Let's start with a big thank you to the team that helped us create the, now fully developed, Helicon Master.
In the time our new watch was being created we, like everybody globally, were hit with Covid-19. However, we at Helicon continued to focus on this project with undiminished passion and energy with many people working from their homes, their offices, their benches and machines.
As we have previously alluded, the Helicon Master case was the focus of a huge amount of detail and development. The diameter, lug to lug thickness, weight and balance were all key elements of the watch we really wanted Helicon customers to love to wear.
Luckily through email, Zoom and the excellent courier network, development continued and we were given excellent communication and support. Because the Master was a completely new design, with our UK team having extensive knowledge of CAD, we were able to give the case maker exact specifications for our design requirements. Form follows function, and with this watch being automatic with excellent vintage aesthetics and ergonomics, we settled on a wholly practical and usable 200M WR standard, sufficient for the most ardent scuba diver.
A sapphire crystal was a must for its clarity and scratch resistance, but once again we had a very specific design requirement. A gentle double curve (double means the curve of the crystal is matched on both inside and outside) to avoid visual distortion, anti-reflective coating on the inside surface of the watch, all the benefits of the anti reflective properties without the risk of user damage, and a low profile which meant that much of the crystal was protected by the bezel.
The bezel is the cornerstone of any Dive Watch both visually and practically, and for us was of huge importance. We developed a thin coin edge bezel which has a secure and positive uni-directional 120 click action. The bezel was polished on the upper and lower planes to aid with the slimline visual look. It took few discussions for us to settle on a ceramic bezel insert. Ceramic is an ultra hard scratch resistant material which is also impervious to the sun’s ultra violet rays, anti-magnetic and salt water corrosion resistant. Our bezel, designed by us, features a high polished reflective finish and is inset with Swiss Superluminova C3, a highly reflective grade of this excellent lume with a slight vintage tint by day and a highly legible long lasting green glow at night.
Of course any dive watch needs a secure screw down crown and our discreet domed vintage style crown with our own H logo allied to a custom stem and sleeve with silicone gaskets for maximum water resistance. A hallmark of the attention to detail of our Master Dive Watch is a press stainless steel screw on case back with a unique Pearl Diver design and individual series number. (Each variant of the Helicon Master is limited to just 50 individually numbered pieces). Needless to say, our case has been tested to well in excess of its 200m rating. Manufactured out of Marine Grade 316L Stainless Steel with a combination of polished and brushed surfaces, the case of the Helicon Master is one of which we are very proud, for its ergonomics, comfort, performance and of course beauty.
Why don’t you try one?
