The watches, in my professional opinion, are phenomenal. The Fifty Fathoms has never looked so ready to party. My first instinct is that the tangerine Arctic Ocean will be the hit of the collection. What sets the piece apart is the “NO RADIATION” symbol at 6 o’clock. This quirk is a highly sought-after detail on vintage Fifty Fathoms, a relic of an era when dive watches were still made with (highly toxic) radium. But the Arctic version will have plenty of competition for the title of most coveted piece. The Pacific Ocean is ripe-banana yellow; the Indian Ocean a playful green; and the Atlantic is the most serious of the bunch in navy blue. The other hit of the collection will likely be the Antarctic Ocean model, with its two-tone circle at the bottom of the dial, inspired by the sought-after Mil-Spec Fifty Fathoms.
The collection is chock full of smart details. Each watch is waterproof to 91 meters, which is exactly… fifty fathoms. Another aquatic touch? The straps are made out of recycled fishing nets. The caseback features an image of the slugspiration for each: the Arctic takes its orange from the supple Dendronotus Frondosus; the Pacific sports the bright Chromodoris Kuiteri; on the Atlantic is the Glaucus Atlanticus, a poisonous species known as the Blue Dragon (!); the Indian Ocean takes its green from the Nembrotha Kubaryana; and on the back of the icy Antarctic is the Tritoniella Belli. The caseback also carries inspirational phrases like “PASSION FOR DIVING,” “ LICENCE TO EXPLORE,” “OCEAN BREATH,” “PROTECT WHAT YOU LOVE,” and “IMMERSE YOURSELF.” Watches are truly in their vibes era.