Customer Reviews

TAWATEC E.O.Diver TWT.43.B1.11T

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The O.E. Diver is a serious looking piece of hardware with the H3 tritium illumination system. This means that the watch stays legible even in complete darkness without having to "charge" the illumination. You can see that this isn't just a pretty desk diver, it's a tool meant to be used and abused.

General observations:

This is a BIG watch! With a diameter of 46mm, there's no denying the fact that it's bigger than most normal sized sport watches. That said, it wears small. Huh? Right, here's the deal; most watches have lugs that extend significantly beyond the case. Thus a 42mm diver might actually be closer to 51mm lug-to-lug. The O.E. Diver has lugs which come right off the case, having a lug-to-lug size of 51mm making it wear like a mid-sized watch. The ultra-light case material also makes the watch feel smaller than the dimensions first suggest even though the face is quite large. In addition, by placing the crown at 4 o'clock TAWATEC has eliminated the dreaded "crown into the back of the wrist torture" that we run into on certain watches.

The watch is available with either a bund leather strap, rubber strap or NATO strap. All of these straps are both wide (22mm) and large enough to fit any wrist. When I spoke to a rep they informed me that the straps are designed fit on the wrist directly or over a diving suit. This makes sense considering the watch is designed as a diver.

Features:

Hours, minutes, seconds and date and uni-directional graduated divers' bezel. WR 200m with a double o-ring sealed crown. In addition, the Rhonda 715 movement has a power saving feature by which it will use only 30% juice if the crown is pulled out. I'm not really sure what this is for as this is a hacking movement and the second had will stop when the crown is pulled out.

Band / Strap:

Both the NATO or rubber strap are large 22mm pieces but very comfortable. On my 6.75" wrist I was actually using the second to last hole on the rubber strap. It was solid but flexible and didn't have a "rubbery" smell to it. I also really liked the engraved logo. The NATO strap was very comfortable but the nylon material wasn't particularly thick. I have a Maratec strap which looks like a dead ringer (though smaller) for this strap and that seems to be the industry standard so I can't really complain. I thought that the black buckles on both straps were a nice touch.

I ended up sourcing a K-Style red stitched silicone band on-line for the watch and think it really brings out the red accents in the face, very sharp. The additional "stretch" in the silicone makes this supremely comfortable.

Rating:
NATO Strap - Good.
Rubber Strap - Very good.
Silicone Strap - Awesome!

Case:

Though large (at 46mm dia.), the uni-directional bezel fits neatly into the profile, overhanging the top edge of the case by about 1mm. Having lugs which come right off the case has the effect of making the case appear slightly smaller than it actually is. Curved lugs also help here.

The carbon reinforced poly resin construction of the case makes it considerably lighter than if it was manufactured from steel or even titanium. Supposedly this material is stronger and more impact resistant than the fiberglass resin used in other watches but I haven't tried putting a hammer to both and testing that out so I'll just take it on faith. I have banged the watch on a few desks and walls thus far and it shows only minimal wear marks, less than I would expect from a steel watch. Again, unlike a other tritium watches the case back is satin finished steel so it should hold up pretty much forever without risk of breakage. It's held on by four screws at the corners.

The case is fitted with a massive flat anti-reflective K1 mineral crystal (same as that used on more expensive watches). Normally, I prefer sapphire and given a choice this is still the way I would go, but after a month of wearing the watch, there is not a single scratch on the crystal even though I've banged it a few times. Supposedly a sapphire crystal version of the O.E. Diver is in the works but still somewhere down the road. Given the price-point this isn't a deal breaker for me.

Note: If you must have a sapphire crystal the TAWATEC Titan Titanium is their higher end watch made out of, you guessed it, titanium and does have a sapphire crystal.

The divers' bezel fits nicely into the rest of the watch and is very easily legible. The paint in the lettering is slightly recessed which looks like it might help make the bezel a bit more resistant to small impacts which would normally scratch the lettering. The profile of the crystal flows smoothly onto the bezel - that is, there is no gap or step between the bezel & the crystal and the tolerances are excellent. I suppose that even a relatively inexpensive Swiss watch is still a Swiss watch for a reason. They definitely make them well over there because you can see the build quality immediately in the tight tolerances.

