Vulcain Debuts The Skindiver Nautique 38mm Watch

For a lot of collectors and fanatics, Vulcain is synonymous with the Cricket alarm watch. Famously worn by United States President Harry Truman, and with a long-running historical past of being gifted to different U.S. Presidents to commemorate their respective inaugurations, the Vulcain Cricket is considerably of a legend throughout the world of classic watches. That mentioned, the Cricket represents only one single side of Vulcain’s wealthy historical past, and following the 2022 revival of its well-known mechanical alarm wristwatch, Vulcain has dipped again into its archives to revive the Diver Nautique. Impressed by a well-liked dive watch that first made an look in 1960, the Vulcain Skindiver Nautique 38mm faithfully recreates the core aesthetic of the classic authentic however reimagines it with barely revised proportions, trendy supplies, and modern manufacturing strategies.

When it comes to its general look, the brand new Vulcain Nautique 38mm provides a basic skindiver profile, and it encompasses a 316L stainless-steel case that measures 38mm in diameter by 12.2mm thick, which incorporates its domed sapphire crystal that sticks up above the rim of its bezel. The case itself encompasses a vertical brushed end on the tops of its lugs, and linear brushing on its sides, with high-polished bevels operating down the size of the lugs and separating the 2 brushed surfaces. Surrounding the crystal is a unidirectional rotating bezel fitted with a fully-demarcated ceramic insert, whereas the reverse facet of the case will get protected by a stable stainless-steel screw-down caseback.

On the 3 o’clock location is a signed winding crown that gives entry to the motion, and it screws right down to the case to assist create 200 meters of water resistance. Similar to you’ll anticipate from a watch with a conventional skin-diver profile, the crown on the Vulcain Nautique 38mm is barely outsized and it lacks any sort of crown guards in any way for a easy and simple general look.

On the time of launch, the Vulcain Diver Nautique 38mm is offered in two completely different colorways. The primary provides a conventional all-black look with a black ceramic bezel paired with a matte black dial that options white printing and khaki-colored Tremendous-LumiNova hour markers (ref. VUL-DI-001). The opposite Diver Nautique 38mm mannequin options the identical black ceramic bezel as its sibling, though it will get paired with a vertical brushed blue dial that additionally has white printing and khaki-colored Tremendous-LumiNova markers (ref. VUL-DI-002).

Apart from the colour, the general design of the 2 dials is similar, with an easy time-only show, geometric shapes for the hour markers, and a trio of centrally-mounted arms. The hour and minute arms seem as easy baton shapes with high-polished surfaces and matching khaki-colored Tremendous-LumiNova inlays, whereas the seconds hand is an easy skinny needle with none sort of luminous sections in any way. The dial on the Nautique 38mm is about as conventional because it will get for divers from a design standpoint, though it’s properly proportioned, with the minute hand extending all the best way to succeed in the markers of the minute observe.

Powering the Vulcain Diver Nautique 38mm is the tried-and-true ETA 2824 automated motion, which may be very a lot a identified amount and doubtless the one mostly used Swiss-made mechanical caliber throughout the total watch trade. Realistically talking, the ETA 2824 provides moderately middle-of-the-road specs, and it runs at a well-known frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) whereas providing customers an influence reserve of roughly 38 hours. That mentioned, the ETA 2824 can also be the definition of a confirmed design, and it provides rock-solid reliability and unparalleled serviceability, as substitute components are in ample provide and may be sourced from nearly any nook of the world.

Whereas in-house actions are very a lot on-trend nowadays and might provide each tighter timekeeping tolerances and longer durations of autonomy, they’re additionally virtually all the time accompanied by larger service prices, together with fewer choices relating to the permitted events who can really perform the service itself. Though they will not be probably the most attention-grabbing from a purely horological perspective, dependable third-party calibers just like the ETA 2824 are finally probably the most sensible choices relating to powering fairly priced mechanical sports activities watches.

Regardless of having completely different coloured dials, each variations of the Vulcain Skindiver Nautique 38mm are fitted with the very same strap. That includes a normal two-piece design and constructed from black leather-based with a carbon fiber sample on its exterior floor, the strap for the Nautique 38mm is accomplished by a chrome steel pin buckle that’s signed with Vulcain’s V-shaped emblem.

Since there isn’t any point out of this strap being waterproof, you’ll probably need to swap it out for one thing constructed from both rubber or nylon must you plan on carrying the Vulcain Nautique 38mm in any sort of aquatic setting. Nevertheless, because the strap itself options built-in quick-release springbars, strap adjustments may be carried out inside only a few seconds and gained’t require using any instruments. Even nonetheless, on condition that the Nautique 38mm is a dive watch with a 200-meter depth ranking, it will have been good to see an extra water-friendly strap choice included with it, even when it was only a easy NATO or a two-piece rubber various.

From a design standpoint, a vintage-inspired skindiver is likely one of the extra frequent kinds of watches being produced nowadays, and it may virtually be seen as considerably of a secure play for a model. Nevertheless, it’s necessary to keep in mind that Vulcain’s signature mannequin is more-or-less the polar reverse of a no-frills skindiver, and now having the Nautique 38mm alongside the Cricket alarm watch and its moderately dressy retro chronographs finally goes a great distance in the direction of rounding out Vulcain’s present lineup.

With an official retail value of CHF 1,490, which interprets to roughly $1,600 USD on the time of launch (the precise CHF value mechanically will get transformed to your particular forex on the present trade price), the brand new Vulcain Skindiver Nautique 38mm is now probably the most accessibly priced mannequin throughout the model’s trendy catalog. Whereas a retro skindiver is hardly revolutionary from a design perspective, it’s simple {that a} easy utilitarian sports activities watch was considerably of a gap in Vulcain’s trendy catalog, and the brand new Nautique 38mm fills that area completely, whereas additionally persevering with the pattern of Vulcain dipping into its archives to revive previous fan-favorite designs. For extra info, please go to the model’s web site.