2015-03-13

H2O Kalmar II OceanicTime Special Edition 6000M

It is my pleasure to finally be able to share with you the first images of the production model, H2O Kalmar II OceanicTime Special Edition 6000M.



Both watches, this and a second 8000M water-resistant version are currently being assembled in Germany and are just a few short weeks away with an expected delivery date from mid-April. Specifications of the 6000M version are as follows:



Let’s get straight to the watch’s dimensions: The case has a diameter of 42.5mm, the bezel a diameter of 44mm while the overall-length is 53.4mm and the total thickness of the watch (including the crystal) is just 16.5mm.



Allow me to put that into perspective for you – this is .5mm thinner than an Omega Planet Ocean XL which has 10 times less WR at 600M, is 2mm thinner than a Breitling Avenger Seawolf which has just half the WR at 3000M and is a full 12mm thinner than one of the only other watches with an equivalent WR, the CX 20,000 FEET.



One of the contributing factors that allowed H2O to engineer this watch with such a modest thickness in relation to its WR, was the use of Grade 5 Titanium, which has been used for the main case and its components.



Grade 5 Titanium consists of 6% Aluminum and 4% Vanadium and has a considerably higher strength than Grade 2. It has an excellent combination of both strength and corrosion-resistance.



Grade 2 (by comparison) is more commonly used in watch-making as it is not so damaging to case-making machinery and so is easier and less expensive to work with.



Grade 5, however is far more tricky and costly. Some machinery was actually damaged during the production of Kalmar II's G5 Ti cases!



Usually, if a watch-maker advertises the use of Titanium, it is likely G2 unless otherwise stated. If they are using G5, you can bet that they will make a point of telling you as it is far more special!



Divers features include: an automatic Helium Escape Valve (9 o’clock), a Grade 5 Ti divers bezel with a black ceramic inlay and BGW9 luminous dive-time-scale, a solid screwdown Grade 5 Ti caseback engraved with the OceanicTime diver motif and an 8mm OT diver signed screwdown crown.



Pressure-resistance is up to 600 bar, the equivalent of 6000 meters. Testing was conducted by a leading German research company that is the only facility of its type in Germany capable of pressure testing to 4000 bar!



Along with a 4.5mm thick G5 Ti caseback, a 6mm thick flat Sapphire crystal helped the watch resist the enormous pressures that were endured during testing - while giving the watch a nice clean look and offering an undistorted view of the dial, below.



The dial is in a high-gloss deep-black. While it incorporates the Kalmar’s hallmark chromed double hour markers, it has been designed to be minimal with the deletion of all minute markers, date and text. Complementing the hour markers are the H2O cresting wave logo and the OceanicTime Diver icon in chrome.



Bright gloss-orange ‘6000M’text makes a bold statement about the watch’s incredible depth-rating while echoing the color of the prominent minute hand. All hands and markers are filled with BGW9 SLN.



This wouldn’t be a proper H2O Watches project if there weren’t at least one or two options, so two handset types have been made available to choose from. ;)



Version 1: chromed hour hand / chromed second hand / chromed minute hand, Version 2: chromed hour hand / orange second hand / chromed minute hand.



The H2O Kalmar II OceanicTime Special Edition 6000M will be powered by a Swiss ETA 2824-2, automatic movement with a beat-rate of 28.800 bph, a power-reserve of approx.42hrs and a hacking seconds indicator.



Standard accessories of the watch include: a handmade 5mm thick black calfskin strap with white contrast stitching, an H2O CNC Grade 5 Titanium buckle, a hex-screw driver, a security case and a warranty card.



Optional accessories include: a 5mm thick and ultra-strong H2O Grade 5 Titanium bracelet with hex screws and micro-adjustment clasp. Stay tuned for the 8000M full reveal . . .

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