A British entrepreneur is hoping to give up his day job to concentrate full-time on his two greatest passions in life: watches and diving.
Kevin Lambert, a graphic designer from Bristol, believes there is a gap in the market for a high-spec diver’s watch with a dramatically different look and feel to traditional models so, in 2008, he created OceanArc watches with a view to turning his vision into a reality.
Four years on, Lambert’s first timepiece, the OceanArc Series One diver’s watch, is almost ready for market.
His web site says that the watches can be pre-ordered for £1999, for delivery in the summer. “It will probably be late-summer,” he admitted in a conversation with Watchpro. “The manufacture of independent watches is booming right now, and the company we are working with will take a little longer than originally planned.”
Lambert was inspired by the story of Schofield, a Sussex-based brand that unveiled its first watches in 2011, and is also run by a British product designer, Giles Ellis, who was following his passion. Schofield’s watches are also currently on pre-order only, for delivery this summer.
“I have been a watch enthusiast for many years. I decided to combine my love of watches with my skills, and design from scratch the dive watch I would want to wear,” Lambert describes.
The OceanArc Series One will be limited to 500 units. Uniquely, it features a strap made from stingray hide, which is extremely durable and, of course, water-resistant, Lambert says.
The watch’s specification sheet reads:
Movement: ETA 2824-2 Automatic 28.800 vibrations per hour; 4 Hz
25 Jewels
Power-Reserve: approx. 41hr
Case: 14 sided Stainless steel, Matt black DLC coated
Bezel: Uni-directional with Super-Luminova markings
Dial: Etched in Waveform design with Super-Luminova coated hour markers
Hands: Coated in Super-Luminova, seconds hand in wavecrest design
Dimensions: 42mm
Water-resistance: 50ATM(500m)
Crystal: Anti reflective sapphire crystal
Strap: Black Stingray
Two additional designs are already prepared, and will go into production once orders of the Series One reach a sufficient level. The company will then consider selling the watches into retail channels including jewellers, watch stores and dive stores.
Discover more at www.oceanarc.co.uk.
