New for W&W 2023: U-Boat Sommerso Dive Watches
Tuesday - 25 April 2023
U-Boat’s new Sommerso dive watches are offered in burgundy, deep green and navy blue details – each one equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel and a 300-meter water resistance for plenty of underwater exploration.
A little about U-boat
U-boat is all about oversized watches that have bold, distinct personalities. With innovative left-sided crowns and high resistance to most extreme outdoor conditions, these masterpieces can be considered ideal for explorations, especially since some were originally designed for military purposes when Ilvo Fontana drew up his first designs for the Italian Navy. These instruments would not come to fruition, however, until his grandson discovered the designs in 2000 and brought them to life, opening the business and creating a whole “New Dimension In Time” as Italo Fontana worded it.
U-boat watches have always had bold, powerful and influential personalities and bring to life the spirit of those first drawings from 1942. Since the birth of the company, U-Boat has gained an exclusive following of dedicated fans that love the unique and instantly recognisable look of these Italian wristwatches. Within that fan base are celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and David Beckham who enjoy the presence of these watches on their wrist. Pushing the envelope on creativity, U-Boat watches are characterised by features such as their left-sided crowns, highly domed sapphire crystal glass tops, oversized cases and oil-filled designs. The brand is also a master in case manufacturing and uses several materials to build its sturdy instruments, including steel, carbon, ceramic, tungsten and titanium.
U-boat watches come in various styles and can be used for various scenarios depending on their functions. Whilst those from the Capsoil collection offer a case filled with oil that not only magnifies the elements on the dial but balances pressure within the way, the Classic watch collection is large, simple and perfect for pretty much any occasion. The Capsule collection is inspired by the bathysphere measuring instruments from the 1930s. The designs from this range create a 3D-effect that appears bezel-less with a sapphire glass that domes over the top of the case and meets the material of the case sides to create a different view of the dial from a unique angle. The Sommerso watch collection by U-Boat, however, is perfect for keen divers since it offers a range of models. Crafted from stainless steel and, since 2020, a bronze model - these watches are fitted with a unidirectional rotating bezel and offer a broad and simplified dial that is perfect for reading the time at a glance. The watch also features the patented left-sided crown structure and the dial features luminescent details that assist with timekeeping when experiencing dark environments.
The new U-Boat Sommerso watches for 2023
For the Watches & Wonders 2023 event this year, U-Boat unveiled severalinnovative models from the Capsule, the Darkmoon, the Dopiottempo and the Sommerso collections. We’re going to look at the latter today. The new U-boat Sommerso 46mm watches come in burgundy, navy blue and dark green shades, the latter of which feature two-toned bezels. The burgundy iteration, however, features an all-black filled bezel. These broad watches span 46mm from case edge to case edge and have been fitted with a scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass top that protects each of three different coloured dials from moisture, heat, denting, light and scratching. Whether you plan to take the new U-Boat Sommerso watch on a dive or not, the movement inside the case and the watch’s internal environment is safe down to depths of 300 meters. Although packed full of features that are geared towards scuba divers and those that frequently take to the water, you don’t have to be a professional diver to appreciate all the great features of this watch.
The unidirectional bezel of the new U-boat Sommerso watches is an essential part of the dive watch’s tool kit and will rotate only in the counter-clockwise direction to ensure that dive time is never accidentally extended whilst down there. The first 20 minutes of the navy blue and deep green models are highlighted in a vibrant hue that matches the rich colour of its two-toned dial, whilst the red version features an all-black bezel. The ceramic insert of the bezel frames a dial that begins with a top colour in blue, green or burgundy and gradually merges into a rich blackness towards the south of the dial. Upon this display is an hour track represented by stick markers and Arabic numerals that are treated with Super-LumiNova to match the bold central hands. Upon the dial is an additional 24-hour scale with a vibrant red arrow-tipped hand to match the ”Sommerso” lettering and the tip of the minutes hand. A cyclops window above the date feature is located at the unconventional location of 9 o’clock, where the patented protective crown structure can be found, complete with a cap design and a hinge that reveals the crown underneath. The back of the new U-boat Sommerso 46mm watch is sealed and secured with seven screws, concealing an automatic movement behind.
The Sellita SW200 sits behind this solid stainless steel caseback and performs at a rate of 28, 800 vibration per hour providing a total power reserve of 41 hours once fully wound. If you like the boldness and the sportiness of U-Boat’s line of diver-friendly Sommerso watches, you’re going to love the vibrantly coloured burgundy, navy blue and deep green versions of the watch for 2023. The models are all fitted on a stainless steel bracelet or a vulcanised black rubber strap embossed with the bold U-boat lettering. For more information on these new watches, call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team today on 01335 453453.