Dreffa Diver 'Baby Panerai'

With their simple, clean designs and reliable, robust movements, the tool watches of the 1960s and 1970s were built to accompany the adventurer across the globe and to keep time at its great heights as well as its dark depths. Given the popularity of the style even today, there are hundreds of interesting variants from dozens of companies. Though many of these firms ceased production due to the ravages of the Quartz crisis, their watches remain — all with a story to tell and a unique take on a tried-and-true theme. Among these, vintage dive watches are some of the most attractive; even when relegated to desk duty, there's just something so right about a vintage dive watch on your wrist. This particular watch is a vintage Reference 18193 diver from Dreffa, a Swiss marque established by founder Armand Dreyfus in 1874. Housed in a 40 mm stainless steel cushion case with a prominent knurled crown, an acrylic crystal, and a rotating dive bezel with a faded multi-tone acrylic insert and a luminous 12 o'clock pip, it features a matte black dial with an outer open minute track in white, luminous circular hour indices, a date window at 3 o'clock, and a luminous 'sword' handset. Powered by an Swiss-made automatic ETA 2772 movement and paired to a Ralstra strap, this cool 1970s diver is an affordable entry point into the world of vintage watch collecting. Whether you're looking for a cool everyday option for yourself or a fun and funky gift for a horologically-inclined friend, you can't go wrong with this this Dreffa!