Seasoned Watch Report readers will know OCEAN7 very well. Over the past few years WR has reviewed a half dozen watches produced by the Florida-based brand and we have always been impressed by the quality, design and value that OCEAN7 presents with with each model. Today’s review focuses on a new version of OCEAN7’s dress diver, the LM-5. This new model incorporates a practical and watch-nerd-approved GMT complication into the already lovely design of the LM-5 diver. With a laundry list of features, a rock-solid Swiss movement and a versatile wrist-friendly design, the OCEAN7 LM-5 GMT appears to cover the most important bases for a dress diver and still manage to set its self apart from the base LM-5 in more ways than simply having a fourth hand.
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OCEAN7 has officially announced the LM-PC Pilot Chronograph with immediate availability. A watch that likely needs a nickname, the LM-PC Pilot Chronograph is a 44 x 15 mm automatic chronograph powered by the Swiss ETA 7750. The sandblasted stainless steel case is available in only one finish, a DLC treatment which gives you the look of PVD without all the scratching common to a PVD finish.
This new model will retail for $799 which an excellent value for an ETA 7750 powered and DLC treated chronograph. At this price point the LM-PC will have little to no competition in the automatic chronograph market. For example, an Archimede Pilot Chronograph, which uses the same movement, costs $1375 and does not feature a DLC case treatment. Similarly, the Damasko DC56 Black, a pilots watch powered by the ETA 7750 and featuring a scratch resistant coating, costs some $2100. If you’re willing to forgo the pilot aesthetic and DLC coating, you can get a Christopher Ward C40 Speedhawk for $895 USD, which is great value as a standalone product, but is still $100 more that the LM-PC.
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New technologies and manufacturing processes afford the modern watch buyer a dizzying array of choices for their next watch. Modern sport watches feature the use of carbon fiber, rubber, hardened steel, titanium, plastics, multiple types of stainless steel and even ceramic materials. Ceramic is a compound that has long been favored in manufacturing for its resilience, light weight and and considerable strength when compared to most metals. As we mentioned in our preview, ceramic has some excellent strengths that make it very useful in watch making applications but the actual manufacturing process is difficult and costly. The OCEAN7 LM-4 V2 is the second generation of OCEAN7′s ceramic sport watch model that incorporates a fully ceramic case with a swiss automatic movement and healthy does of aviation styling.
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Answers.com defines Ceramic as “Any of various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing a nonmetallic mineral, such as clay, at a high temperature”. Ceramic materials have been used in many applications including pottery, bricks, ballistic protection, knife blades, automotive braking systems and even watchmaking.
Obviously, we are most concerned with the watchmaking application where ceramic is favoured because it is lighter, stronger and more scratch resistant than most steels. Very few watches feature ceramic cases as the application requires a fair amount of research and development and the fabrication is more involved than producing stainless steel cases. IWC has produced a couple ceramic cased watches but while beautiful the price range for an IWC Da Vinci Ceramic Chronograph is north of $16,000.
Don’t worry if that seems a little too expensive as OCEAN7 recently launched the second generation of their ceramic watch, the LM-4. We just received the LM-4 V2 so our review wont be out for a few more days but we can safely say the ceramic case is exceptional and surprisingly different from stainless steel. The OCEAN7 LM-4 V2’s ceramic case is smooth, beautifully finished and very comfortable. The black ceramic is warm to the touch and has a very stealthy matte black finish. More information can be found in our preview of OCEAN7′s new models and our review of this unique sport watch will be ready soon.
OCEAN7 Watches has announced two new models, the LM-5 and the LM-4 V2. The LM-5 is OCEAN7′s newest flagship dive watch and the LM-4 V2 is the newest version of OCEAN7′s successful ceramic cased sport watch the LM-4. We have reviewed a number of OCEAN7 models in the past and have found them to represent good value and craftsmanship for a relatively new independent manufacturer. Click through for a breakdown of the new models.
