# New Aquadive GMT (more pictures will follow)



## SNL

Introduction:

UPDATED due to extraordinary satisfied ownership. Just a few lines and this WOW.

Ok, so this is my first post to WUS and to this forum. After selling my Rolex SD a few years ago I really wanted a diver again. I did some research on this forum and several others, and saw many attractive candidates.

Obviously there were the usual suspects like the Rolex SD, Omega, Breitling, JLC and IWC. Very nice but not for me. I have already owned some of those (and other) brands (and still do) but for some reason there was something lacking. Maybe it was the fact that certain people buy those watches for status rather than true appreciation. So my search continued. I liked the Tudor Pelagos, as my father used to have a Tudor, which he sadly sold after buying a Rolex. The Tudor however was very Rolex like, which was not what I was looking for. Anyway, to cut a long story short my search ended with a retro diver: Aquadive GMT.

Now I read a lot about the company and its watches, because for me the company and service are an important part of the purchase decision. In the end watches are all about emotion and unless you are under water, time can be read from a phone with great accuracy. Because of the work I do, I researched not only comments on other fora, but also (to the extent possible) the background of those comments. It took me a little more effort, but for me it was important to have a good feeling about the company and its motives. Suffice to say that my feelings were more than satisfied. Some of the more emotional comments have been addressed below.

1) The comment that Aquadive was "only" a revived brand, with no links to the past of Aquadive but the name. In the end I decided that that comment was "malicious" and only intended to harm an ambitious team. Bugatti is also a revived brand but it has had no impact on the quality and appreciation of the car. Certain famous UK carmakers are now owned by German holdings. Does it really matter if the soul is continued or revived and is it not the matter in which it is revived and the way "heritage" is respected?

2) Then there were the raving reviews, some of them potentially biased. Some of the owners had even " flipped" the watch after ownership of only weeks or months. Having owned the watch for about two weeks now I can only imagine that this has to do with personal preference, not the (emotional and physical) quality of the watch, as for me this is the most satisfying watch ever, the Rolex SD included. This one is so much more "catching". I really hope that feeling lasts because it feels damn good!.

As you can see in the photograph, it (was and) is sitting on my wrist right now and it is a feast.









The below concise review was written and updated after several days of continued wear and ownership.

Packaging
Much nicer than the mainstream brands. I guess most of us know the typical Rolex box. IWC and JLC are more or less similar. Nice but nothing special. My Eberhard Champion came in what appeared to be a nice wooden box, but I made a scratch on it with my nail, and it is print. At least the AD seems genuine veneer with proper hinges and screws. It is also rather substantial.

Quality
Difficult to assess for somebody like me who is not an expert. I guess al watches are nice when new. I do not study my watches under magnification in general, unless I think something is wrong. To be honest, I can't really see any difference with my other watches. I just love the look and feel of the watch and I feel it is really special. More so than any of my previous and current watches and comments from friends and colleagues (even the rude ones) seem to confirm that feeling. Time will tell how it keeps. One little thing though. No explanation was provided on the GMT function and while setting it to a different time zone, the indicator jumped rather than moved smoothly. However, I think it is supposed to be this way, but a small comment in the manual would have been nice.

UPDATE (2): when changing the strap (first time I actually did that myself) I noticed that one the lug springbars came relatively easy out of one the lug holes (I also read this in another post re a 300 I think). Not sure whether there is a "standard" for lug holes or whether this is how it should work. Ones the springbars are in, the strap seems solid but for the first few days I kept checking it. UPDATE (2): I think I may understand why this happened. The Isofrane strap is actually fairly grippy on the spring bar, so if you move it with the intent of taking out the spring bar, it will grip around the springbar and act as a springbar tool.

Comfort
My wrists are just under 7 inch and I am a lefty so wear my watches on the right. Crown is on the inside so lack of a crown guard is not an issue for me. I am a typical desk diver. You need cuffs with cuff-links to wear it under a shirt. However it is amazingly comfy for what is still a fairly substantial watch.

Final words
For me this watch is everything I had hoped for. Owning the watch is nothing but pure joy and admiration for a watch (company) that has assembled/produced a watch that I really like. I hope the company will succeed in expanding its business whilst not compromising on quality and magic (or become too mainstream). If so the (revived) Aquadive will stand a great chance of becoming an iconic brand for (desk) diver for years to come.


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## powboyz

Congrads and welcome to WUS.


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## watchobs

From an aspiring Aquadive GMT future owner thanks for the straightforward & nicely written review! Congrats and glad to see you've been able to self-validate your purchase!


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## matthew P

Congratulations from another biased aquadive owner. Great choice.

My GMT hand "jumps to the minutes past the hour" the same way when being set, from my reading thats how they are supposed to work.
Ive had mine nearly a year now and it still gets the most wrist time of my 4 watches. Its holding up very well - for me its a definate keeper.
I wrote a thread and included a bunch of photo's of other strap choices if you get bored of the Blacl ISO - personally, mine now lives on the black ISO, prefer the fit and the way it looks. - best stock strap ever.


