More Fordite? Yes, please. A month ago, I had never heard of the stuff, and now, after checking out the $3,950 Arcanaut ARC II, I am reviewing a second Fordite watch. This time, the strange material graces the $1,299 Ocean Crawler Champion Diver Fordite.
As a refresher, Fordite is composed of innumerable layers of enamel auto-body paint. Back in the day, as vehicles were painted on assembly lines, overspray would build up on the equipment, and eventually, this rock-hard layer would need to be forcibly removed. Someone discovered that the colorful striations were quite pretty and the material could be cut and polished. Alas, Fordite effectively became extinct by 2000 with the advent of modern electrostatic paint. Like Fordite itself, this special Ocean Crawler Champion Diver is a limited commodity; only 100 will be made. Each dial will be unique, but of course, the rest of the watch will be the same.
The Champion Diver takes its name seriously. That 44mm case is rated for 600m water resistance and 6000G shock resistance — a handy combination if you find yourself in a submarine crash. It is 52mm long and an imposing 15mm thick. It’s a big boy, but that is not a bad thing considering that it is A) a dive watch, and B) a display vehicle for an unusually wild dial. In such a case, I’d say bigger is better, and this is about as big as my 6.75″ wrist can handle.
With its imposing dimensions, flat case sides, and no-nonsense brushed surfaces, the Champion diver might have looked like a brick had it not been for some softer touches like its curved lugs and rounded bezel. Both of these serve to smooth things out, making the watch quite wearable, despite its size. Viewed off-axis, you will notice the curvature of that 4.5mm thick domed sapphire crystal as well.
I particularly commend the designer for fitting a crown that is large in breadth and not height. Not every dive watch needs a beer can jutting out of its right flank. In my humble opinion, flatter crowns are generally more attractive than tall ones and every bit as functional. The coin edge on this one offers more than ample grip and is easy to screw down. I also like the way the grooves continue up and over the head to meet the engraved logo at its center.
You will find that fluted texture repeated on the bezel. It takes a firm hand to move it through its 120 clicks, and its action is damn near perfect: tight, confident, and utterly free of shimmy or back play. With its single lume pip and only a hint of quadrant markers at 3, 6, and 9, it is not your usual diver’s bezel, but then again, this isn’t your usual diver’s watch. Indeed, were it not for the helium release valve at 9 o’clock, I’d say the bezel, crown, and overall case shape make it look more like a pilot’s watch.
The Champion’s case back displays little more than the branding, serial number, and specs, all neatly done in high relief. I kind of wish they stopped there because they also added a sea creature at the bottom for decoration and it’s just too tight a squeeze. It unbalances the overall image, but as it will spend most of its time pressed against your wrist, it is a relatively small issue.
Inside, beats a Swiss-made Sellita SW-200-1, a solid performer based on the venerable ETA 2024 architecture with two extra jewels (26 total) and a 28.8k bph vibration rate.
Turning back to the main attraction, we have that mad swirl of Fordite color. Because the material was created in an almost organic manner, it is hard to predict how each dial will turn out. In this case, it developed broad bands of black, white, royal blue, gray, and olive green along with some skinny bands of red on the left side. When it comes to Fordite, your mileage may vary; each cut will be slightly different. Those available on the Ocean Crawler site right now show gorgeous red, white, and gray striations.
Interior anti-reflective coating affords a good clear view in daylight. At night, the SuperLuminova takes over with a potent glow.
As I learned in my Arcanaut review, one of the challenges of Fordite is choosing a handset that works on any of the myriad variations of color and pattern. Ocean Crawler went with a pair of needle-like hands in white and orange and a matching orange second hand. The slim design flies in the face of dive watch tradition and stays out of the way of the Fordite. Slim as they are, the hands still manage to pop against the mostly dark dial. The silver-printed logo and text are more muted, as they should be. Whether by luck or plan, it all came out perfectly legible.
Like Arcanaut, Ocean Crawler kept the markers off the dial. It provides 5-minute markers on the rehaut, but no individual minute markers, which makes precision setting difficult at best. Dive-worthiness aside, the Champion’s slender handset, crazy dial, and minimal markings ensure this particular model won’t be anyone’s first choice for undersea exploration. You could use it, of course, but there are more suitable options in the Ocean Crawler catalog.
Each Champion Diver includes two straps; a saddle tan leather strap and a black Kevlar strap. Both are attractive and well-made. As an added bonus, there are two spring bar perches in the lugs. The straight ends on the Kevlar look best on the farthest perches while the curved ends on the leather snuggle up to the barrel quite nicely in the closest holes. Both are 22mm wide and have signed buckles.
I like the way Ocean Crawler played with traditional dive watch conventions in creating the Champion’s case, as well as the psychedelic vibrancy of the Fordite dial. The fact that is a capable tool is almost a bonus. The Ocean Crawler Champion Diver Fordite is a unique piece that you don’t need to treat with kid gloves. Strap it on, use it, show it, love it. But first, you will need to buy it. For that, head over to oceancrawler.com. Quantities are extremely limited, but while you are there, you may want to check out the more traditionally styled, yet still wild, Core Diver Fordite, which is still available for a $999 pre-sale through March 18, 2023.