LM-5
- 42 x 13mm polished steel case
- ETA 2824-2 (optional COSC)
- Domed sapphire crystal with AR
- Domed all sapphire bezel insert (with luminous markers/numbers)
- 600m WR
- 22 mm Lugs
- 120 click unidirectional bezel
- Includes carbon leather strap
- Optional mesh bracelet ($200)
- Price: $1199
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OCEAN7 and its sister brand AirNautic, are well known for making sport and dive watches with a variety of styles and quite a few models have been seen on Watch Report in the past. After so many dive and aviation watches it was surprising to see a modern dress watch come from OCEAN7 but they have made one and its known simply as The Classic. We have two examples to show you today one is the OCEAN7 variant dressed in PVD with a standard movement and the other is the AirNautic version sporting a 24hr movement and blued steel hands. Its always nice to see a sport watch manufacturer design and build a dress watch as they enter the design process with everything they have learned making watches that have to be capable of withstanding far more than the standard dress watch typically encounters. The Classic and Classic 24 may be in the same case and from sister companies, but these are two rather different watches.
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As watch reviewers, we are always on the look out for watches that appeal to a wide crowd rather than just "watch nerds." OCEAN7 Watch Company has been making watches that fit both descriptions for sometime, so when they offered to send a review sample of the new G-1 GMT, it was tough to guess where it would land. What we found was that the G-1 GMT clearly offers something for everyone.
Let's start with the specs:
- 42x13mm Stainless steel case (brushed/polished or PVD).
- ETA 2893-2 GMT movement.
- Swiss BG W9 blue luminous paint (model specific).
- Sapphire crystal.
- 300m/1,000ft water resistance.
- Steel bracelet with screwed links.
- 22mm lugs.
- A choice of 5 colored bezel inserts.
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A couple of years ago, we reviewed the OCEAN7 G-2
Chronograph, and today we bring you the re-tuned follow-up: the G-2S.
The G-2S is largely similar, but brings a few nice updates and changes
over the original G-2 including a changed dial style and subdial
layout, revised pushers, PVD finishes, and an HeV (helium escape valve) to aid in increasing the water resistance to 1000m (the original G-2 is 200m).
As we covered in our last review, the G-2 series of dive chronographs
are heavy duty tool dive watches with usable features and a unique
design. Let's look at the features:
- Brushed Steel case.
- Sapphire Crystal with internal AR coating.
- 41mm wide.
- 17mm high.
- Water resistant to 1,000m or 3,300ft (hence the HeV and screw-down pushers).
- 24mm lugs.
- Quartz Chronograph.
- Matching bracelet with deployment clasp.
- Helium escape valve.
- PVD finish.
- Black painted dial with a wider diameter.
- Screw down chronograph pushers.
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Over the past few months I have had the pleasure of sitting down
with (read: frequently emailing) Mitch Feig, owner and founder of
Ocean7 Watch co. You might remember that I had the opportunity
to review two Ocean7 watches (the G2 and LM-2) earlier this year, and I
walked away impressed with the high quality, reasonable prices, great
customer service, and client interaction. After getting to know Mitch a
little better, I feel he is yet another reason to consider buying an
Ocean7. He is a successful entrepreneur who spends his time answering
questions on forums, and ensuring that customer feedback never falls on
a deaf ear.
JS: Have you always loved watches?
MF: Yes, I have always loved watches. I have a degree in computer
science, but I studied watch making for two years, in the early
1990’s. I am comfortable working on mechanical watches including
chronographs. I have a little experience with quartz movements.
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After our review the Ocean7 LM-2, we were anxious to get our hands on more from Ocean7. This time, we thought we'd trying something a little different: the Ocean7 G-2 Dive Chronograph. I've always been a sucker for dive chronographs like the Seamaster Pro Chrono and the Panerai Luminor 1950 Flyback diver, so I was very pleased when the G-2 showed up at my door.
Let's start with the specifications on this beast of a diver:
- Brushed Stainless Steel case and five-link bracelet.
- 42mm diameter.
- 17mm thick.
- 4mm thick sapphire crystal (same thickness as the crystal on the Rolex Sea Dweller).
- Water resistant to 660 feet, or 200 meters.
- Swiss quartz movement.
- Carbon fiber dial.
- $449 directly from Ocean7.
The Ocean7 G-2 Chronograph is a professional tool dive watch that brings Ocean7's design philosophy together with a highly accurate quartz chronograph. From the moment I first pulled the G-2 from its wooden box — actually, from the moment I first lifted the box — one thing became very clear to me: this was no lightweight timepiece. You can forget about every other heavy watch that comes to mind because the Ocean7 G-2 probably has them all beat. It perches proudly, prominently, and massively on your wrist, though it does tend to wear slightly lighter than it feels in your hands.
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