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## powboyz

matthew P said:


> View attachment 2036650
> 
> 
> Soon as they make that one right there in a 300 I am all over it!


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## mpalmer

Welcome to the forum! Congrats on your Aquadive!


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## brunemto

Also very nice, this GMT! Congrats!


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## chasecj7

You are clearly a man of impeccable taste


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## Brian883

Your experience mimics mine... I've had my GMT for a week now and can't take it off! Tremendous watch... your comments are right on the mark!


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## SNL

Thank you for all your kind comments.

I changed straps for today. The Natoband as also sold by Aquadive. A nice addition to the watch, although not as comfortable as the original Isofrane strap.


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## nervexpro55

SNL the GMT is great watch, nice choice. I still wear mine every day.


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## Spring-Diver

SNL said:


> Thank you for all your kind comments.
> 
> I changed straps for today. The Natoband as also sold by Aquadive. A nice addition to the watch, although not as comfortable as the original Isofrane strap.
> 
> View attachment 2047314


Welcome aboard SNL!!!

I love the Isofrane, but man, that looks sweet:-!

Cheers
Shannon


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## metalgear

welcome, the Aquadive gmt is a great choice and looks good from any angle due to its "3 dimensional design":










got me onto their NOS vintage offering which is even sexier. did i mention excellent value for money ?


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## arutlosjr11

Welcome to the family!


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## DonQuixote

chasecj7 said:


> You are clearly a man of impeccable taste
> View attachment 2042050


That's an awesome shot.. makes me want to grab one asap.


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## dinexus

For ages, I've been trying to 'resist temptation' by staying out of the AD forum, then this thread shows up on my Facebook feed. Lost cause. I'll own one eventually.


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## Spring-Diver

dinexus said:


> For ages, I've been trying to 'resist temptation' by staying out of the AD forum, then this thread shows up on my Facebook feed. Lost cause. I'll own one eventually.


Pull the trigger you won't regret it :-!

Cheers
Shannon


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## SNL

dinexus said:


> For ages, I've been trying to 'resist temptation' by staying out of the AD forum, then this thread shows up on my Facebook feed. Lost cause. I'll own one eventually.


I have owned more than one watch, but this one tops them all. Weird really but that is how it is. I can't explain it from a rational perspective. Just putting it on each morning and looking at it gives me a special feeling. Usually it is better to travel than to arrive. Not in this case though.

I am too biased to advise you. Good luck though.


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## alund

The more I see of these Aquadive GMT's the more I need to add one to my collection.


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## DaveandStu

Spring-Diver said:


> Pull the trigger you won't regret it :-!
> 
> Cheers
> Shannon


hey Shannon, I really want to purchase a 300 aquadive...is the crown protected enough for knocks etc...from bulldozer to boats in your opinion....all the best Dave


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## Spring-Diver

DaveandStu said:


> hey Shannon, I really want to purchase a 300 aquadive...is the crown protected enough for knocks etc...from bulldozer to boats in your opinion....all the best Dave


Yes!....I've had no issues with the lack of crown protection.

Cheers
Shannon


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## DaveandStu

Spring-Diver said:


> Yes!....I've had no issues with the lack of crown protection.
> 
> Cheers
> Shannon


thanks Shannon...


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## powboyz

DaveandStu said:


> hey Shannon, I really want to purchase a 300 aquadive...is the crown protected enough for knocks etc...from bulldozer to boats in your opinion....all the best Dave[/QUOTE
> 
> *Dave you better start training with more one arm curls using Foster's oil can beers to get ready for a 300.... heaviest diver I have even on the Iso...... *


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## DaveandStu

powboyz said:


> DaveandStu said:
> 
> 
> 
> hey Shannon, I really want to purchase a 300 aquadive...is the crown protected enough for knocks etc...from bulldozer to boats in your opinion....all the best Dave[/QUOTE
> 
> *Dave you better start training with more one arm curls using Foster's oil can beers to get ready for a 300.... heaviest diver I have even on the Iso...... *
> 
> 
> 
> Gday Jack.....have been in serious training on the xxxx's for 35 years!! needed some motivation to keep going!! They look like a beast I'd really enjoy...have a good one mate...all the best Dave
Click to expand...


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## Baguette

metalgear said:


> welcome, the Aquadive gmt is a great choice and looks good from any angle due to its "3 dimensional design":
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> got me onto their NOS vintage offering which is even sexier. did i mention excellent value for money ?


Gorgeous pair you got there!


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## amckiwi

If you get to Melb you can try the 300 on a bracelet 332 grams
I also have the 51 on iso
Plus a few others lol
(different) Stu



DaveandStu said:


> powboyz said:
> 
> 
> 
> Gday Jack.....have been in serious training on the xxxx's for 35 years!! needed some motivation to keep going!! They look like a beast I'd really enjoy...have a good one mate...all the best Dave
Click to expand...


