Circula Introduces the SuperSport, a True Super Compressor

You might remember that the last time we brought you news about German brand Circula, it was to talk about the Heritage Hand-Wound, a simple dress watch using a vintage movement from the 1970s. This was in the spring of 2020, and in the relatively short span of time since the release of the Heritage Hand-Wound, we’ve seen a number of other brands release similar watches with vintage, new-old-stock, or refurbished movements. There’s something undeniably charming about it. Circula’s latest watch is quite different, but feels similar in the way it reaches back into the past. The SuperSport is a vintage inspired dive watch that not only has a compressor style case, but is an actual working compressor. 

It’s incredibly common these days for watch brands to use compressor style cases (those with two crowns, one to control an inner bezel ring, the other for time setting and winding) to hint at the past, but they typically stop short of giving these cases true compressor functionality. This is understandable, as advances in materials and watch manufacturing have advanced to the point where a compressor case, which effectively becomes more watertight the deeper it goes, is no longer the high end in dive watch technology. Simply put, like mechanical watches themselves, they’re technically obsolete. So it’s fascinating whenever a brand decides to go the extra step and actually manufacture a compressor case. It’s been done relatively recently by Christopher Ward and Farer, and now Circula has entered this vanishingly small sub-market for specialty dive watches. (For a crash course in how compressor cases actually work, and in some of the watches that made these cases so notable, be sure to check out our guide right here).

The principle behind compressors is relatively simple, and Circula’s SuperSport doesn’t reinvent the wheel in how their watch maintains water resistance at depth. Physics essentially takes over when the watch is under pressure, with the watch’s case back being compressed to seal more tightly to the case and the associated gaskets for a seal that becomes increasingly tight at deeper and deeper depths (the SuperSport is rated to 300 meters). The design of the watch is reminiscent of vintage compressors, with a 40mm stainless steel case and sandwich style dials in teal, silver, and dark gray. Each dial variant has colorful contrast colors, and the watches are mounted on an H-link bracelet with polished center links. These elements were selected by Circula customers and fans, who voted on various design aspects of the watch during the course of its development. In total, over 4,500 votes were cast, according to Circula. 

The SuperSport is powered by an automatic Sellita movement, and are currently available for pre-order at a price of (approximately) $699, a price which includes two rubber straps in addition to the bracelet. The price will go up by $100 once the pre-order period expires in the middle of October, and the watches are expected to ship beginning in December. Circula