Rating - Very Good.

Legibility:

Given this is a bona-fide dive watch, excellent legibility is expected. The tritium filled hands, hour markers & locator dot on bezel are easily read in low/no light situations, and underwater. The addition of military time in smaller red numbers on the inside of the larger numbers is a great addition. The red accents are subtle but very nice.

The date window is located between the 4 and 5 o'clock and is also functional.

Rating - Excellent.

Movement:

TAWATEC uses the work-horse Swiss Rhonda 515 movement. It's the equivalent of a 4x4 Tundra of movements. The Rhonda is a solid, repairable movement which fits nicely into the case. I've actually had a watchmaker take the thing apart and tell me what he thought, he seemed impressed and said that the watch was very well made but used a few custom components in order to space the hands properly for the tritium vials and the crown in the 46mm case.

One other advantage of this movement is it can be easily serviced, repaired & have the battery replaced by any competent watchmaker with a minimum of fuss and easy availability of spare parts. Some watches with the Rhonda 715 movement have been notoriously prone to becoming leaky once the case is cracked for service but the 515 in the TAWATEC doesn't seem to have this problem. Another known issue with watches using the 715 movement is that according to Rhonda it wasn't designed for the added load of hands with tritium vials so battery life and reliability may suffer. Again, the more rugged 515 is built for sport watches from the get-go so there should be no issue. They seem to have picked the right tool for the job.

TAWATEC does have automatic versions available with the Sellita SW200 movement but those are not available right now in the United States. I'm not really sure that this watch calls for that as it would change the price point quite a bit. This watch is designed to be beat on and the Rhonda movement fits the bill for a utilitarian watch with minimal maintenance required.

Rating - Good.

Accuracy:

This watch averaged a +2 seconds per week gain over a test period of one month, with regular daily use. Being a Swiss Quartz movement, I wouldn't expect much different.

Rating - Excellent.

Comfort:

Even though the size of the case substantial, the light weight and lug placing make this an easy watch to wear on a daily basis. In fact, it's taken over as a daily wear watch for me recently. The crown placement means it doesn't dig into your wrist and the low overall weight mean no "watch fatigue", I don't feel myself having to take the watch off during the day to let my wrist breathe. In addition, the tritium lighting, while not so bright as to be annoying, is an excellent feature when things get dark. In low-light the effect is subtle and the indicators look more orange than red, but as darkness falls the red tritium illumination is always legible and constant no matter how long the watch was under a sleeve or in the dark. It seems like a small thing but I find it comforting to wake up and immediately be able to see the time when the watch is on my nightstand. When in doubt this just seems to be the watch I reach for.

Rating - Excellent.

Drawbacks:

* Crystal - the K1 mineral crystal holds up well but it's still not sapphire.
* Crown - rated to 200m means it solid but a screw down crown would have been nice.
* Tritium - having to choose between the colors is torture, both the blue and red just look amazing.

Value for money:

At an MSRP of $300 and quite comparable to other tritium watches this is a lot of watch for the money, not just due to its size. The build quality and tolerances are excellent and it seems to have been designed from the ground up to take a beating. The 2 year warranty with 10 years on optical readability is excellent and they now have a service center in the United States.

Another nice thing is that since the brand is new to the states, odds are you're not going to run into many people with the same watch. In fact, a lot of people who wear this style of watches have come up to me and asked about the watch. Your mileage may vary but I like something different.

