ReviewPresenting The Angelus U53 Tourbillon Dive Watch In Khaki Green

When one talks about a quintessential diver’s watch, certain features are a given. A rotating, dive-timer bezel; luminescent hour markers and hands; a waterproof crown; a solid metallic caseback; and a helium escape valve are a few of the main features. Others include a relatively thick watch glass for added protection underwater; and a bracelet with an extension for maximum comfort while worn over a diving suit. But what if a brand were to create a dive timer that defied most of these conventions, on the design and architectural fronts especially? In the horological landscape, there are many brands with expertise in diver’s watches but most play it safe when it comes to their execution since it’s no mean feat to have a watch plunge to the deepest depths of the ocean, and come out unscathed. Angelus watches, however, would beg to differ. They recently launched a skeletonised dive watch with a tourbillon mechanism—one could say, an anomaly in the watchmaking business.

It’s certainly not every day that one comes across a delicate tourbillon complication fitted inside a watch that’s made for combating the rigours of the choppy seas as well as going into the deep abyss of water bodies, where gravity may not even play much of a role, and one would question the presence of the tourbillon to begin with… But let’s reserve the judgment for now. The Angelus U53 tourbillon dive watch in khaki green definitely holds its own when compared with other tool watches, which, if one might say, can often look quite run-of-the-mill. And the khaki green lends it a unique character that is quite in sync with its sports watch persona. The watch comes in a limited edition of 25 pieces only and exemplifies the brand’s core values: sturdiness, efficiency, adaptability, supreme engineering and high performance. Let’s take a closer look.

The Angelus U53 Tourbillon Dive Watch is a versatile, ultra-modern and easy-to-wear timepiece and comes in a limited edition of 25 pieces only. It is mounted on a rubber strap and a complimentary hand-stitched NATO strap is also included

Angelus U53: A Serious Dive Timer With A Flying Tourbillon

With a rich legacy of over 125 years—which came to an abrupt end during the quartz crisis of the 1970s—Angelus have carved a new identity for themselves by churning out highly-complex timepieces, including those with chronographs replete with tourbillons, and displayed in open-worked structures. And they have been able to achieve this thanks to the know-how that the atelier possessed right from the time of its inception in 1891. Back then, they were among the few brands who had the expertise to manufacture their own movements when compared with other watch manufacturers, who would generally use movements created by other brands or third parties. It was then that Angelus earned a reputation for manufacturing not just pocket watches and wristwatches, but also multi-complication wristwatches, multi-display travel clocks with a generous power reserve of about eight days, alarm wristwatches and table clocks. In fact such was their mastery of high-precision movements that some of the early Panerai watches from the 1940s were also fitted with Angelus movements—the Radiomir Mare Nostrum chronograph being one such legendary example.

The new U53 khaki green diver offers a water resistance of up to 300m, and features luminescent hands and markers for optimum legibility in the dark

With a flying tourbillon placed inside a skeletonised structure, asymmetric design, and rotating flange—the U53 stands out as a versatile, ultra-modern and easy-to-wear timepiece

As it turns out, the brand are no strangers when it comes to experimenting with diver’s watches. In fact their latest launch, the U53, builds on the U50 Diver Tourbillon—the brand’s first dive watch launched in 2018. Traditionally diving watches have plain dials usually with bright inserts to provide optimum legibility underwater or even solid casebacks to ensure waterproofness. Angelus, however presented this in an open-worked structure with bright hands in yellow and blue, without compromising on legibility or the functions of this watch. The same has been applied to the new khaki green diver. With a flying tourbillon placed inside a skeletonised structure, an asymmetric design, and rotating flange—the U53 stands out as an exclusive, versatile, ultra-modern and easy-to-wear timepiece that is also capable to withstand the pressures of diving.

