The Mentor –
The Addiesdive AD2069 homages the fourth diver’s watch, 1000M ‘The Puck’, (now rare and highly sought-after) from Halios, a Canadian niche diver’s watch manufacturer. Preceding models from the company were the Holotype, the Bluering, and the Laguna.
Nicknamed ‘The Puck’, for resembling the ice-hockey puck’s solid perfect circle, the 1000M was popular for both design and functionality since its launch on November 9, 2012. With a perfect circle 47mm dia. case, highly legible dial, C3 Superluminova-lumed indices and bezel, 1000-metre water resistance, 4mm thick, double-domed sapphire crystal with Anti-Reflective (AR) coating, Swiss ETA 2824 mechanical movement and integrated helium escape valve, it was a reliable professional diving tool!
The Homage –
Addiesdive launched the MY-H6 range of homages with 45mm case dia. featuring conventional sunburst dials. The AD2069 range presents moulded dials, a marginally larger case of 46mm, powered by either a Miyota 8215 or a Seiko NH35.
The Case -
The circular-brushed, 316L stainless steel two-part case, has its bezel removable from the upper section with screws and a helium escape valve at the 9 o’clock position on its left flank.
Its recessed lugs make the watch wearable even on smaller wrists as the lug-to-lug length is just 40mm!
The brush-finished, solid rear cover is secured with six screws. At the centre is the Addiesdive logo with the main attributes ringed around it.
The Dial –
The highlight - the guilloché dial features a ripple wave pattern resembling a calm yet constantly moving sea surface. Best represented with the ocean’s natural colour, the gradient blue-black dial is truly befitting for both pattern and design concept.
The uncluttered dial has large applied indices and crisply designed pointers with Swiss BGW9 Blue Super-LumiNova inserts. Another special is the fully lumed central seconds pointer.
(I read that although Swiss BGW9 lume has 95% of C3’s brightness, it will actually hold its illumination for longer (due to the human eye reading blue/white light better than green). It may also be noted that X1 grade Super-LumiNova can boost the longevity of C3 by 60%. And multiple applied layers can hold illumination for 7 to 8 hours).
The dates are printed in white on a black dial, at the 6 o’clock position.
The manufacturer’s logo just below 12 o’clock with ‘Automatic’ & ‘1000m’ just above the 6, all embossed, add to the three-dimensional effect of the dial.
The Bezel –
The ceramic-insert, coin-edge, unidirectional, 120-click bezel has BGW9 lumed graduations and operates crisply without back-play, one more positive.
The Crystal –
Topped with a fairly flat, extremely clear, double-domed sapphire crystal with AR coating, the contents of the dial are easily visible in fading light and from quite acute angles.
The benchmark for 1000m water resistance is thickness between and 3 & 4mm. When contacted for this confirmation and water resistance test result documentation, Addiesdive could provide neither but confirmed the claimed water resistance to be true.
The Movement –
The company offers both Miyota 8200 and Seiko TMI NH automatic movements. The Seiko is newer, surpasses its rival in jewel count, with jewels in the main barrel, critical for long-term operation, power-reserve, time-keeping accuracy and overall reliability. Rotor winding is unidirectional in the former and bidirectional in the latter offering more power to your movement on the go and therefore longer running time when at rest. As my watches rate among the closest things to my heart, Seiko’s TMI ‘heart’ offers me the perfect heartbeat!
This NH35 (with a date function) has a stated 41-hour power reserve though actual usage has recorded even up to 42 hours.
The Crown –
The signed, screw-down crown has a fair mix of brushed and polished surfaces. It’s bold size and grooved surface, without crown guards, offers a good grip for operation.
The Bracelet –
The solid, non-tapering, 3-link bracelet for this full-bodied watch resembles the continuous / caterpillar track of a battle tank, synonymous with strength and dependability which this watch exudes in abundance. It has a brushed finish with polished sides.
Many have a gripe with the pressed clasp assembly hoping for a milled one, and the absence of the dive extension, essential if worn over a wetsuit.
The links are secured with push pins which may lead to minor belt twist. The unsigned clasp has three holes for micro-adjustment.
Alongside its mentor –
Cosmetically, Addiesdive has done a good job homaging the 1000M ‘The Puck’. The only difference I could immediately spot was the colour of Point Zero on the bezel – orange on the original, white on the homage.
The 1000M’s 3-link bracelet measured 24mm at the case, tapering to 20mm at the clasp. Addiesdive chose a 22mm straight bracelet without taper.
While the case dimensions do vary, they are just marginal and so hardly noticeable. The indices, bezel graduation fonts and pointer design are also well executed. Overall, a very well-produced homage.
On the wrist –
This watch and bracelet weigh around 210 grams wearing tall with a case height of 14.50mm, like a huge hatch cover on your wrist! Nevertheless, the recessed lugs help ‘unburden’ some of its bulk by cosying up to your wrist from point to point. With the safety clasp, you can be sure the watch will not tear itself away from your wrist with sudden jerks.
The watch reminds me so much of my chunky Steeldive 1975V Tuna Diver sans its bezel shroud. Both watches never fail to get second glances from passers-by.
Conclusion –
Technically, we have no proof of the homage’s claimed water resistance capability, the exact thickness of the double-domed sapphire crystal and actual function of the helium escape valve. But we do have a reliable movement in here, the Seiko TMI NH35, a robust SS316L case, a fairly good bracelet (if you will overlook the pressed clasp and absence of a dive extension) and overall, a great homage that can hold its own in one’s collection.
Buy this watch if you love big, serious-looking dive watch homages, which evoke venerable historical memories.