That’s What I’m Talkin’ About!
Fresh off reading a May 26, 2020 Hodinkee review of the carbon Doxa 300T LE written by James Stacey, I again consider the current regard for vintage divers in the watch enthusiast space. This Sea Hunter is a perfect example. Mr. Stacey spells out quite clearly the ongoing love for this type of watch; we don’t need them but we want them. Any watch, especially mechanical analog, is mostly not needed because there is so much other technology better at giving us time. Heck, we set our watches by looking at our phones. Dive watches are not needed because dive computers do the job better. Nostalgia gives us a reason to enjoy a dive watch. He mentions the term anemoia: the feeling of nostalgia for a time, place, or experience that one has never known or lived through.
I did live through the years when the original Sea Hunter roamed the beaches and pool sides but was too young to be concerned with keeping time. With these vintage divers we don’t want just the time, we want to be transported to another world for a moment when we look at the watch. Why don’t we want to wear modern dive computers around all day? They can look like analog watches as an Apple watch does. We want the legacy, the history, to celebrate the technology of the time (to a limit). We want to feel vintage-like. We always forget the bad ole times when we want to remember the good ole times. We want to remember the pioneering dive watches even though today’s are much better.
A Watch for Me
Minutes after realizing the 2025 Caravelle Sea Hunter existed, I ordered one. I missed any advance notice of an upcoming lineup. I just saw a hands-on review on Worn & Wound. It delivers the nostalgia, size, specs and the price point for me. Vintage inspired dive or field watches are probably my most favorite type of watches? But, I am reluctant to spend over $500 for any watch, so lots of nice micro brand options are off the table, at least at new prices. I will wait a couple of years for a preowned example.
I was not well read on the long history of the Caravelle/Bulova Devil Divers, but I was generally familiar with them. I have long lusted after a Bulova Snorkel of the early 70s, and missed a chance at one. Most of the vintage Caravelle Sea Hunters I could remember did not have the Longines dial and hands that this one has. As I have written before that, to me, the Longines Nautilus, along with the Omega Seamaster 300, are probably two of the best looking watches ever made. They conjure up the era for me. The early auto Sea Hunters had the great hands and long minute marks of the Nautilus as well as the Arabic numbers at 12, 3, 6, and 9. Bulova decided to go with the aged lume look, too, on the reissue. This is always a prickly issue, but I’m good with it.
I have considered the Longines Heritage diver and Legend releases, but they were out of my price range and too big? Even though the later 39mm Legend is tempting, it is still too pricey. I had figured it would probably be a Helson Hammerhead for me instead, even at 40mm. So when I saw the look of this new Caravelle reissue, I was all in. This is just enough for me. Sure, I would like it a bit smaller with acrylic or sapphire, but all considered, it fits the bill.
It’s always interesting to see which route a brand takes with a reissue of a vintage watch. How close to the original do they try to get? Does the final product capture the vintage feel or does it feel too modern? Usually two things predominate; size is increased and acrylic crystal is switched out for mineral or sapphire. Next there is improved water resistance, movement and bracelet. Usually they are established major brands or micro brands so price is always a issue. They have great specs, but maybe too much? This release is a limited spec one that keeps the price at the entry level. I’m thinking of reissues of the Zodiac Seawolf or the Newmark Skin Diver, where everything gets bigger and better, and more expensive. This Sea Hunter is closer to the original. It is now what it was then, in many ways, but maybe now more robust.
The other interesting thing with this release is that Caravelle was originally an entry level feeder to Bulova and still is today. So, it wouldn’t make sense to price this in the Bulova range? It seems Bulova has decided to keep Caravelle’s price point down. Bulova has no current offering in the vintage diver line, like say the vintage inspired Oceanographer, Devil Diver and Surfboard was. They have moved on. One would have to look at maybe a new Marine Star with Precisionist movement? The Bulova Snorkel line with part ceramic case and rubber is priced a bit lower than the Sea Hunter, but it is a different category. It has vintage vibes, but is modern, a quartz and a 100m WR. Maybe the Mil-Ships options are the only other reissue option? While I hesitate to spring for a Snorkel, I did not even think twice about the Sea Hunter.
Timex Killer?
I automatically thought of Timex and its various vintage inspired autos like the 100m Navi of a while back or the new 200m Deepwater line. The Timex 200m auto divers are more costly than this Caravelle and don’t have the the legacy cachet or the vintage cred. I would say the Timex 200mm divers are better tool watches, better divers with their specs, but they are harder to love. The 44mm Deepwater is too big. The Titanium 41mm Deepwater did not get the lume right on the hands. Neither has the authentic vintage vibe. I’ve always bemoaned the fact that Timex has not done a reissue of its mechanical 1960s diver, or its Viscount diver, but still, that’s not the same. Timex has no 200m, Swiss auto movement from the 60s or 70s to draw on. I can’t think of anything right now with the specs/price/vintage cred of this Sea Hunter?