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## DonQuixote

SNL said:


> Introduction:
> 
> UPDATED due to extraordinary satisfied ownership. Just a few lines and this WOW.
> 
> Ok, so this is my first post to WUS and to this forum. After selling my Rolex SD a few years ago I really wanted a diver again. I did some research on this forum and several others, and saw many attractive candidates.
> 
> Obviously there were the usual suspects like the Rolex SD, Omega, Breitling, JLC and IWC. Very nice but not for me. I have already owned some of those (and other) brands (and still do) but for some reason there was something lacking. Maybe it was the fact that certain people buy those watches for status rather than true appreciation. So my search continued. I liked the Tudor Pelagos, as my father used to have a Tudor, which he sadly sold after buying a Rolex. The Tudor however was very Rolex like, which was not what I was looking for. Anyway, to cut a long story short my search ended with a retro diver: Aquadive GMT.
> 
> Now I read a lot about the company and its watches, because for me the company and service are an important part of the purchase decision. In the end watches are all about emotion and unless you are under water, time can be read from a phone with great accuracy. Because of the work I do, I researched not only comments on other fora, but also (to the extent possible) the background of those comments. It took me a little more effort, but for me it was important to have a good feeling about the company and its motives. Suffice to say that my feelings were more than satisfied. Some of the more emotional comments have been addressed below.
> 
> 1) The comment that Aquadive was "only" a revived brand, with no links to the past of Aquadive but the name. In the end I decided that that comment was "malicious" and only intended to harm an ambitious team. Bugatti is also a revived brand but it has had no impact on the quality and appreciation of the car. Certain famous UK carmakers are now owned by German holdings. Does it really matter if the soul is continued or revived and is it not the matter in which it is revived and the way "heritage" is respected?
> 
> 2) Then there were the raving reviews, some of them potentially biased. Some of the owners had even " flipped" the watch after ownership of only weeks or months. Having owned the watch for about two weeks now I can only imagine that this has to do with personal preference, not the (emotional and physical) quality of the watch, as for me this is the most satisfying watch ever, the Rolex SD included. This one is so much more "catching". I really hope that feeling lasts because it feels damn good!.
> 
> As you can see in the photograph, it (was and) is sitting on my wrist right now and it is a feast.
> 
> View attachment 2034906
> 
> 
> The below concise review was written and updated after several days of continued wear and ownership.
> 
> Packaging
> Much nicer than the mainstream brands. I guess most of us know the typical Rolex box. IWC and JLC are more or less similar. Nice but nothing special. My Eberhard Champion came in what appeared to be a nice wooden box, but I made a scratch on it with my nail, and it is print. At least the AD seems genuine veneer with proper hinges and screws. It is also rather substantial.
> 
> Quality
> Difficult to assess for somebody like me who is not an expert. I guess al watches are nice when new. I do not study my watches under magnification in general, unless I think something is wrong. To be honest, I can't really see any difference with my other watches. I just love the look and feel of the watch and I feel it is really special. More so than any of my previous and current watches and comments from friends and colleagues (even the rude ones) seem to confirm that feeling. Time will tell how it keeps. One little thing though. No explanation was provided on the GMT function and while setting it to a different time zone, the indicator jumped rather than moved smoothly. However, I think it is supposed to be this way, but a small comment in the manual would have been nice.
> 
> UPDATE (2): when changing the strap (first time I actually did that myself) I noticed that one the lug springbars came relatively easy out of one the lug holes (I also read this in another post re a 300 I think). Not sure whether there is a "standard" for lug holes or whether this is how it should work. Ones the springbars are in, the strap seems solid but for the first few days I kept checking it. UPDATE (2): I think I may understand why this happened. The Isofrane strap is actually fairly grippy on the spring bar, so if you move it with the intent of taking out the spring bar, it will grip around the springbar and act as a springbar tool.
> 
> Comfort
> My wrists are just under 7 inch and I am a lefty so wear my watches on the right. Crown is on the inside so lack of a crown guard is not an issue for me. I am a typical desk diver. You need cuffs with cuff-links to wear it under a shirt. However it is amazingly comfy for what is still a fairly substantial watch.
> 
> Final words
> For me this watch is everything I had hoped for. Owning the watch is nothing but pure joy and admiration for a watch (company) that has assembled/produced a watch that I really like. I hope the company will succeed in expanding its business whilst not compromising on quality and magic (or become too mainstream). If so the (revived) Aquadive will stand a great chance of becoming an iconic brand for (desk) diver for years to come.


Awesome to see first time Aquadiver's. Great review!


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## SNL

DonQuixote said:


> Awesome to see first time Aquadiver's. Great review!


Thank you. What I should add to my review is that the watch is very accurate. Not sure how this works as the regulation indicates a greater deviation (mostly +). My watch is about 20 seconds of, measured from November 12 morning till now (Tuesday December 9, 9.21 PM). So it seems at least this watch is better than the regulation/certificate suggests. Anyone else got this experience?


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## sarwanov

It amazing watch!!
I really like it!


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