Bronze watches bring something a little different to your wrist. Most watch manufacturers are proud of the immaculate finish on their watch cases, plus a pristine case sheen is the sign of a quality watch. Not so with bronze, it reacts to air and water to evolve a patina that changes over time, inheriting both colour and texture from your environment. A bronze watch develops its own character depending on your travels. It becomes truly unique and nothing quite beats the warm glow of weather-worn bronze. Plus these are the only watches that suit sporting a leather strap in the sea. As the strap and watch age, they will complement each other, rather than a fading leather strap undermining a shiny dive watch.
Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950
The Panerai Luminor Submersible 47 mm is the classic of bronze dive watches, a unique edition of 1000 units with an in house automatic movement. The green dial contrasts beautifully with the warm bronze and it’s waterproof to 300 metres. It boasts 29 jewels, a three-day power reserve and an anti-shock mechanism. The one watch collectors salivate over.
Movement
£10,100
www.panerai.com
MeisterSinger Perigraph Bronze
The Perigraph blue face and design is unusual and eye-catching. The date is not displayed in a window, but on the open date disk at 12 o’clock. The reverse side of the Perigraph features a sixfold screwed stainless steel back with an exhibition window that provides an excellent view of the Swiss automatic movement. Winner of the Red Dot Design award, this is a great introduction to a bronze watch.
£1,900
ww.meistersinger.com
Pita Steam ‘Sa Tuna Edition’
The Pita Steam bronze watch is completely watertight as it has no crown, the time is set via a magnet, so it is completely sealed. Water-resistant to 2000 meters without the hassle of crowns, gaskets, helium valves or other unnecessary components. It can be customised to your taste to be unique and is hand made in Barcelona by the AHCI Master Watchmaker, Aniceto Jiménez Pita. Gorgeous design and a terrific talking point.
£4,900
www.pita.es/
Oris Carl Brashear Limited Edition
The Oris Bronze watch is super legible thanks to its clear luminous markings (Super-LumiNova “old radium”) and raised sapphire glass, while the blue dial fits nicely with the bronze case. Named after Carl Brashear, the U.S. Navy’s first African American and first amputee Master Diver. Water-resistant to 100 metres. There’s also a chronograph edition.
£2,100
www.oris.ch
U-Boat Sommerso Bronze Code 8486
The 46 mm U-Boat epitomises the bronze diver watch with the signature Italian Navy font and Superluminova beige hands and indices. It has a visible ruby at six o’clock, a 24-hour indicator at three o’clock and the date at nine. The Swiss automatic movement has a 44-hour power reserve and the crown is protected by a patented linked cover. Water-resistant to 300 metres.
£2,100
www.uboatwatch.com
Christopher Ward C60 Trident Bronze
The remarkable C60 Trident Bronze is the dive watch that doesn’t think it’s a dive watch. Crafted in anti-corrosive bronze, the case oxidises over time to develop its own unique ‘patina’. Meanwhile, the contrasting blue dial has been hand-distressed – so no one watch is ever precisely the same. And should you wish to take it for a dip, the C60 Trident Bronze is waterproof to 600m. The Trident has an automatic Sellita SW200-1 movement.
£850
www.christopherward.com
IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Expedition Charles Darwin”
The bronze IWC watch case pays homage to the well-known ship, HMS Beagle, that carried Charles Darwin on his expedition to the Galapagos Islands. In those days bronze was used for portholes, fittings and nautical instruments. The bronze tone recurs in the luminescent material on the hands, indices and quarter-hour scale on the internal rotating bezel. Equipped with the IWC-manufactured 89365 movement, SafeDive system and water-resistance to 300 metres. The back is engraved with a portrait of Darwin.
£8,850
www.iwc.com
TAG Heuer Autavia Chronometer Special Edition
The COSC-certified Autavia in bronze is an ideal choice for explorers who want their watch to age with them. A bidirectional rotating bezel with a 60-minute scale in black ceramic enhances the sporty look and the strap is interchangeable. This cockpit-inspired watch features eye-catching elements that are rooted in the history of the line. This is the special edition Autavia with the gorgeous red dial and one for the collectors. Whilst this is a pilot watch rather than a dive watch it’s water-resistant to 100 metres.
£3,150
www.tagheuer.com
Baume and Mercier Clifton Club
The Baume and Mercier bronze 42 mm automatic watch with date display and baton indices is not only eye-catching but affordable. Featuring a green dial encircled by an engraved bronze rotating bezel and satin-finished bronze case, the Clifton Club 10503 offers a stylish, sporty aesthetic. This automatic watch comes on a brown calfskin strap with a black calfskin extra strap. Water-resistant to 100 metres.
£2,300
www.baume-et-mercier.com
Longines Legend Diver Bronze Men’s Watch
With expertise in watchmaking since 1832, Longines is proud to celebrate its 180th anniversary during 2012. Longines devotion to tradition, elegance and commitment to the sporting world has led to sponsoring some of the most prestigious sporting events in the world including Roland Garros, Royal Ascot, The Dubai World Cup, The Longines Royal International Horse Show and the Prix de Diane Longines. Water-Resistant to 30 metres.
£2,440
www.longines.com
Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Messner Limited Edition
Dedicated to Reinhold Messner, the legendary climber and explorer. This timepiece is a nod to all the peaks over 26,200 feet that he climbed. It fuses bronze, blue, and rose gold and the caseback features an image of the Mont Blanc mountain. Powered by the Manufacture automatic Calibre MB 29.25, with a world-time complication that includes two turning domed globes representing the northern and southern hemispheres. Water-resistant to 100 metres.
£5,300
www.montblanc.com
