The Piccard has re-established a new aesthetic in dive watch design.

Seldom do watches invoke such a visceral reaction as the Spinnaker Piccard. Of course there are other timepieces we can reel off that invoke sensations like the Piccard, but for all intents and purposes, this post is about Spinnaker’s crown jewel.

This isn’t our first Spinnaker watch, that gong belongs to the super cool (and Japan only release) CROFT x Wena3 watch. Being impressed with the build quality of the CROFT x Wena3, it didn’t take long to look for my next Spinnaker. Enter the Piccard.

Some watches don’t just tell the time, they tell a story, and in the case of Spinnaker’s Piccard timepiece, it’s storytelling is quite historic. If you are unfamiliar with the story, this all goes back to 1960, when the Trieste, the Swiss-designed, Italian-built deep-diving bathyscaphe became the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench – the deepest point in Earth’s seabed.

Where the Piccard watch gets its name is from the Swiss scientist and designer of the bathyscaphe, Auguste Piccard, and his son, oceanographer Jacques Piccard, who with US Navy lieutenant Don Walsh, were the two-person crew to descend to the deepest point on the planet at 10,916 metres (35,814 ft).

With history behind its name, the Spinnaker Piccard definitely lives up to it’s namesake, including its much talked about and most unique feature – the ultra domed “bubble” sapphire crystal, which is in the shape of Trieste’s porthole window, which allowed its crew to view what was on the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

The Spinnaker Piccard isn’t for the faint of heart, especially for those that prefer a lightweight watch or a watch case size no bigger than 42mm. The Piccard is beast of a watch, measuring 45mm in diameter and an eye-popping 21mm in thickness, thanks to its ultra domed, scratch resistant, sapphire crystal with anti-reflecting coating. Lug to lug measurement is 52mm, making the Piccard sit quite nicely on a 7″ wrist.

The matching brushed stainless-steel case and bracelet add to the premium look and feel of the Piccard. Speaking of the bracelet, its fold over buckle with safety lock and push buttons, ensures that the 250g watch is held secure on the wrist. The coin-edge bezel with black ceramic plate with its lumed upside-down triangle at 12H and signed crown at 3H complete the quality of this timepiece.

In the heart of this beast is the ubiquitous TMI (Seiko) automatic NH35 movement, beating at 21,600 bph, providing a reliable 41 hour power reserve. Anyone that knows their calibers will know that the NH35 is a reliable and durable automatic movement.

Having such a robust watch on your wrist, you remain confident with its diving capabilities, with it’s water resistance rating set at 550m or as it has on the rehaute, 300 Fathoms! There is also an automatic regulating helium release valve at 10H.

With all these specifications you would think that the Piccard would be unwieldy to wear. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as Spinnaker has designed and created a unique beauty that sits perfectly on the wrist thanks to its lower centre of gravity. At no point did the Piccard feel like it would spin or topple over from its position.

The Piccard hasn’t left my wrist since it arrived, which speaks volumes of the timepiece – it is just so good and ticks all the right boxes for a dive watch that is an instant conversation starter. With the current Hunter Green model of the Piccard on special for US$299 / AU$460, the watch is amazing value. For a watch well under AU$1,000, you get a lot for your money in the Piccard. Even though this watch has no reference to Star Trek, to quote its famous Starfleet captain, Jean-Luc Picard – if you are after a quality dive watch under $1K, then “Make It So” and grab a Piccard!

Specifications:

• Movement : Japan NH35 TMI Automatic
• Case Material : Stainless Steel
• Case Color: Stainless Steel
• Case Diameter (mm) : 45
• Case Thickness (mm) : 21
• Lug to Lug (mm) : 52
• Lens : Ultra Domed Scratch Resistant Shaped Sapphire Lens with Anti-Reflecting Coating
• Bezel : Unidirectional Bezel with Black Ceramic Plate
• Dial Color: Black
• Band : 22mm Stainless Steel Bracelet with Fold Over Buckle, Safety Lock and Push Button
• Water Resistance : 550m