of that fact that we still grow, even that we are a small family operated business. You can view all our watches on our website. This year we made our first digital watch (DW-15). The response on that watch is awesome. Our target group service men and women who work in the Law and enforcement, Security or military branch. We also focus on outdoor and dive addicted people, who are looking for an affordable reliable watch.
SPARTANAT: You customize your watches. Who is wearing BOMBFROG watches?
Dirk Assmann: We personalize watches for our customers. This starts with the case color, goes over the face style and ends with a personalized case back. The biggest numbers on personalized watches are sold to different SWAT, police and military units around the world. As an example I can tell that we delivered to US Navy Seals, US Navy EOD Technician, SWE Army EOD, BEL Army EOD, SEK Berlin, Kampfschwimmer, Minentaucher, MEK Hamburg.
It is important to know, that this sold watches were not ordered officially by the governments. They were ordered by members of the units.
SPARTANAT: In private: What are you wearing yourself? What is the mother of all tactic watches?
Dirk Assmann: I am switching between 2 watches. During my day to day work I wear the DW-15. If I do my job in 150 feet deep water, I wear my BT25 version 4, because I need a watch I can rely on for 100% .
It takes its name from Holton Heath in Dorset, the location of a wartime cordite factory.
