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Aquadive Automatic Diver (Ref. 10905), 1970s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Aquadive Automatic Diver (Ref. 10905), 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Aquadive (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
ADAD10905
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (ADAD10905)
Catalogue title (original)
1970s Aquadive Automatic Diver (Ref. 10905) (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number ADAD10905), this is a wristwatch by Aquadive, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

Aquadive was a serious dive watch company that created wristwatches within the "golden era" of dive watches, with a functionality-first mentality. The brand helped shape this era through its design language, which was devoted strictly to subaquatic wristwatches. This made for some funky and clever designs that had a scuba divers' best interests in mind – specifically, extreme water resistance and high visibility. This ref. 10905 model features a fantastic, colorful dial paired with a handset that includes a large orange lollipop sweep seconds hand, all of which are downright cool and eye-catching. It would make a unique addition to any collection and is sure to stand out from the crowd! Stock # ADAD10905 Brand Aquadive Style Automatic Diver Model 10905 Serial 63XX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Grey / Blue Millimeters 38 Strap 2pc Rubber Strap CASE & BRACELET The stout, angular stainless steel case appears to have been gently polished and retains super crisp case finishing and geometry throughout with minimal signs of previous use present. The original black rotating bezel remains black in color and features a pop of red color at the 12 o'clock position, the bezel is in overall excellent condition with minimals signs of use present. the case retains its original unsigned crown. The case back retains its factroy markings in crisp condition. The watch will come supplied on a 2pc rubber strap. DIAL & HANDS The multi-colored dial starts with a deep blue sunburst center with a matte grey outer dial that features a sectioned white outer minute track and bright orange squares at each hour. The tritium lume plots all remain present but show expected degradation throughout. The original white hour hands are in exceptional condition along with the orange lollipop seconds hand that adds a final pop of color. The tritium lume in the hands displays no degradation under U.V. light inspection. ACCESSORIES

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Dive and water-resistant watches

Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.

Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.

What to look for

  • Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
  • Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
  • Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
  • Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.

Dating clues

  • Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
  • Professional dive watches: from 1953.
  • Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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