Introducing the Patravi ScubaTec

For Carl F. Bucherer, something was missing – a dive watch. Carl F. Bucherer’s newest member of the Patravi family is the ScubaTec. Harkening back to the days of its predecessor, the Archimedes, the company offers a functional and stylish diver – ready for underwater exploration or corporate life behind a desk. This year is the company’s 125th anniversary, so it seems fitting for them to return to their roots. We welcome back this missing piece of the puzzle, which reunites Carl F. Bucherer with the sea and may reunite some customers with Carl F. Bucherer.

The watch looks good. Gorgeous even, if you can say such a thing about a masculine diving watch. Instead of repristinating the Archimedes, the ScubaTec clearly belongs to the Patravi family. Interrupting the predominately black color of the dial and bezel is the blue 15 minute bezel section for shorter decompression stops during ascent and a thin blue line sandwiched on the screw down crown. The rigged crown sits nice and secure between two crown guards and features the brand’s logo embossed on it.

The company says the glowing blue symbolizes the sea. The watch comes with a shimmering steel bracelet, using a combination of brushed and polished finishes to disperse the light like the water’s surface. A rubber strap is also available, but we prefer the bold presence the steel bracelet adds. The diving clasp of the bracelet with integrated extension allows for adjustments when wearing a rubber wet suit.

On the front, the 44.6mm case provides a spacious and legible dial. Etched across the dial is a wave-like pattern, creating a light catching texture. The applied batons decline toward the chapter ring with a combination of raised indices at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock and wedges elsewhere; a double application adorns 12 o’clock for upwards orientation. Turn the watch over, and two manta rays grace the case back. Down to the smallest of details, the ScubaTec commands a handsome style.

Watch technology has come a long way since the day of the Archimedes, and the ScubaTec takes full advantage. When it comes to diving, the ScubaTec has a depth rating of 500m, a nearly 4mm thick sapphire crystal, and a helium escape valve. The watch is a certified COSC chronometer, meaning its in-house CFB 1950.1 caliber has been tested to the highest standards of accuracy. The movement has a common 38 hour power reserve and a date complication with white background. Despite the appealing classicism of the 1970 Archimedes, we prefer the advantages of an updated Patravi ScubaTec.

A trend for top dive watches is the use of a ceramic bezel. This bezel is a combination of a steel and ceramic, and the ceramic not only makes for a tougher bezel, which might bang against anything in the boat, but adds a richer presentation of the color. The unidirectional bezel turns to record elapsed time, and the bezel’s outer perimeter has ergonomic sections, etched for grip.

Black, this watch’s dial color, is the least visible color at depth, but a clean blue lume insures visibility. Super luminova coats the hands and indices on the dial and bezel. In the dark, the skeletonized hour hand will float as only an arrow tip while the minute hand will be fully visible. The downward arrow of the bezel has a nice large dollop of lume, and so that the diver knows the watch is running, the seconds hand has an illuminated tip.

The ScubaTec is a ready dive watch. More importantly, it heralds Carl Bucherer’s serious intention to provide an expanded watch collection. Bravo.

Some specifications

• Case: stainless steel, steel/ceramic bezel, automatic helium valve, screw-down crown, sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, water-resistant to 500 m (50 atm), diameter 44,6 mm, height 13.45 mm
• Movement: automatic, CFB 1950.1 caliber, chronometer, diameter 26.2 mm, height 4.6 or 4.8 mm, 25 or 26 jewels, power reserve 38 hours
• Functions: date, hours, minutes, seconds
• Strap: stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap with diving clasp

For more info about Carl F. Bucherer timepieces, please visit their official website or one of the retailers.