Today we are gonna talk about a new watch from a new microbrand company called EVOX. And they started with a dive watch called DV1. I actually discovered them on Instagram and at first, I thought it was an Omega Proplof, but I scrolled back and saw this one! It was a really bold and big watch, but I liked it. At first, I was like” what’s that, it isn’t that pretty”, but the more I looked at the photos they posted, the more I fell in love with it! So I contacted them and got a sample to review for you guys!
The watch came in a very nice box, it is almost a display box as it has a round see-through hole on the lid, just like the Hublot boxes have. The first impressions of the watch were just wow, the pictures just can’t do justice for this watch! The quality is really good! The one thing that I already knew I won’t like is that the strap is integrated, this means that it can’t be changed that easily. You either can grind down the middle part at the machine shop where the strap attaches or you will need to custom order the strap from a strap maker.
The case of the DV1 is made of 316L stainless steel. The case is very chunky and actually very well machined, I was surprised by how good it actually was made and the satin-brushed finishing is done really good too! It is quite obvious that the case of the DV1 diver is somewhat based or I should say inspired on the Omega Proplof. On the Omega, the red button on the upper part of the right side is for unlocking the bezel. On this the DV1, the red button is actually the helium escape valve which opens automatically on need. The 120 click bezel is uni-directional with an aluminium insert. The bezel action is superb! It is very stiff, easy to grip and everything lines up perfectly! The screw-down crown is on the left side rather than being on the right side. The crown action is very good, it is really easy to grip it. The solid screw-down case back is also pretty nice with nice details and I like that they didn’t leave it just for text only. The water resistance is a whooping 1000M so basically all water activities this watch will withstand without a problem! On top of the watch sits a flat sapphire crystal with AR coating.
Evox went with a very simple clean dial. The face is matte black with large hour markers for easy visibility. Since most dives are measured in minutes, the minute hand is painted a bright red so you can track elapsed time. Everything is very legible and very easy to read. The only thing I don’t like on the dial is probably the date, I would take it off so the watch looks cleaner + this is a dive watch and in my opinion, a dive watch doesn’t need a date window. Any good dive watch needs a good lume for low light visibility. EVOX has that part covered. Lume on this one charges quickly and it glows very brightly for a long time (around 3 hours). Superluminove is used on the hands, indexes, and 12 o’clock bezel marker.
The movement that is inside is Japan Made Miyota 8215 automatic movement. It has a 40-hour power reserve and 21 jewels, that ticks along at 21,600bph. Miyota has been making its way into more and more watches, and for good reason. These movements are reliable, easily serviceable, and keep great time. I have this in one of my watches, and it is going like a champ for years now without any service. But I heard that many people don’t like these movements and it is a big turn off for many due to the lack of hacking feature. The lack of the hacking feature means little to my day-to-day, but I know it is the norm. Also, I heard that these movements have a very noisy rotor, but this example has almost no sound from the rotor. Mine example is running at +12 seconds a day which is reasonably good!
The orange silicone strap is actually pretty good! It isn’t anything special, but it is very soft and wears very comfortable. The watch is actually really comfortable despite how big it is! The tang style buckle is signed and with brushed finishing. The one thing that I don’t like about the strap is that it is integrated, that means that there won’t be any strap changes like on regular lugs, you will need to custom order one from a strap maker.
Overall I really like the DV1, it is a somewhat homage to one of my favourite Omega watches the Proplof, but with some original touches. At this moment of my watch journey I kind of like smaller size watches, but this big boy impressed me a lot. The build quality is good, my watchmaker even pressures tested the case up to 800m and it held it up without a problem. The price of the watch is €387 which actually is very cheap in my opinion for a diver with 1000m water resistance capability, sapphire crystal, automatic Miyota movement, helium escape valve and great, bold design! So if you are in a market for a tough, manly, bold watch, this is it!
Price: €387 @ evoxtime.com
Watch Crystal: Sapphire Crystal
Dial: Matt Dial with Superluminova Index and Hands
Date: Window at 9 o’clock
Case: 48mm 316L Stainless Steel + Helium Escape Valve
Case Thickness: 15mm
Lug to Lug: 24mm
Inner Lug Size: 20mm
Outer Lug Size: 26mm
Back Case: Single Piece Screw Down Case Back with Embossed EVOX Logo
Crown: Left Hand Crown with Embossed EVOX Logo
Movement: Automatic Miyota 8215
Power Reserve: Up to 40 hours
Water Resistant: 1000 meters
Limited Edition: 68 pieces with limited number engraved on the back case
Strap: Silicone Strap
KaminskyBlog 
Where is this watch made from? I was told its Swiss made. Is that accurate?
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China, but that isn’t a bad thing! Not all things coming out from China are cheaply made. China is the top case maker in the world and some brands are even nominated for GPHG award, so they must be doing something right!
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