Scurfa is a brand that has had my attention since the early days of my watch interest. The idea of a true to form tool watch and the idea of a watch made for and by technical divers was fascinating. I love that they come in an affordable and attractive package.
I’ve always wanted to get one of these into my hands and on my wrist. I’ve had several iterations in my shopping cart dozens of times but never pulled the trigger. I was fortunate to get one of these on loan and let me tell you, it does not disappoint.
On the Wrist
This is a tool watch. There is no argument otherwise and it makes no apologies for it. This watch wears like a tool watch. It is quite a bit thicker than I’d expect with a quartz movement, but the mile (actually 500M) of water resistance does require some size to make happen. Barring the thickness, the rest of this watch is sleek and sporty.
The dimensions are excellent. A 40mm case with 47.7mm length seats the watch flat on top of your wrist and gives it great presence without feeling like a manhole cover. The quartz movement lightens the watch up quite a bit. Its deceptive how light this watch is, I can’t even imagine how great the titanium feels.
I loved wearing this watch so much that I kept it an inappropriate amount of time.
Dial Details
The simplicity of this dial is quite elegant. It has the same austere elegance of watches like the SKX of the 556. Simple painted glossy dial with a simple but recognizable logo at the 12 o’clock. What had me most impressed was the angle of the chapter ring. There is a very small angle of on the inside of the case that behaves similar to the Christopher Ward light catcher case. The high polish of the inside of the case at the slight angle reflects light across the dial and increases legibility in low light.
The basic sword hands with a glossy paint finish really compliment the gloss of the dial paint. If I have to make a complaint, I’d prefer a border finish on the date window but that’s about as nitpicky a complaint as has ever been made.
The domed sapphire crystal creates minimal distortion but still bounces and plays with light in a really fun way.
Case and Bracelet
We’ve done some discussing of the case already so I’ll skip the way it catches light.
A polished case on a designed tool watch is an interesting decision, almost ironic. Let me tell you, it works. The simplicity of the rest of the watch combined with the polished finish makes it a little bit of a dress diver.
The crown guards are robust but they aren’t intrusive. They also done impede the ability to manipulate the crown. The crown is very easy to manipulate, but being a quartz there are few reasons to need to open the crown. With that there is also the benefit of longevity. As we all know the more you open and close your crown the more wear there is on your o rings which reduces water resistance and service requirements. These problems are mitigated on the D1.
I have to admit, even though I had the bracelet with this watch I did not wear it. The Scurfa rubber strap was so comfortable that all I did was handle the bracelet. The bracelet articulates nicely, has great weight, and is very attractive. It is a simple push button clasp with a stamped logo on. Here is another nitpicky gripe, there is no quick adjust on the clasp. This is a designed dive watch, for divers. Now, I’m not a diver so I can’t say this with any kind of authority, a dive watch should have quick adjust. Right? That’s a feature that if nothing else would add some more coolness to the watch.
Final Thoughts
As of this writing the D1 is available, in some of the colorways, for $252.99. This watch is a really low risk “flyer” that is functional, attractive, and cool.
I really enjoyed wearing this watch. It was cool to be connected in a slight way to something that I will never really be a part of. I don’t need a helium escape valve. But I really like having one. I don’t need 500 meter of water resistance but I like to have it. This is more watch than I could ever need or want, but I want this watch.
I’m all about the hidden gems of the watch world. This watch has no business being as good as it is for the cost. But it does it, and it does it well.
Check out more dive watch reviews at The Watch Clicker
Check out the Scurfa website
Scurfa Diver One Specs | |
Case Width | Thickness |
Lug-to-Lug | Lug Width |
Crystal | Strap |
Water Resistance | Lume |
Movement | Price |
