Classic Watches/Classic Cars

by Mike Gulett –

If you are reading this it is assumed you are a car lover, and probably, a collector. We car lovers and collectors also love collecting other things, right? For me I also love wrist watches and have been collecting them for many years. I like the looks of a beautiful watch and the mechanical functions – not unlike how I think about a car.

I recently bought a new dive watch, even though I do not dive just like I do not race cars. But I still admire race cars like a Bizzarrini GT 5300 and I admire dive watches too. My new watch is a beauty and is available at a very reasonable price – more on this new watch later on, below.

In the world of mechanical watches most top quality movements are made in Switzerland, Germany or Japan. There are a number of new watch makers known as microbrands, or independent brands, that make and sell beautiful watches usually at a fraction of the price of a major brand.

These small watch companies usually do not make their own movements because of the complexity and expertise required. Fortunately they are able to buy movements from established manufacturers. This is not unlike a European car company using an American engine in their cars (like Bizzarrini, Iso, Jensen, DeTomaso, AC Shelby Cobra and others).

This is another direct connection between classic cars and watches.

A Brief History of Dive Watches

The dive watch, an important style of wrist watch, was born from the desire to provide reliable, underwater-capable timekeeping for military, scientific, and recreational divers. Its history spans nearly a century, closely tied to advancements in both horology and underwater exploration.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

The roots of the dive watch go back to the early 20th century, but the first true water-resistant wristwatches emerged in the 1920s and 1930s. Rolex introduced a key innovation in 1926 with the “Oyster” case, a hermetically sealed watch case that kept water and dust out.

However, it was not until the 1950s that the modern dive watch as we know it truly took shape. This period coincided with a boom in recreational diving, spurred by Jacques Cousteau’s underwater documentaries and the release of the Aqua-Lung, which made scuba diving accessible to regular people.

In 1953, two watches changed the game: the Rolex Submariner and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Both were designed specifically for divers and featured rotating bezels to track elapsed time underwater, highly legible dials, and robust water resistance. The Submariner, with its now-legendary design and links to James Bond films, became a cultural and horological icon. The Fifty Fathoms, developed with input from French Navy combat swimmers, is often considered the first modern dive watch, particularly due to its use of a unidirectional bezel—a safety feature that only allows divers to shorten their dive time if the bezel is accidentally turned.

Rolex Submariner

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, many brands entered the dive watch arena, each bringing unique technical improvements. Omega introduced the Seamaster 300, and later the radical Ploprof (Plongeur Professionnel), developed in collaboration with COMEX for deep-sea diving. Doxa released its Sub 300T, notable for its bright orange dial and no-decompression bezel, appealing to professional and sport divers alike.

Today, the dive watch enjoys a dual role: as a tool for professional and recreational divers, and as a fashionable, everyday watch. Most owners never dive with them (like me), but the rugged functionality and design heritage make them enduring favorites. Brands like Rolex, Omega, Seiko, and Tudor continue to innovate in dive watch design, offering modern dive watches that honor the past while embracing modern technology.

Dive watches are also collectable, both old ones and new ones as well.

My New Watch – The Baltic Aquascaphe

Baltic Aquascaphe with a rubber strap

Baltic Watches is a French microbrand that has garnered attention in the watchmaking community for its vintage-inspired designs, quality craftsmanship, and low pricing. Founded in 2017 by Etienne Malec. Baltic watches are designed and assembled in France and the Aquascaphe uses the Japanese Automatic Miyota 9039 movement.

I paid $850 USD for the watch, a metal bracelet, a rubber strap, taxes and shipping from France to California, which is much less than a Rolex Submariner or a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.

After a few days of ownership I am very happy with this new acquisition.

The Baltic Aquascaphe looks similar to the Rolex Submariner and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms but is not a copy of either.

This reminds me of the way that a Ferrari 360 is similar in style to the Dino 246 GT but not a copy.

Cars and watches – I love them both.

Let us know what you think in the Comments.

The back of the Baltic Aquascaphe

Photos compliments of Rolex, Blancpain and Baltic. Research and some text by ChatGPT 40.

Summary

Article Name

Classic Watches/Classic Cars

Description

I recently bought a new dive watch, even though I do not dive like I do not race cars. But I still admire both race cars and dive watches.

Author

Mike Gulett