Scubapro 500 Automatic Diver

For SCUBA divers, there are few name brands that carry more weight than Scubapro. It's almost as old as the sport itself, having been founded in 1963 by diver Gustav Della Valle and a former Navy SEAL, Dick Bonin. Della Valle and Bonin purchased the brand name from British company Heathways for $1--that's right, one US dollar.

Their first products were diving equipment like a regulator, the Scubair 300, and a line of fins, the Jet Fins, that are still regarded by divers as some of the best on the market today. The brand has pioneered innumerable technologies that have advanced the once extremely hazardous sport into the modern age, making it safer and more enjoyable for millions of divers worldwide. From their wetsuits and Sea Fins to the legendary Mark II Regulator (released in 1963 and still being sold today), Scubapro products are known for their quality, durability, and reliability under pressure.

When it came to their diving watches, Scubapro spared no expense in specifying components and construction that met the needs of their professional and military diver clientele, collaborating with different manufacturers over the years to ensure the highest quality product. Admired by dive watch enthusiasts for their unique PVD "Tuna Can" design (later used in modified form by Seiko) and superb construction, the Scubapro watches of the 1970s and 1980s have a cult-like following today.  

These Scubapro divers are rarely released from private collections, and the examples that do show signs of many years worth of hard use in the sport they were designed for. This particular example does show some signs of normal wear, but isn't overly worn, with a clean dial with crisp luminescent elements and a beautiful faded bezel--and, unusual for a dive watch, no signs of water damage. Paired up with a rubber dive strap or a colorful nylon strap, this watch looks at home in a surprising variety of settings, but always looks as if it wants to jump off your wrist and into the ocean.  

For more information on the history of Scubapro, check out this interesting piece over at The Watch Spot, HERE.