Rating - Excellent

The Tawatec is a great watch for the money. The NATO strap is extremely comfortable, does not collect mildew like velcro nylon bands. The case and bezel are very lightweight as they're constructed out of a carbon plastic, and everything on the dial is clear as well as the bezel. I really like how the date window is between the 4 and 5 o'clock position so it does not obscure any of the index. The only number not listed is 12 o'clock, which is normal on dive watches. The water resistance has not been tested and will not be tested as I have no intention of diving down 660 feet. I don't even scuba dive or snorkel. The T25 Swiss movement is fairly accurate and only gains 10-12 seconds per month, which is accurate enough for me. The tritium is extremely bright and although the ICS (orange/green/blue) color scheme may seem a little "Christmas tree," it's very functional. The relation of the orange 12 o'clock to the orange hour hand gives you split second time awareness, and the green bezel marker is easy to line up with the green minute hand and makes timing possble even in pitch black darkness. The bezel is well marked and is attractive, but the white was a bit much. I used a red sharpie and colored it in red to match the 24-hour markings on the dial. The crown is at the 4 o'clock position and is low key. It does not poke you in the wrist, and does not make the watch look like a left-handed watch like the Tawatec M7 Titan. The watch's only weak points are the non-sapphire crystal and the second hand movement. The glass is not very scratch resistant, but I've never seen any mineral glass that could hold a candle to even bottom-level sapphire. Still, at $250, you're not gonna be getting any sapphire, period. Expect to pay $400+ for any decent watch with a sapphire crystal. The second hand tends to get a bit off center from the tick marks every once in awhile. It eventually lines up properly, but it's a bit annoying to see the second hand ticking and not lining up with the tick marks. Other than those two cons, this is an awesome watch, and for a $250 watch, it's top notch.

I bought this watch having reviewed it carefully against better know brands ( which I own) like Luminox and Traser and it beats them hands down on features and value in that narrow but overcrowded category - the four o clock positioned crown is a real-world good idea.
I was disappointed with the fabric strap , but was delighted when the company contacted me, noticing my upset on Amazon and offered to replace the band with a leather or rubber alternative.
That's the kind of customer service that inspires one to recommend the watch again and again>
Buy this.

UPDATE: I received the superb leather strap- it's a "military" style , offering a full leather backing to the watch case itself ( a very good idea for hot and cold climates). It's well constructed, double-stitched and it's not a generic strap: it has "TAWATEC" stamped on the reverse. I highly recommend this strap.
It also came with a hand-written note from the US sales chief for the brand.
Now, you're just not gonna get that kinda service from Luminox.

The Tawatec E.O. Diver is an excellent watch for the price! I've owned several Luminox watches and this one is just as good if not better quality than them! The tritium lighting system is GREAT! The gas lights are good and bright, every bit as good as any Luminox I've owned. I would recommend this watch to anyone looking for a good work/play/field watch, military or civilian!! 5 stars!!

I have owned and still have Rolex GMT Masters and Submariners, Oris TT1 Divers and an Omega Seamaster Pro, so I'm used to high end time pieces and therefore was a little skeptical about purchasing this watch, as it didn't have a saphire crystal or screw down crown. BUT...it is a really awesome piece for the price! I wanted a watch with Tritium but never really liked the Luminox style and didn't want to spend another 2K on a Ball level auto...So here I am with the Tawatec and I haven't taken it off since. It's unreal light, you forget it's on your wrist and the tritium looks great at night. Not too bright, but really easy to see and the tri color isn't gaudy, it's absolutely functional. Now the so called NATO textile strap is comfortable, but cheap looking and doesn't do the watch justice at all. I ordered a Morellato Vitello Touch (22mm, Black) strap from the Watch Prince, and it's killer comfortable and makes the watch look 10x better. Anyway, I haven't gone diving or beat the mess out of it yet, but for the price and how it functions, you can't go wrong with this watch!

I recently bought this watch to use as a daily, tough, beat on, all around watch to throw into the mix with my Breitling Heritage SuperOcean 46mm. As I find myself occasionally knocking it into things when I'm on the job, and would prefer to beat on something not quite as nice of a timepiece.

So far, I'm impressed with it overall. The build quality seems great, it's very light, appears extremely tough, and the tritium tube lume is clear and moderately bright. It has also been running at about +6 sec/day, which I find great for a solid watch well under the $500.00 mark.

