Singer Reimagined has surprised us with the launch of the Divetrack Chronograph. This is not your typical dive watch, but rather goes even further than what we already find rare (though the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms X-Fathoms may be an exception to that rule). The Divetrack features a dial specifically designed for diving. If you want to read the time, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Singer reimagines dive tracks
Fratello just turned 20 this month, and I have to say it’s hard to get excited about each watch release. It’s not that I see that many bad watches, but there aren’t many real surprises anymore. The surprise doesn’t have to be something big — it can be a small detail, a color, a particular movement, anything. But it’s often one element that makes you take a second look or take your breath away.
Earlier this year, on my way to the Patek Philippe Craftsmanship exhibition in Geneva, a colleague mentioned that I should check out a new watch from Singer Reimagined, so I stopped by their hotel. I contacted the brand to see if it would be convenient for me, got a positive response, and headed to the famous Beau Rivage Hotel, overlooking the fountains of Lake Geneva. Singer was showcasing their watches in one of their beautiful suites, and among them was this new diver’s watch that several members of the Fratello team had been raving about.
Just to admire the beautiful watch
Now, before we get into the watch, yes, it’s too big for everyday use, too expensive for a dive watch, doesn’t replace a dive computer, and did I mention the price? But, at least for me, none of that matters. Even if I don’t want to own one, I also like the Ferrari Testarossa, the Lamborghini Countach 5000S, or, more appropriately, the Singer Porsche 911. These watches and cars are just for the love of them. If you’re lucky enough to buy one of them, good luck to you.
It’s thick and I like it
Marco Borraccino conceived and designed this watch, and when he and his team showed it to me, and even better, let me try it on, it was more amazing than any other watch I saw at Watches & Wonders 2024. The 49mm diameter and especially the 19.67mm thickness make it not for the faint of heart, but if I had unlimited funds, I would have smoked this black credit card like never before.
The Singer Divetrack looks amazing on your wrist, but more importantly, it feels amazing: Grade 5 titanium makes it lightweight, the fabric Velcro strap feels great to the touch, and it’s easy to wear as long as it fits your wrist.
Somehow it reminds me of the vintage Seiko (Grandfather) Tuna 6159-7010 from 1975. The red ceramic coated aluminum pusher protectors also give it a bit of a 1970s Seamaster 600 PloProf vibe. But this is something different! Although it has a bit of a 1960s and 1970s vibe, this is a very modern diver’s watch.
It even tells you the time!
The partially skeletonised titanium case and stainless steel bezel are fitted with three sapphire crystals, one on the front, one on the back and one on the side, the last one being to allow the time to be read on the rotating hour disc. The dial features only diving-related information, but is not limited to dive times.
Three hands connected to a central pinion display information about the dive, the time between dives, and safe post-dive activities. A large orange minute hand and a dive scale bezel are helpful during the dive – a feature that has been present on most diver’s watches since the 1950s – and there’s also the ever-handy central seconds hand that indicates the watch is running.
A place to be unique
But the dial also features a small hour hand with its own 24-hour scale, which is divided into three sections (0-6 is “Chill”, 6-18 is “Dive”, and 18-24 is “Fly”).
For those of you unfamiliar with diving (I’m far from a diver), the human body needs enough time between dives to eliminate absorbed gases. These gases leave the tissues, enter the blood, and are exhaled back into the atmosphere. This takes time. I recommend that you spend the first 6 hours “relaxing” to determine how long you should surface depending on the duration of your previous dive, depth, etc.
When the hour hand is in the “Dive” zone, you can dive again after meeting the required surface interval. And “Fly” indicates that you should wait at least 18 hours after diving before flying again. As I said, I’m not a diver, but these intervals require close attention, so make sure you know what you’re doing. Here are some more helpful tips regarding time after a dive:
Protect the Pusher!
Anyway, to start timing the dial, flip up the red pusher protector, which is usually located at 2 o’clock. This allows you to start and stop the chronograph. Once started, slide the protector down again. At the usual 10 o’clock position is the reset pusher. This pusher only works when the chronograph is stopped. As long as the red protector is in place, it won’t stop by accident.
Automatic Helium Escape Valve
Typically at 8 o’clock, there is an automatic helium escape valve, also found on diver watches such as the Rolex Sea-Dweller, Seamaster 1200M Ploprof, etc. At 4 o’clock, there is a regular (stainless steel) crown for correcting the time displayed through a sapphire crystal at 6 o’clock, below the unidirectional bezel. This peripheral time indicator features 15-minute, 30-minute, and hourly graduations.
Singer has added enough Super-LumiNova to all of the hands, five-minute markers and bezel markings to nearly light up a room.
Mechanical Wonders
Like most watches, the Singer DiveTrack Chronograph has magic behind the scenes: the sapphire crystal reveals the beauty of its Agengraphe 24-hour automatic chronograph movement, made up of 479 components including 56 jewels, beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour and boasting a power reserve of 72 hours.
It’s a variation of the chronograph movement used in the Singer Track 1, but with a different layout (obviously) and a longer power reserve (up from 55 hours).The construction of the movement is simply astounding.
Some thoughts
No, at CHF 85,000, this Singer Dive Truck is not cheap, and production capacity is limited to 25 units per year. There are many more affordable and accessible dive watches that are useful while diving, just like a Volkswagen Golf GTI has similar features to a Porsche 911, only the driving experience is different. But even though I am not a diver, I would still wear this watch for the looks and functionality alone. Who could complain? It’s all about appreciation for the design, construction, and beautiful movement.
The Divetrack is a stunning feat of engineering, in the same style as all other Singer Reimagined watches. The folks at Singer certainly achieved their goal of developing a thoroughly modern diver’s watch based on 1960s/1970s designs, and the Divetrack fits perfectly into the brand’s line-up of special chronograph watches.
For more information, visit Singer’s dedicated Divetrack website.
