When the majority of people envision a dive watch, the initial association is often the visually strong serrated bezel. However, there emerged another style of diver during the early days of recreational diving that gained significant popularity – the Super Compressor. It’s important to clarify that the Super Compressor was not a watch itself but rather a patented watch case design utilized by numerous watch companies.
The defining visual feature of these watches is an inner rotating bezel and a double-crown system. One crown would control the inner bezel, while the other was responsible for adjusting and winding the movement.
While this style continues to be highly sought after, advancements in materials and case construction have rendered the original architecture developed by EPSA unnecessary. Nowadays, we mostly encounter Compressor-style watches that embrace the spirit of the early Compressor divers rather than replicating their construction method.
The wide range of Super Compressor watches available means that those seeking a remarkable vintage dive watch have numerous choices, some of which are remarkably affordable.
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Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver Compressor
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: NH35
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Case Width: 40 mm
- Water Resistance: 200 m
- Price: Under $300
The Dan Henry 1970 is a limited edition timepiece–there are only 1970 pieces out there. It provides great legibility with large handset and indexes. There are different color combinations available, and all of them have great color contrast on the dial, making them highly visible at depths where light may be limited. The 1970 has a two crown design, the 2 o’clock crown operates the inner rotating bezel while the 4 o’clock crown adjusts the date and time. A unique choice, this is not a watch you will see on every corner.
Longines Legend Diver
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: L888
- Power Reserve: 72 hours
- Case Width: 42 mm
- Lug Distance: 22 mm
- Water Resistance: 300 m
- Price: Under $2,000
The Longines Legend Diver is a modern interpretation of a classic 1960s diver watch that is part of the brand’s Heritage collection. It maintains the same design elements as the original timepiece, but has been updated with current technical features. This vintage-inspired timepiece with the mesh bracelet is perfect as an everyday watch, and would be an excellent addition to any collection!
Spinnaker Bradner
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: NH35
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Case Width: 42 mm
- Lug Distance: 20 mm
- Price: Under $400
The Spinnaker Bradner is a great quality and surprisingly stunning dive watch for everyday use as well as for action packed adventures. It perfectly balances vintage design elements and modern appearance to make it a suitable pick as an everyday go-to watch. The very reliable tried and tested NH35 automatic movement with the 41-hour power reserve, the scratch resistant sapphire crystal, along with the brushed stainless steel case and bracelet make this watch a great everyday beater. Due to the subtle elegant additions (like the beads of rice bracelet design) it can easily be worn to dressier occasions as well.
Phoibos Eagle Ray
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: NH35
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Case Width: 41 mm
- Lug Distance: 20 mm
- Price: Under $400
Phoibos is an exciting new brand that’s gaining popularity. The Eagle Ray comes with a bright green dial color. The paddle-style hour and minute hands combined with the lollipop second hand is a classic choice that goes really well with the retro-inspired compressor style dive watch. The Eagle Ray has the NH35 caliber automatic movement (provided by Seiko). The 41 mm case width is an excellent size for most wrists.
Oris Chronoris Date
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: Oris 733 (Sellita SW200 base)
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Case Width: 39 mm
- Price: Around $1,500
Usually, compressor dive watches have a retro feel, not just because of the cushion case and the classic internal rotating bezel, but because of the colors on the dial as well. That’s where the Oris Chronoris Date is different: the black and gray dial is paired with a vibrant red secondary color for the hour indices and second hand. There is no faux patina ( or fauxtina), but a bright and modern color instead. A great combination of a retro-inspired design foundation and modern functionality.
Alpina Seastrong Dive 300 Heritage
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: AL-525
- Power Reserve: 38 hours
- Case Width: 42 mm
- Price: Around $1,500
Alpina watches are often unfairly overlooked, and we think the Seastrong Dive 300 Heritage deserves some spotlight. The classic compressor look has a few interesting design solutions on the dial. The arrow hand for the minute hand (not the hour hand as we usually see) becomes the center of attention. The date window is placed in an unorthodox way, between the 3 and 4 o’clock position. The cream dial and black internal rotating bezel gives a fun contrast. The AL-525 automatic caliber provides a 38-hour power reserve, and the 42 mm case width is a great size for most wrists.
Baltic Aquascape Dual-Crown Blue
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: Miyota 9039
- Power Reserve: 42 hours
- Case Width: 39 mm
- Water Resistance: 200 m
- Price: Around $650
Baltic is quickly becoming a favorite among watch enthusiasts, and it’s easy to see why. The 39 mm wide case is a great size for all wrists, and the brushed stainless steel with the deep blue dial color give an overall elegant look. The two crown are slightly serrated, and their engraved grid finish gives all the texture we need. The Miyota 9039 caliber automatic Japanese movement is a reliable movement with 42 hours of power reserve.
Ball Engineer Master II Diver GMT
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: BALL RR1201
- Power Reserve: 42 hours
- Case Width: 42 mm
- Water Resistance: 300 m
- Price: Around $1,500
The Ball Engineer Master II Diver GMT is a very serious watch. The black DLC stainless steel case paired with black rubber strap and a black dial creates a rugged look. This robust design is further emphasized with the contrasts on the dial: bright white hour indices and minute markers, the hour and minute hands are obelisque design to complement the busy -but not over-crowded – dial. The Engineer Master II Diver GMT, as the name suggests, has GMT functionality. The bright yellow GMT hours are placed towards the center of the watch, and the GMT hand has the same bright yellow color. Overall, a very modern looking, robust watch!
Seiko SRPB31
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: 4R36
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Case Width: 42 mm
- Water Resistance: 100 m
- Price: Around $200
The Seiko SRPB31 is a great quality watch – something we can count on when we look at Seiko watches. The crowns are positioned at 2 and 3 o’clock, and the day-date window is positioned at 3 o’clock as well, tipping the balance a bit to one side of the watch. The picked colors are an interesting combination as well. The dial, and the bigger part of the internal rotating bezel are black, while we have a vibrant red color for the first 22.5 minutes – an odd decision. The hour indices with the orange color definitely provide great visibility, however, the strong colors might limit the options for outfits.
Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor
Specs:
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: Sellita SW200-1
- Power Reserve: 38 hours
- Case Width: 41 mm
- Water Resistance: 150 m
- Price: Under $1,500
The C65 Super Compressor is truly an authentic super compressor diving watch. The vintage-inspired look is paired with a vibrant sunray blue dial color, and a red accent color for the minute and second hand. Flip it over, and the exhibition caseback proudly displays the crucial compression spring and diving-bell emblem. With its sleek profile and retro design, the C65 Super Compressor embodies the essence of a mid-century professional diving instrument, crafted to meet the demands of the modern era.
In the late 1950s, Ervin Piquerez SA (EPSA) introduced the (Super)compressor dive watch, which featured a patented spring mechanism positioned between the case and the caseback. This innovative system allowed the watch to become increasingly water-resistant as it descended to greater depths, as the mounting pressure progressively sealed the case more tightly. Timepieces utilizing this construction method often boasted water-resistance ratings of 200 meters or higher.
Super Compressor dive watches have two crowns because of the internal rotating bezel. To turn the inner bezel, you’ll have to use the crown at 2 o’clock position. The crown at the 4 o’clock position (sometimes at the 3 o’clock position) is used to adjust time.
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