The battle for the deep - The Emile Chouriet Challeger Deep

The popularity for dive watches is immense, no other complication can create such an excitement among watch nerds like good diver. It doesn’t matter if a dive watch is a vintage recreation or a modern interpretation, the layout is more or less the same because for its certification they have to comply with the ISO standards and this creates a lot of competition among brands. If we think of the Rolex Submariner (which is probably the most iconic diver of all time) people consider anything with a similar looks as an homage piece which can be completely unfair because of the reason mentioned above, that said there are many diving pieces who are incredible refreshing and here is where we encounter the Challenger Deep from Emile Chouriet, a brand who has come up in the watch world like a torpedo, fast, quiet but successfully on target. The Geneva establish house has a great catalogue of timepieces but this time we will focus on the Challenger series and more specially on the Challenger Deep Red, a robust diver which is ready to be used on any extreme sport if needed.

The specifications:

As you all might know this is a tool watch so the 42mm with a 13mm thickness plus an ETA based caliber is a winning combination, the bezel which is one of the coolest part of a diver is made of ceramic and it feels very refined, no back play just pure ''toolness''.

Ok, so far the whole package seems great but the real party trick is the dial, a beautiful red fume which looks as perfect as anything, I have seen many fume dials and about to review others but this red application can only be seen in watches such as Moser and Cie., you don’t need to tell me that we are comparing something different but the quality and final product is closely matched. The overall effect and design of the dial is so simple but at the same time full of details that makes me think another diver is needed in the collection. The long hour markers with syringe hands create a razor sharp look while the black fume edges make the Challenger Depp as elegant possible even if you need to be 300 meters below the sea which is very impressive.

On the wrist:

The watch wears like a dream in my 6.25 inch wrist, with beautiful sculpted lugs and a distance under 50mm the watch feels sophisticated for any event, legibility is perfect, the fume black part creates a beautiful contrast against the white markers, the anchor at 6pm looks amazing on the dial, it makes you remember that this it’s maritime watch, perfect for the sea.The watch comes on a rubber strap which is incredible comfortable, tappers nicely and has one of the most graceful deployment claps, not bulky and well machined.

Conclusion:

In today's watch world it is very hard to stand out with a diver, there are many good offers and great value but I think the Challenger Deep offers something different with a quality that it's unmatched at this price point and with a dial that almost feel artisanal. I think that it would perfect to try out the Challenger Deep for what it was meant to do but the good thing is while you are waiting to take a deep dive I'm sure that the watch would look incredible anywhere else you need to be.

For more information visit https://www.emilechouriet.ch