Deep Blue Watches has been around since before the micro brand market reached the high point it is today.  In fact, I would argue they were one of the pioneers that brought us alternative watch choices that deviated from the same big-name group of brands.  For over a decade, they have been provided tool watches that prioritize performance. 

I have always been intrigued by the brand, as they arrived on the scene around the time when I was beginning to collect watches.  Today, it seems like most brands are shifting their priorities to ones that highlights aesthetes over performance. I decided to give Deep Blue Watches a try, to see how they lived up to their performance-first reputation.

The Watch

Saying the brand prioritizes performance implies it ignores aesthetics.  This would be incorrect. I decided to give the 1000-meter panda chronograph a try, specifically because of its aesthetics.    

• Size: 40mm

• Thickness: 15mm

• Lug Width: 22mm

• Water Resistance: 1000ft/330m

• Crystal: AR Coated Sapphire

• Super Luminova Indices and Hands

• Complication: Day/Date

The watch features a classic “panda” design: A white dial with black chronograph subdials.  The black diver bezel sports a bold white text that contrasts well and offers high visibility.  A splash of color is added with the orange second hand that really ties this design together.

This piece is chubby. The 40mm diameter is a great wearable size, and paired with the 15mm thickness, it holds some strong wrist presence.  This thickness is to be expected, with such a great water resistance.  To go with this water resistance, the chronograph pushers can be screwed down, and a helium escape valve can be found at the 10 o’clock position.

Details

Something that stuck out in my buying experience was the strap/bracelet option available for each watch.  A buyer has the option to get this (or most other watches) in a rubber (fitted end) strap, engineering SS bracelet, oyster SS bracelet, or jubilee SS bracelet. The bracelets are very heavy duty and some of the sturdiest I’ve ever owned. The rubber strap follows suit.  This was a great detail, as many brands have only one option for each of their models.

What can I say? I love blue lume.  That will always be something I appreciate and point out.

Something I don’t usually mention (because I rarely notice) is the small text on the dial.  Usually, I’m not a fan of a lot of text on dials, but I found the very small font to be oddly satisfying because of crisp it was.  Under the “Deep Blue” text and logo, the words “Precision Diver” can be see in minuscule font.  It is very crisp, legible, but very small.

Conclusion

As a big fan of performance-based watches, Deep Blue seemed like a natural fit for me.  This brand can definitely hold its own, if not exceed, against some of the great tool watch brands, like Luminox and Victorinox that are popular among enthusiast for their “toughness”.  There’s a reason Deep Blue is popular among military, divers, and other field personnel.  While Deep Blue prioritizes performance, they do so offering some beautiful designs at a great price.

Below is an unboxing video that shows what you get when you buy this piece, including dimension measuring and a lume shot.