When entering a country through almost any monitored checkpoint in the world, you must present your passport and state the purpose of your visit. We have many reasons for going where we go and doing what we do, but in general we can boil them down to just two descriptions: business and pleasure. I have developed the same attitude towards GMT watches. Those who travel for business tend to be more elegant and tastefully conservative, usually in colors and styles that you can combine with a coat and tie. Those who are having fun are more likely to play with colors or incorporate whimsical details. If a uniformed officer at an entry point asked me this question and I wore the Foliot Scubanaut World Diver like I do today, I would answer “pleasure,” because that is exactly what this watch is all about.
The stainless steel case is 41mm wide, 48mm long and 12.5mm thick with a lug distance of 20mm. It is bead blasted and features polished accents on the signed crown, the outer edge of the bezel, and the bevel that extends across both sides of the case, enclosing the rounded tips of the lugs to continue along the bottom. This isn’t a common approach, and while subtle, it pays big dividends, wrapping around the wide matte area and blurring the edges to draw the eye to the matte finish embedded within, making the case appear even slimmer let.
It suited me quite well, striking the right balance between the presence I want to achieve with my dive watch and the more modest size that my 6.75-inch wrist requires.
“Scubanaut” sounds like a name invented in the 1960s, and it’s no coincidence that it’s depicted on the dial in a fittingly retro font. If you’re of a certain age, you won’t be able to read it without humming a few bars from the Black Sabbath song of the same name. As you might have guessed, this is a diver’s watch with 200m water resistance, an AR-coated sapphire crystal and a red-stem crown that alerts you when it’s not screwed down.
The 120-click unidirectional bezel has a fixed movement, and while I appreciate the feel and security, I wish this edge had a little more teeth to provide a better grip. As it was, I had a hard time jamming the comparatively shallow fluting on the edge of the coin.
There are two indices on the bezel. The outer steel ring serves as a countdown timer, while the inner ceramic insert has a diving timer. It’s both practical and attractive, as the narrow black insert makes the watch appear slimmer than if it filled the entire surface.
Foliot chose the Miyota 9075 for the World Diver’s GMT engine. Sharing its architecture with the rest of the excellent 9000 series movements, this 24-jewel, 28.8k vph automatic movement features a fully independent seconds hand. They then designed a dial with a 24-hour day-night index and possibly five Hands?
Well, not quite, but close. You see, in addition to the white lume-filled hour and minute hands and orange second hand, they extended the counterweight of the blue arrow GMT hand and marked it with a light green tip. This allows you to quickly convert 24-hour time to 12 hours in the afternoon; Handy for those of us who didn’t serve in the military and whose eyes glaze over when people invite us to “1:00 p.m.” meetings. (We’re discussing budget priorities, Bob, not landing on Omaha Beach.) However, if you’re conducting an amphibious landing, the watch is perfectly up to the task, although you may be looking to cover the two-tone C3 Super. LumiNova after dark so it doesn’t give away your position.
Either way, the five-handed arrangement is just one element of the Scubanaut’s appeal. We also have the blue and white ring that seamlessly integrates the date window at 6 o’clock, the combination of the applied triangle and pill markers that give it such a nice depth, and the fact that a five-color dial seems light and fun without being flashy or flashy Illegible tilt. As I said at the beginning: business or personal? Enjoyment. Pure pleasure.
If you have more conservative tastes, Foliot hasn’t forgotten you. They offer a three-hand Scubanaut 200 with black or white dials. They don’t have a 24-hour index or GMT hand, but interestingly they retain the 9075 movement and its jumping hour function.
Foliot equipped the Scubanaut World Diver with both a three-link bracelet and the proprietary elastic Marinesport bracelet. The elastic band has a similar design to the Marine Nationale’s paratrooper style, but also features a clasp closure for added security. It looks fantastic in its bright orange color and should be an ideal accessory for those who actually use their Scubaaut for diving.
The bracelet is also a beautiful piece and has all the modern conveniences: quick release spring bars, screw-down pins and a push-button ratchet diving extension in the signed clasp. The links are blasted and polished to match the case.
If you turn the clock over you will find a diving bear. Why? I did not ask. I just enjoyed the clean execution and the satisfied smile on the furry guy’s face. He’s a little tired from a long day in the surf. He explored a coral reef and saw fish he never dreamed of. It was a good day.
The watch will be released on Kickstarter on February 15, 2024 and will start at $540 for the three-hand Scubanaut 200 and $649 for the World Diver. After the pre-sale period ends, prices increase by 30%.
The Foliot Scubanaut World Diver is a beautifully designed watch that skilfully combines a cheerful design with the functionality of a tool watch at an extremely tempting price. If you’re traveling to a distant island looking for some sun and relaxation, this is your watch.
“For pleasure,” you will tell the customs officer. “Purely for fun.”
