A Closer Look at the Spinnaker Piccard Automatic
Spinnaker is a luxury watchmaker known for its fondness for oceanic themes. Each member of its various collections are nautically themed diver watches. The brand has established a reputation for delivering high quality and functionality. It takes the aesthetics to a new level of fantasy and wonder. The Spinnaker Piccard Automatic is a timepiece that pays homage to one of the greatest pioneers in oceanic exploration. It’s designed with symbolism that tells a story of a man and his team, entertaining one of the most significant missions in the world of deep-sea exploration. To fully appreciate the merits of the Piccard Automatic, it’s helpful to know the story of the namesake of this timepiece and his story.
The history of the Spinnaker Piccard Automatic watch
The ocean has reserved its mysteries for as long as man has roamed the earth and more. It wasn’t until 1960 that a daring group of pioneers braved the frontier of the ocean to explore the deepest known point. A Blog to Watch enlightens us about the victory that Jaques Piccard and his team of deep-sea explorers won as they answered the challenge to make it to the bottom of Challenger Deep, the Mariana Trench’s deepest point. Piccard and his partner Don Walsh boarded a craft called the Bathyscaphe Trieste, designed to protect the crew from the crushing depths of the ocean. It was a daring feat that few were willing to undertake as nobody had successfully descended to such depths in history. Not much was known about the dark and murky environment and the crew had no idea of what they would encounter when they arrived. Spinnaker found it only fitting to design a diver watch that would pay tribute to the pioneer in deep-sea exploration. The team set the bar high. Their successful completion of the mission has not been imitated since, and Spinnaker set out to accomplish a unique piece in honor of Jaques Piccard and the Bathyscaphe Trieste.
The Spinnaker Piccard Automatic at a glance
The first thing you notice when looking at the face of the Piccard Automatic is the tall dome of the sapphire crystal lens. It creates a stunning visual effect with a value of liquidity, although the interior of the dial remains dry as a bone. The high dome creates a bubble to give a nod to the bubble lenses of the diving crew aboard the Bathyscaphe Trieste. We’ve yet to see a watch, diver, or otherwise with such a pronounced crystal. The appearance of the crystal from certain angles is almost cone-shaped, although it’s decidedly half of a sphere from dead-on. It’s a visual novelty but offers a clear view of the dial beneath with remarkable legibility.
A closer look at the Spinnaker Piccard Automatic watch
The official website for Spinnaker takes us further into an investigation of the finer points of the Spinnaker Piccard Automatic. The case measures a generous 45 mm in width and a remarkably tall 21 mm in depth. The case of the Piccard Automatic is premium 316L stainless steel. This grade of metal is known for its rust and corrosion resistance. It’s also a durable metal that holds up under pressure. The finish has a sophisticated matte appearance in brushed styling and a distance of 52 mm lug to lug. The crown and bezel are stainless steel. The latter is a unidirectional rotating style with a utilitarian coin edge for a minimalist yet decorative edge and a ceramic plate that gives the running track a smoky appearance. When you flip the watch over it is almost as interesting to view. The case back is engraved with a relief of the Bathyscaphe Trieste. The dial is available in three colors: Hunter Green, Dark Cerulean, and Volcanic Black. Although the features of each color in the collection are the same, the color changes give each their own distinct personality, with the green, a sporty aesthetic, the blue, an oceanic theme, and the black, a sophisticated and masculine look. The dark background of the dial sets the perfect backdrop for the white hour and minute markers, The hands are chunky and filled with Superluminova, a treatment that is also applied to the indices. They glow brightly in low-light environments to display the time legibly regardless of the lighting. The watch is water-resistant up to 550 meters and is equipped with a helium escape valve. It’s up to any depth that the human body can handle unprotected.
The movement
The Piccard Automatic is powered by a Japanese automatic NH35 movement with 24 jewels and a power reserve of 41 hours. Functions include hours, minutes, seconds, and date at the 3 o’clock position on the dial. It’s a workhorse that has proven itself for reliability and accuracy. The bracelet is solid stainless steel with a three-link design. It affixes to the write securely with a deployant style buckle with safety locking fold-over clasp.
Price and availability
The Spinnaker Piccard Automatic is available through the official Spinnaker website and authorized dealers. It’s available in a choice of Hunter Green, Dark Cerulean, and Black Volcanic dial colors. Each style of the Piccard Automatic has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $550.
Final thoughts
The Spinnaker Piccard Automatic watch is a unique diver watch that offers water resistance to a depth of 550 meters. It’s offered at a reasonable price for what you get. Spinnaker priced it low enough to open it up to more customers. It’s more affordable than some of the other more expensive luxury divers. This timepiece has a story to tell. If you’re familiar with the history of Jaques Piccard, and the mission to reach Challenge Deep, you’ll see the carefully chosen features that pay their respect to Piccard, the crew, and the magnificent craft that transported them safely to the deepest point in the ocean, then back up to the surface. An engraving of the deep-diving submarine appears into the back of the case. It serves as a reminder that the ship was a necessary part of the equation