This is the third volume in our The Millennium Watch Book collection, devoted to dive watches — but for some of you, it might be your first. Bearing that in mind, I’d like to explain the backstory to all this. After all, when it comes to fine watches, every detail counts! 2020 marked the 20th anniversary of GMT Magazine, which I started together with my friend Pierre Jacques. To celebrate that, and the anniversary of the WorldTempus website (which I acquired together with my partners, the Lamunière family), I embarked on a 300-page book featuring everything there is to know about watchmaking in the third millennium: The Millennium Watch Book. There are still a few copies of the original book left; it’s now become volume 0 in this saga. Renewed thanks are due to the 30 watchmaking specialists and experts that contributed to it with me, as well as to all the readers that ordered it — especially since the huge numbers of enthusiastic messages and congratulations I received from them persuaded me that I shouldn’t stop there. Rather than a mere sequel, the result is now a themed collection, scheduled to run until at least 2030 — a first in watchmaking literature! 2021 being the 220th anniversary of the invention of the tourbillon, that was the first topic we covered in more detail, still concentrating on luxury watches produced since 2000 in what thus became volume 1 in the collection.
The book you are now reading is volume 2, published in 2022, in which we’ve decided to present a highly sought-after and much more accessible category of timepiece: dive watches. Once again, we’ve attempted to give a general overview of the topic, as well as bringing together the most iconic mechanical watches in question alongside others, from every price band, that have led to noteworthy advances in the world of dive watches. Over and above the usual chapters discussing historical and technical aspects, our approach focuses mainly on contemporary models and we’ve sought to make the result an enjoyable experience for readers even if they don’t have any highly specialised knowledge of either diving or watchmaking. A love of fine watches, design, and innovation is all that’s required! And just to let you in on a little secret, in 2023 we’re planning to feature another burgeoning category to which all Manufactures have provided fascinating responses, reflecting their respective expertise: chronographs. But just now, it’s high time for you to take the plunge into the wonderful world of dive watches. Happy diving!
This year GMT Magazine and WorldTempus have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the divers watch since 2000 in The Millennium Watch Book - Divers watch, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book - Divers watch is available in both French and English here :
