Photo Report: Diving Lake Michigan with Benrus and the New Ultra-Deep

During the Windup Watch Fair in Chicago this year Benrus took the opportunity to introduce a familiar dive watch to their expanding collection, with a re-issue of the classic Ultra-Deep. The small watch made a big impression on a select group of divers who were given the opportunity to explore a shipwreck east of Chicago under the crisp waves of Lake Michigan with the watch in tow. A similar dive expedition took place during the fair in Chicago last year as well, which makes this something of a tradition unfolding. We weren’t in the water this year with the divers, but were on hand to witness them at work, and see some of the watches worn in action, including the new Benrus Ultra-Deep. 

I see and deal with plenty of dive watches here at Worn & Wound, heck I own enough to create a private special forces squad of sorts, but the act itself always falls into slightly conceptual territory, as I am not a certified diver. That will be changing soon, however, in large part thanks to my experiences on this trip. Witnessing the gear-centric commotion felt strangely foreign apart from the very familiar watches that took their places right alongside high-tech dive computers. One takeaway here is that there is a lot of gear involved in diving. I could barely identify anything beyond the facemasks and knives, presenting a bevy of eye candy for a curious newcomer.

Seeing how mechanical watches fit into this context was an eye opening experience, especially compared to the marketing materials I’m used to seeing from the brands creating these watches. Every piece of every kit I observed served a distinct purpose, as either a primary resource or a redundancy to those systems. Not an inch was wasted here. As such, seeing old school watches occupy a valuable slice of real estate on the wrist of each diver, generally opposite their computer, crystalised the role they can and still play. This was a Benrus sponsored dive trip, but there were watches of all stripes present, from the likes of Sinn, Tudor, Seiko, and Doxa (all the usual suspects, really), revealing that these things do still have a place in this world afterall. 

The divers on this trip were of immensely impressive pedigree, and hearing how they put their watches to use on dives served as a bit of validation for the true dive/tool watch. It wasn’t extreme depth ratings or a specific function that dominated the discussion, it was far simpler. Part totem of their load out, part analog redundancy, the watches here all served somewhat personal purposes, but each diver that I spoke with had a connection to not just the watch, but their entire kit, and how it’s set up to suit their needs each time they get into the water.

This particular dive was less than 50ft in depth, which is around 15 meters. Open water dive certification allows for depths of up to 60ft, or ~18.2 meters. Anything further generally requires more advanced training. I saw this to put some of the numbers we quibble about into perspective. A 100 meter depth rating on a watch may earn sneers, but it’s well within the range of most recreational dives. Something to keep in mind before you let that alter your next purchase decision. 

The watch being released by Benrus on this trip is a re-issue of the original Ultra-Deep, complete with 36.5mm super compressor style case. The divers were given the opportunity to dive with the watch in one of their two sessions at the wreck, allowing for a trial by fire introduction to the new watch. Each sample handled the dive with ease (no leaks under the acrylic crystal), and looked absolutely at home within the hustle bustle of dive gear and associated commotion. A large set of crowns set on the right side of the case gave the watch a bit more visual weight than you’d expect given the measurements. We’ll have more on this watch, and how it performed under water on the wrist of our friend Jason Heaton, who dove with the watch exclusively. Keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks. 

Until then, enjoy these images of the excursion, and stay tuned for our documentation of getting open water dive certified, as well as more dive trips coming soon.