It is really amazing how much our minds influence our choices in life. I have been focusing on bettering myself in a more positive way in all aspects of my life. How does that pertain to watches? Well I used to be pretty closed minded when it came to what I preferred in watches which made me miss out on experiencing some really fantastic pieces. Today’s watch that I am reviewing is an example of a watch that I would have missed out on had I not opened my mind to experiencing things outside my comfort zone, my personal preferences, ect…..

That watch is the  Shipwreck Hunter from Ocean Crawler which arrived in a beautiful wooden storage box. I actually took a few moments to admire just how beautiful the box was before rushing into it to see the watch. This actually says a lot for me because usually I just want to see the watch as fast as possible. Relatable to that kid on Christmas. When I finally did open the box, I wasn’t disappointed on what I initially saw. Let me tell you based on looks alone the blue sapphire bezel and the blue dial are stunning. This made me even more excited to get right down to business and get this watch dirty. Off to the beach we went with the Shipwreck Hunter strapped to my wrist. I have to say that the 43mm titanium case makes the Shipwreck Hunter extremely comfortable on the wrist while maintaining some great wrist presence. The included blue canvas strap with the orange stitching made for the ideal combo for this beach adventure. I took quick notice of the detailing on the rounded lugs (see pic below) and I really appreciate the fact the lugs are drilled with screw bars. While driving to the beach I couldn’t stop staring at this watch especially when it was playing in the direct sunlight. The rounded sapphire bezel and the blue dial are so incredibly beautiful in all lighting, but especially so in sunlight.

When I arrived to the beach I couldn’t wait to get this watch down to the water. It was a really interesting day weather wise. The sun was out and there were clouds on the horizon. As time went on the sound of thunder could be heard in the distance. I was thinking oh great just what I need. It did rain for a little while and cloud up quite a bit but then the sun came out with force. The beautiful clouds did stick around as well to my delight. Of course before taking pictures I had to set the time to that infamous 10:10 setting. Using the main crown located at the 3 o’clock position was easy to grip and operate because of the overall size of the crown and because of the edges of the crown. The crown unscrewed smoothly and easily. Smooth rotation while setting the time and smooth screw down as well. I am sure that you noticed the two other crowns both of which function without fault. The top crown is used for rotating the inner chapter ring/solar compass and the bottom crown is used for a manual helium release. Of course with all this crown rotation the bezel was begging for some attention and it was not disappointing for either of us. The bezel has nice rotation, with easy to grip edges and rotates with no extra play at all. Much to my OCD delight the triangle lines up perfect with the 12 o’clock position on the dial.

 I have absolutely no problem with the legibility of the Shipwreck Hunter in all the different lighting I came across. The large markers and the beautifully shaped hands create the ideal combination for optimal legibility. I like that the second hand and the minute hand both have the touch of orange. This not only adds detail to the dial, but it always adds consistency because the orange matches just right with the orange  stitching. Even with a crashing wave, the dial can be read and the orange details throughout this piece can be seen as evidenced by the picture below. I think it would be quite unique if the numerals on the white date wheel would have been printed in orange instead of black and that the date wheel would have been blue. A detail that I have never seen before on a watch, but Ocean Crawler did include a detail that I have never seen before. (see the lume pic below)

As I was spending time with this watch on the beach, I realized just how much detail is packed into this piece. At one point a wave flipped the watch over to expose the cool screw down case back with its raised engravings. Not that this is necessarily an added detail but the shade of grey that the titanium case has is beautiful in its own regard. Packed with the solar compass, the Shipwreck Hunter is quite the tool watch.  With more than enough water resistance that a person can actually handle, the 2000 feet just adds a badass element to the watch. The only area on this piece that I need to mention for improvement is the manual helium release crown is a bit loose feeling when fully unwound. I know it’s not set up like a standard crown with the added stability of an stem tube, ect, but I would be more comfortable with if it felt a bit sturdier.

The Shipwreck Hunter is a quality made piece that is a real tool watch infused with the soul of a dive watch. I found myself appreciating the titanium case a lot more than I anticipated. Actually this is probably the one of the first titanium cases that I really appreciate since my time with the Tudor Pelagos (honorable mention to the Deep Ocean and the RAD). My personal issues with titanium cases is that they often feel too light, which for some reason translates to feeling cheap in my opinion. Seeing this dial and bezel in every lighting situation imaginable, I have to say they are absolutely stunning no matter what. The blue is what makes it so beautiful in my opinion, which just radiates right off of this watch. This is truly a watch that was made with passion for the water and executed with quality. It did not disappoint me at all and it definitely didn’t fail me out in its intended environment. I had fun figuring out the solar compass and putting it to use. It became pretty addicting. The Shipwreck Hunter has stunning wrist pressence and is a fun watch to wear regardless of what environment you wear it in.

Thank you all for reading and as always your questions and comments are welcome below.

Thank you to Ocean Crawler.

If you want to know more about this watch then head over to:

Ocean Crawler Ocean Navigator – Blue

Technical Specs:

Case Diameter (excluding crown): 43.1mm
Case Thickness: 14.8mm, Lug-To-Lug: 50mm, Lug Width: 20mm
Case Material: Titanium
Bezel: Unidirectional Rotating Sapphire Bezel with 120 Clicks and Swiss SuperLuminova Markers
Movement: Swiss Made STP1-11
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour
Water Resistance: 600 meters, 2000-feet or 60 ATM
Power Reserve: 44 hours