Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean article! On this shiok Saturday, I will be introducing the new Hyperion Ocean watch from watch microbrand Crafter Blue.
Currently available for pre-order on their website, the Hyperion Ocean is billed a 600M WR serious dive watch. Let’s see if it’s any good!
Crafter Blue – the Brand
Crafter Blue started life by designing and engineering curved ends rubber straps for popular Seiko and Tudor dive watches. In fact, they continue to sell straps on their web-store here, and have in recent years carved out a niche for themselves by offering quality straps that fit popular dive watch models perfectly.
In 2018, Crafter Blue decided to launch their maiden watch collection, the Mechanic Ocean 300M. At the same time, Crafter Blue provided rubber straps for the UNDIVE Dark Sea 500M. That was a highly popular Kickstarter campaign, attracting over 180 backers! Unfortunately, the watch (and the brand) has since been discontinued due to undisclosed issues, and Crafter Blue decided to come in and reissue the watch. Marketed as the Hyperion Ocean 600M, the watch is advertised as being an upgraded and enhanced version of its predecessor. The watch is also Crafter Blue’s first ever Swiss Made watch, as the brand partnered with Swiss production facilities to ensure a higher level of QC.
Alright, without further ado let’s take a closer look at the Kickstarter project!
Crafter Blue – Hyperion Ocean
Let’s start off the specifications. Crafter Blue boasts that they have elevated the Hyperion Ocean over the UNDIVE Dark Sea, and that’s definitely true from a specifications standpoint.
The biggest upgrade is the movement. While the UNDIVE Dark Sea used the workhorse Seiko NH35A movement, the Hyperion Ocean boasts a more prestigious Sellita SW200 movement. As compared to the Seiko NH35A, the Sellita SW200 features a higher beat rate (resulting in a smoother sweep of the second hand), better accuracy, and is Swiss Made. The WR rating of the watch is buffed up slightly as well, up to 600M on the Hyperion Ocean as compared to 500M on its predecessor.
In addition, the Hyperion Ocean also features a unique anti-magnetic design! To protect the watch against unwanted magnetic disturbances (which might affect the accuracy of the movement), the watch features soft iron shields which surrounds the movement to negate magnetic effects. Personally, this is something that I’ve not seen in any microbrand dive watch till date, and I must say I’m impressed. Crafter Blue is positioning the Hyperion Ocean as a robust dive watch that will withstand tons of abuse, and have gone the extra mile to ensure that it actually does. Kudos to them for that!
There’s also a domed sapphire crystal to protect the dial, and Swiss BGW9 Superluminova to ensure bright luminosity in the darkness. Other impressive features include the inclusion of a helium escape valve, and of course a screw-down crown. Lastly, the Hyperion Ocean is finished off with a Crafter Blue vulcanised pure rubber strap, which I heard is incredibly comfortable and durable. The strap will also come with a whooping 15 holes, double the amount that are typically found on straps, offering increased flexibility in finding the perfect length.
Design-wise, the Hyperion Ocean is largely similar to its predecessor. The aesthetics of the watch come across as decidedly utilitarian, with a strong industrial feel. When I first saw the press pictures of the Hyperion Ocean, it immediately reminded me of the Panerai Submersible – Panerai’s ultimate “tool watch”. Both watches looked ready to be worn to the bottom of the ocean!
Overall, I think the design of the watch comes together rather nicely. I could see the various influences that Crafter Blue drew from – the Panerai Submersible, Seiko Turtle, and even a bit of Rolex Submariner. Yet, it doesn’t feel like an homage, a mere copy, but rather the best and most iconic parts of renowned serious dive watches put together in a cohesive package.
While the Hyperion Ocean undoubtedly draws on more established dive watches for inspiration, it also manages to inject some of its own personality into the design of the Hyperion Ocean. For example, I love the pops of blue (presumably because the brand name is Crafter Blue) which adds some nice touches of colour to the otherwise monochromatic dial. Yet, it is done tastefully, without undermining the utilitarian feel of the watch. In addition, I also like that Crafter Blue has adopted a black date wheel to match the black dial of the watch – its predecessor used a white date wheel, which I felt was aesthetically jarring.
All in all, I think the Crafter Blue Hyperion Ocean is a very compelling package. Its specifications are top-notch: domed sapphire crystal, Sellita SW-200 movement, an awesome Crafter Blue vulcanised pure rubber strap, Swiss BGW9 lume, as well as additional features such as an anti-magnetic shield and a helium escape valve. The aesthetics of the Hyperion Ocean may not reinvent the wheel, but it comes together in a cohesive manner that oozes tool watch feels. I don’t have much negatives to say about it, other than its 45mm case size (which might be too big for some). Nevertheless, I would definitely say that for the specifications and design, the Crafter Blue Hyperion Ocean is a strong entrant in the tool watch category! If you’re someone who’s looking for a tough dive watch, do check the Hyperion Ocean out.
For those interested, the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” will grant you 10% off all Crafter Blue watches, as well as Crafter Blue straps! After the discount, the Crafter Blue Hyperion Ocean can be pre-ordered for just $539 USD/ ~S$748!
Specifications:
Features:
Swiss Made
Antimagnetic
Date
Screw-in crown
Helium escape valve
Unidirectional rotating PVD bezel
Technical data:
Bracelet: Crafter Blue vulcanized pure rubber strap
Dial color: Black filled with BGW9 lume
Case: 316L stainless steel
Case Diameter: 45mm; 50mm lug to lug
Case Back: Stainless steel back with sapphire crystal
Dial color: Black
Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal
Thickness: 16.30mm
Lug width: 22mm
Movement: Sellita Calibre SW200 (stop-seconds function, 28,800 vibrations, 26 jewels)
Water Resistance: 600m / 2000ft
Warranty: 1 year
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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