Timex has to make up a design with vintage cues that did not actually exist. The new Sea Hunter is pretty much what is was. There are always compromises with Timex, because that is how the price stays down. Bulova did the same thing with this Caravelle Sea Hunter, but it goes after the enthusiast from a different angle.
Another similarity to Timex automatic releases is the use of the Miyota 8215 in the Sea Hunter. It is the entry level norm for autos. It allows the move away from the battery/quartz world into the mechanical world while keeping the price down. You also don’t sapphire or much lume with the Sea Hunter, but maybe a better bracelet with diver extension.
As I write this, Timex has released a $1000 Atelier Marine M1a auto diver. Its a more modern design with classic design cues. Clearly the new Atelier line with Swiss Catena caliber SA 100 movement is aimed at a higher notch of the collecting enthusiast community. At almost three times the cost of the Sea Hunter it is not really in the same category. It is also not a reissue of any historical model, but a new design. That puts the Atelier line more into the micro brand type of watch that uses vintage design language in a new, modern watch.
Variety a Plenty
Not only did Bulova get this Caravelle Sea Hunter right, it piled on the options. There are three other versions on top of the black dial with bracelet. There is a gold finish case/bracelet with green dial, two rubber versions; one rose/black or another gold/blue. This actually seems a little over the top, but, apparently Bulova is going for it with the Sea Hunter!
I don’t feel the need to look into these other colors/finishes. The Gold/Green doesn’t do it for me. While I like the rubber strap idea, that wavy-type of strap, is not what I would choose. The rose/black and gold/blue have some appeal, but I can’t see past the conservative authentic look of brushed/polished stainless with black dial. I do, however, intend to use a tropic, NATO or even leather with it?
It is a solid chuck of steel on the wrist with the bracelet, even if only 39mm x 45.5mmm. It reminds me of my Vaer D5 Pacific 39mm in looks and feel. The bezel action is smooth and tight. The mineral glass, sort of flattish box crystal gives is some character without seeming too tall or domed. The large signed screw-down crown is easy to use. On a rubber strap, it feels a lot lighter and smaller, of course, so normally this is my choice. But sometimes you just want the presence of the steel bracelet. This quick release bracelet comes off easily, but, is harder to get on. I suppose I will get familiar with it in time.(you have to keep the sliding spring bar centered)
Final thoughts: Different Than the Others
I have to reference the Devin Pennypacker review on Worn & Wound again to bring up another point. He talked about how to him this release filled a Seiko SKX007 void. Here is a limited spec, but still 200m diver that doesn’t break the bank. It isn’t the same feel of a high-value micro brand concept. It is a less-than-perfect spec exercise but one that brings other intangibles. You get what feels like a taste of the original, but better, and still at a price that seems better than fair? It isn’t a micro brand fantasy. It is a real Caravelle reissue by Caravelle/Bulova. It isn’t a Bulova-level upgrade of a Caravelle. It feels different than any reissue I can think of?
I also like original vintage watches and sometimes go that route, too. There is no substitute for the real thing, but, there is a cost. Cost doubles when you consider maintenance/repairs, fragility and collector pricing. Things are not as care-free. It is a trade-off. Sometimes it is even cheaper to get an original vintage and get it repaired than it is to buy a super reissue. I could be happy with a vintage ref. 665-1 Seahunter, too. I would have no problem with the 35mm size. They are different experiences. This Sea Hunter seems to bridge those two extremes. It is just enough of vintage feel and modern reliability.
Bulova could have picked a different dial and hand combination since the Sea Hunter had several different looks over the years. There were even size differences (37mm or 35mm) and movements (Manual or auto). There were also dauphine-style hands and then some more 70s’-like looks with different number-free dials and squared-off hands. This just happens to be my favorite. The spade-style hour hand, sword minute hand and elongated minute marks, dots on the bezel. It might be what pushed me to put down the money. I think this Sea Hunter look started in 1969 when the auto was introduced? I guess you could say this is Bulova copying Longines while other styles mimicked Blancpain or Rolex looks.
Not only did Bulova nail this one release. They have also transformed Caravelle in a single stroke, moving it from out of the fashion watch realm into enthusiast space. It could be possible to maintain this vintage roll with some ’70s and ’80s diver designs? Even before the Sea Hunter, I did like a few modern design quartz Caravelles of the last few years based on their unique designs and price. After all this is Lowly Caliber. Caravelle can go toe-to-toe with Timex in that $150 price range. I picked up a 45C118 blue dial, black case, with Indiglo-like light up, a couple of years back. The current 43C125, light up field style with compass bezel would be fun to see in the metal. Maybe we will be hearing more from the enthusiast crowd in the future?
I can’t say the interest in vintage-inspired divers is fading. Whatever it is about them, we can’t get enough it seems? Its as if nothing has been able to dislodge the authenticity of 65 years ago. Mechanical watches haven’t really changed in 65 years other than in materials and manufacturing processes. It seems mandatory now for watch brands to conjure the past in order to move forward. As long as there is no need for a new dive watch, they won’t change.
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