The case

From the movement to the case design, the objective has been to showcase the splendour of the mechanism’s architecture while reducing as much weight as possible. For this purpose, the U53 features a highly-skeletonised movement that gives it the impression of being a part of the case, which is forged in high-grade titanium. With this limited series of 25 pieces, the brand continue to explore the limitless possibilities of their dive watches. Meeting all the criteria for watches intended for underwater use, the 46mm case of the U53 is water-resistant to 300m, while its 60-minute-graduated rotating flange only turns anticlockwise, and its hands and indices are luminescent. Equipped with a helium valve at nine o’clock to allow saturation diving, it is also resistant to magnetic fields and scratching, because the U53 is encased in grade-5 titanium—a light and comfortable material on the wrist, even in high-moisture conditions, and is sturdy enough to withstand most scratches. There’s a screw-down crown controlling the rotating flange at two o’clock, and a second screw-down crown at four o’clock allowing for winding and setting the time. It is topped by a signature bezel that stands out for its shark-fin design with deep indents. This motif is also repeated on the flange in green and graduated with Arabic numerals.

The two straps in rubber and textile

This watch is mounted on a rubber strap and a complimentary hand-stitched NATO strap is also included, which in my opinion somehow looks better. It certainly complements the hues of the dial more than the rubber strap does.

The 46mm titanium case of the U53 is water-resistant to 300m, and is topped by a signature bezel that stands out for its shark-fin design with deep indents

The case is also equipped with a helium escape valve on the outer edge at nine o’clock, while the small seconds counter corresponds to this, and is placed inside on the dial

The open-worked dial

Crafted in titanium and rubber, the U53 tourbillon diver is a contemporary sports watch with a unique personality boasting technical features and high-level finishing. The tourbillon and most of the movement parts are visible on the dial side, thanks to the skeletonised bridges. It has been developed from the ground-up to enhance the three-dimensionality while boosting its performance and shock-resistance with maximised rigidity, thanks to the beam-type bridges. The dial also displays a slightly asymmetric placement of the barrel at one o’clock, winding at four o’clock, tourbillon at the 6:30 position and small seconds at 9:30.

The tourbillon and most of the chronograph parts are visible on the dial side, thanks to the skeletonised bridges. It has been developed from the bottom-up to enhance its three-dimensionality

The one-minute flying tourbillon sits comfortably at the six o'clock position, and occupies pride of place nestled in its bevelled and polished cage

The In-House Engine: Calibre A-300

The objective of the U53 tourbillon dive watch is to present the essence of the movement by removing any superfluous material. What seems to look easy to achieve requires supreme engineering prowess. The more material that is removed, the more the structure of the movement must be calculated to ensure rigidity and sturdiness for maximum precision. The powerhouse driving this watch is the in-house manual-winding calibre A-300, with a movement architecture that is capable of withstanding impacts and cushioning shocks without breaking or getting deformed. Angelus have been able to achieve this by enclosing all the main elements—including the wheels and the barrel—between two plates, for maximum stability. The A-300 calibre is a skeleton design and was developed as such. In order to strike the perfect balance between structural solidity and openwork detailing, Angelus opted for a design of ‘dual beamed’ plates and bridges, which have been sandblasted. The void that separates the two arms from these supporting elements is studded with 23 jewels that accommodate the wheel axes. Angelus movements frequently exhibit 90-hour autonomy, however in this case the frequency has been set at 28,800vph for supplying the watch with a power reserve of at least 60 hours. This higher frequency safeguards the accuracy of the movement during impacts, and thus reduces its power reserve. The one-minute flying tourbillon sits comfortably amidst this set-up, and occupies pride of place nestled in its bevelled and polished cage.

The powerhouse driving this watch is the in-house calibre A-300, with a movement architecture that is capable of withstanding impacts and cushioning shocks without breaking or getting deformed. Angelus have been able to achieve this by enclosing all the main elements—including the wheels and the barrel—between two plates, for maximum stability

The U53 tourbillon dive watch offers sheer utility despite featuring a seemingly fragile flying tourbillon mechanism in an open-worked structure. It strays from the usual codes of a ‘typical’ dive watch, and perhaps that’s what makes it so alluring.