The only things I find wrong with it is that the second hand doesn't completely line up with the second marks (I've seen much much worse on other cheap watches), however, it isn't too bad overall, as it's only slightly off. My biggest complaint, and this is just a matter of opinion, is the lume. I have seen MUCH brighter tritium tube lume before and was expecting it to be brighter than what it turned out to be. Is it bad? Heck no, but it's definitely no Ball SpaceMaster or Nite Nato NA1-12 either. But, it is clear and easy to read at night....especially once your eyes have adjusted to a low light area. Plus, keep in mind the price point of other brighter lume watches....again, just my opinion.

Overall, I give it a solid 4 stars and will recommend it to anyone looking for a tough, everyday, and solid watch.

I had a Tru-Glo watch that I bought online for $50.00, great price and exposed me to the Tritium type watch. I had it for less than a month and it started leaking when I took a shower (I now know that it's not very good for the watch to be worn in the shower or Jacuzzi) not just leaking but filled with water. I really liked the Tritium feature so I looked on line for an alternative. I looked at the Luminox, the Traser, the Tru-Glo and everything else I could find, I had decided that $300.00 to $400.00 was my pricepoint. I finally came across the Tawatec, after getting past the name and looking at all the reviews I decided to give it a shot. I happened to be in Tempe on vacation and it just so happened that they have several retailers in the surrounding area. I went to the Police Supply shop in Chandler and told them what I was looking for, they didn't have it but assured me they could contact the rep and have one the next day. I called the next day and it was in, I went over and checked it out and it was exactly as described. Paid only $249.00 + tax, been working great ever since. Love the Tritium, it has the best display ever if you like to see what time it is in the dark.

Really nice watch! I love the design and look. It is very light so it is not uncomfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The tritium is awesome. Not as bright as I expected it to be but in deep darkness it is very bright. Keeps time very well. It was less than 3 seconds off after 60 days. The band is the only thing I had any issue with. It was tough but had a thin feel to it. After it was broken in it was very flimsy but it seemed to be holding up well. I just prefer a thicker nylon strap with heavier hardware. Watch it self is a winner though for the price. I had a traser and smith & wesson tritium watch and this one is by far the nicest.

This watch is quickly becoming one of my favorites, for its type. Even though its listed as a "Diver" watch, its also very much suitable for tactical use.

The watch operates very much like other Dive watches with H3 Tritium. Like the Traser line, the tritium displays with a reasonable level of brightness in the dark, and has a Diver's bezel. (A lens cover should be used for tactical environments, to ensure good light discipline.) However, this watch excels in areas where two other Diver watches do not. . .

First is the watch strap, which is a NATO spec strap made of ballistic nylon. Although the band is thin (one of my minor gripes), its components are designed to reduce skin contact with the wrist side of the bezel, and not bite into the skin or the Diver's wet/dry suit. . .

Second, the watch is deceivingly light. Even though its size rivals two other Diver watches in my collection (I own a Traser and an Austrian made Pollman with a Citizen Quartz movement), the front side bezel is made from carbon fiber, and weighs about 30% of the weight. . . Wrist fatigue will not be a problem. . .

Third, another added plus is the crown is offset to be at the 4 o'clock position, rather than the 3 o'clock position, which prevents the crown from digging into the back of the wrist. . . (On my Pollman, the crown kept on coming out and started keeping inaccurate time.)

Overall, for the cost, its a relative bargain purchase with excellent ergonomics and functionality. It would've been nice to have a slighter thicker wrist strap, but its not that big a deal. . .

My primary consideration was to find an affordable watch that I could read in darkness, anywhere, without glasses, and never have to worry about "charging" luminous paint that quickly fades. Tritium tubes are really the only alternative. Luminox struck me as gimmicky. At the higher end, Ball Aviator Dual Time or Spacemaster Glow do an amazing job (small tubes at each minute mark), but they're very expensive and bulky.
I liked the straightforward face and three-color display of the Tawatec, it's 4 o'clock stem position, and the lightweight but tough construction.
The watch has kept within +/- 1 second over the last week based on my radio-synched digital. The nylon "nato" band is adequate, but I'll probably look for a silicone or leather "bund" band. The orange markers for the hour hand and at 12 o'clock are very helpful, but my eyes have to be very dark-accustomed to distinguish the blue and green elements.