Back in the summer of this year Oceaneva introduced a new material to their professional dive watch in the form of the Deep Mariner Explorer II Pro Diver Damascus Steel. As a limited edition, the original model was a sell-out success and with demand continuing to be high, Oceaneva have answered the prayers of those who missed out with the release of 12 new Deep Marine Explorer II Pro Diver Damascus Steel colourways, also in limited numbers.
If you’re not familiar with Damascus steel, it’s a type of steel that’s manufactured through a meticulous process involving folding and hammering the metal using various alloys to increase the metal’s strength and durability. Historically it was used to forge impressive swords but here it’s used in watchmaking. Its most distinctive feature is the layered grain, which can be seen all across the Oceaneva’s 42mm case and bezel. Oceaneva source their Damascus steel from experts in Germany and no two watches are identical due to the natural grain of the material.
The same grained pattern is visible on some the dials as well depending on the model, including several colourful options achieved through ion plating. Speaking of colour, there are 12 colours to choose from, some of which are presented with multiple strap options. There’s blue, black, rose gold, yellow gold silver, coffee brown, red, sky blue and green. Those that don’t have the Damascus pattern are instead matte with block colours, creating an intense display.
However, don’t go thinking that the Damascus steel cases are an aesthetic stunt. These watches at their core are still the Deep Marine Explorer II Pro Diver. Which means they have a 1,250m water resistance rating which has been tested in real world aquatic environments. Most dive watch testing takes place in pressure chambers where they never come into contact with water. They’re also equipped with Swiss made Sellita SW200-1 automatic movements with 38-hour power reserves (it would be nice to see them upgrade to the newer stock that has an improved power reserve).
The real kicker though, as with all Oceaneva watches, is the value. The Deep Marine Explorer II Pro Diver Damascus Steel has a pre-sale price of £398 for the Damascus dial models and £358 for the standard dials. The watch is a limited edition of 1,000 pieces but each colour is a limited edition within that, with some models capped at just 30-pieces. Given the original collection sold out, expect these ones to go just as fast.
Price and Specs:
More details at Oceaneva.
