Latest Review
May 15, 2025 
The second annual Windup in a Bay expedition brought the Windup spirit straight to the Monterey Bay Area, running in tandem with the Windup Watch Fair San Francisco. This year’s adventure wasn’t just about diving—it was about building a full-circle experience, starting with a scenic campout at Elkhorn Ranch, and culminating in an open-water dive off the dramatic coast of Carmel.
Returning as the dive watch sponsor was Marathon Watch Company, whose reputation for hard-use, no-nonsense dive watches is second to none. New to the mix: Prometheus Design Werx, coming aboard as the official gear sponsor and loading out the crew with equipment designed to meet every challenge, whether by land or by sea.
Campout: Firelight, Field Tests, and First Impressions
The night before the dive, the team set up camp along the windswept dunes of Elkhorn. The Pacific air was crisp, and that’s where the Prometheus Design Werx gear, born in the Bay Area for use the world over, first showed its mettle.
Layers mattered. As the foggy chill rolled in, Asha Wagner threw on her Orion Merino Hoodie in Jager Blue. While Chris Sohl, Brock Stevens and Aaron Potash stayed comfortable in their Raider Field Pant EC and toasty in their 100% merino wool A.G. Watch Caps. Around the fire, the team tested out the Ti-Line 600ML Mini Pot/Mug and lid, with Brock handling the setup to brew up much-needed coffee, while everyone broke out their May The Spork Be With You titanium sporks to keep dinner simple and efficient.
For fire prep and campsite tasks, knives came into heavy use. Sohl kept his Invictus-SP Folding Knife handy in bright orange (easy to spot if dropped in the dark), while Brock made use of the Narwhal-AT Knife and even tested out the STS-SFLT (Fixie) Prototype Knife—cutting paracord, slicing campfire-seared carne asada, and generally putting them through their paces.
Gear hauling was made effortless with the Road Warrior 45L Duffels in Tiger Stripe, which carried everything from sleeping bags to dry suits. Chris and Aaron also packed their essentials into the S.H.A.D.O. 25L Backpacks, which saw action at camp, as well as later on the shore cliffs.
Dive Day: Watches in Their Element
The next morning, with camp broken and gear stowed, the team headed down to Carmel in search of rocks, cliffs, kelp, and surf. Here, Marathon’s dive watches would transition seamlessly to a life support application, mission-timing beneath the surface, while PDW’s compasses alongside provided reliable navigation at a glance.
Brock Stevens, Navy Diver, passionate watch enthusiast, and talented photographer (as well as genuinely one of the nicest guys in the watch game), strapped on the Arctic OSAR-D, its white dial providing maximum legibility even in turbid conditions. Brock says,“The Arctic OSAR-D is built like a tank. Even in that murky Pacific water, the dial was incredibly easy to read. Above water, the Narwhal-AT knife was my go-to—seriously sharp and versatile at camp.”
Asha Wagner, a professional Fire Captain, a Hazardous Materials Specialist, member of a National Disaster Response Task Force, and an ardent diver, wore the classic GSAR. “The GSAR is a tried and true, hard use tool watch with a history tied to the Bay Area,” says Asha. “It was perfectly suited for this dive in 50 degree Fahrenheit water, as read on the temperature gauge insert in the PDW expedition compass case.”
Aaron Potash of Original Oaktown Divers guided the dive. He’s a private NAUI SCUBA instructor and a classic California diver, experienced in teaching everything from Basic Open Water to Divemaster. Like Brock, he paired his kit with an OSAR-D, this time in 46mm proportion. Aaron shared, “The OSAR-D handled everything we threw at it—cold, dark, rough water—it never flinched. With the Arctic dial, it was super easy to read underwater. The PDW wrist compass proved itself beyond land-based use, keeping us right on course as I navigated the underwater features of Butterfly House, one of the most majestic spots on the California coast. On land, I lived in my Chase Hoodie and Stratus Hoodie—warm, breathable, and perfect for shrugging off the cold breeze and the spray.”
Chris Sohl, or Sohl as he’s best known, was the organizer of the expedition. He is a moderator and dive guru behind The Grey NATO Slack Community, with a passion for bringing enthusiasts together. He’s also a technical diver with over 9 years of diving experience and volunteers with the Man in the Sea Museum located in Panama City Beach, Florida. He pushed his Marathon MSAR, built for compact yet rugged performance. He adds, “The MSAR punches way above its weight class. It’s compact but super capable, and just as fit-for-purpose as its bigger brethren. I fell in love with it over the course of our expedition. The Invictus-ATSP knife from Terrain 365 also shined both in and out of the water. That blade is literally rust-proof, and the Terravantium alloy holds a much better edge than any titanium dive knife”
Once submerged, the reliability of these watches was on full display. Cold, surging currents, dense kelp forest, and rocky outcroppings made for challenging conditions—but every diver’s Marathon timepiece performed flawlessly, keeping the team safe and on schedule throughout the dive. Underwater visibility was limited, but the high-contrast, always-luminescent dials cut through the murk, allowing for fast checks at depth.
A Perfect Match: Watches + Gear = Community
This year’s Windup in a Bay wasn’t just a dive—it was a full-spectrum test of craftsmanship and capability. Prometheus Design Werx’s gear kept the crew fed, warm, and expertly prepared in camp, and transported everything to the cold water’s edge; Marathon’s watches kept them safe and precise under the waves. Together, these tools—and the people who rely on them—created a seamless blend of form and function.
As the expedition wrapped, there was a deep, shared satisfaction in gear that worked hard, watches that stayed true, and a community that thrives on adventure.
Big thanks to Marathon and Prometheus Design Werx for making this all possible, and to our dive crew—Brock Stevens, Asha Wagner, Aaron Potash, and Chris Sohl—for pushing through every element California threw at them. Thanks also to Roberta at Elkhorn Ranch for being such a great hostess.
From the campfire glow in Elkhorn, to the deep, cold dives off Carmel, this year’s Windup weekend captured everything we love about exploration and the gear that gets us there. Here’s to building on this success and making next year’s adventure even bigger.
