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| Joined: | Thu Mar 26th, 2009 |
| Location: | Colorado USA |
| Posts: | 10254 |
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Ok...so I feel like I've been living in a cave with regards to the DWATCH Sting Ray. This watch has been offered for some time, but our paths just never crossed until Alon and DWATCH joined us here at 3T. I struck up a conversation with Alon regarding the Sting Ray...Alon was great to talk to...very detailed and very helpful regarding the options available with this high quality, custom built watch.
I was getting ready to order one direct from Alon when I saw this one pop up for sale on the preowned market on the OEM rubber strap. Anyone that is looking at these knows there are many options to custom build your timepiece...I was trending toward the "classic" with my desired options...definitely was going to order the brushed case, black bezel, white reef hands...the only thing I was playing with was the seconds hand (and was definitely ready to order this one on the great looking mesh)...but this one came up...a LNIB opportunity...and an irresistable deal was struck with the seller, so I jumped on it.
The first thing that struck me about the DWATCH Sting Ray when I first took a look at it was the bezel and the unique, retro diver case design. I was searching for a preowned DOXA at the time and this one pulled me off course (man, we WIS seem to get distracted fairly often...no?
) I am a huge fan of the previous version of the IWC Aquatimer 3536 (this is the version of the Aquatimer that was manufactured around the 1998-2003 period or so). Anyway, the bezel design and construction of the DWATCH Sting Ray immediately brought to mind the bezel on the IWC Aquatimer 3536...not identical, but I loved it right away...just so sweet. Also fell in love with the Reef Hands offered by DWATCH...so easy to read at a glance...love it...and dare I say Girard-Perregaux Sea Hawk visions sort of smack me in the back of the head when I look at the Reef Hands!!!The automatic HEV valve equipped retro-case of the Sting Ray is where the DWATCH differentiates itself IMO...This case is retro...yes...but is so unique...I haven't seen anything else out there like it anyway...love it. 46.5mm case diameter not including crown, 52mm lug-to-lug, 24mm lug width, 16.9mm overall thickness (but this is very important...only about 14mm thick at the center and with that awesome "hug-your-wrist" contour in the case design - check the pic - this thing wears very comfortably given its imposing dimensions). Very sweet indeed! The quality of construction is fantastic on this one...very solid bezel action with no slop, case machining on this brushed model is very sweet (has that tactile silkyness to the touch). Love the fine knurling on the crown and bezel...great grip on both...and the very deeply engraved "D" on the crown...nice touch. Lume (C3 Superluminova) looks great!
For now, it stays on the OEM rubber which is a high quality vanilla scented number (I may have to order the mesh bracelet direct from Alon in the near future...looks like a hot combo). I also have another deployment style rubber strap incoming that I think will look great on this one...stay tuned.
I normally like to get some nice "natural light" pics posted with a new arrival, but it is night and all I have is these quick ones.
Thumbs-up to Alon and DWATCH for a great piece!!!hand6.gif
Here are some quick and dirty pics (I've got to get some natural light shots soon)....
