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Pilots watches based on the design of the World War II “B-Uhr” observers watch continue to be popular over 50 years since their first creation and use in the war. Multiple brands have taken the basic look and either replicated it as precisely as possible or put their own slight spin on the design. French brand Sismeek has taken the foundation of the B-Uhr style and placed it in their own Seadiver collection.
There is not a lot of background information available on the brand Sismeek itself. They are a French brand and have become the official supplier to the French armed forces, such as the Submarines French Forces, Police Helicopers Forces and others. The brand claims to be Swiss and French manufactured although no details are given.
The brands latest watch, the Seadiver features a 42mm by 14.5mm 316L stainless steel case with 300M of water resistance, a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and a a screw down case back. It’s produced in limited numbers, with each variation limited to 500. The variations start with the case, either a stainless brushed case or a stainless PVD case. The next difference is between the dials. There are three variations: Commando, Officer and Pilot. The Officer and Pilot are similar in design with Arabic numbers around the dial (except for the date at 3 o’clock) but have different minute tracks and markers at 3, 6, 9 and 12. The Officer uses stick markers throughout where the Pilot has triangles at 3, 6, 9 and 12 and the minute hash marks are connected via a circle around the edge of the dial. The Commando takes cues from the Officer, but with just large numbers at 3, 6, 9 and 12 and no date window.
The hands are the same across all three different dial designs and both cases, with sword style hour and minute, and a red tipped seconds hand that captures that B-Uhr look. The bezel of each watch is unadorned except for hex screws at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, and there is a large unprotected crown is at 3 o’clock. The watches come on leather straps that are offered in six colors: Black Alpha, Grey Drop Zone, Beige Bak, Brown Tobacco, Brown Sierra and Red Legatus. The movement used in the watches is labeled as a “hybrid movement” which sounds like a Seiko kinetic; reinforced by the statement of a 150 day power reserve. There is not an exact use of the Seiko name on their website nor press release, however.
The Seadiver is an interesting watch with some nice design elements. The name is somewhat of a misnomer given the pilot heritage in the design and the lack of diver elements beyond the 300M water resistance. The brand is also a bit of an unknown which might make people hesitant. On top of that prices for the Seadiver are 749 € (about $850 USD) which some may see as steep for what it is. It still looks like a nice watch and for those with ties to the French army forces it might be a compelling buy. You can keep up with the brand on various social media sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter along with their website.
