A sub brand of the Bulova watch company, Caravelle was introduced in 1962 as a means to provide a wide range of affordable and stylish watches, but with a build quality synonymous with the Bulova name. The power of association and proven design pushed Caravelle to the front of the market, as a mere six years later in 1968, it had become the best selling jeweled movement watch brand in the US. This era also marked the beginning of the golden age of “Sport Diver” watches. The previous decade saw the introduction of the Rolex Submariner, the Zodiac Sea Wolf, and the original professional dive watch, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. The majority of the watch wearing public had little need for such capable tool watches, but the demand for professional and light divers exploded, and to satisfy wrists everywhere, nearly every major brand was ready to bring their own designs to market. Bulova’s “Snorkel” was released in 1961, and the marketing copy introducing it even acknowledged that feeling like an aquanaut is almost as good as being one. The deepest dive on record by an individual at that time was 133 meters, but the Snorkel has been engineered with a nearly exact 70m cushion that pushed its rating to 203 meters. The conversion to feet came out to 666 and forever branded Bulova’s “beastly” diver with its devilish nickname. In 1966, Caravelle got its own “Devil Diver” by way of the Sea Hunter, and taking design cues from Rolex’s Explorer 1016, it has become an accidental icon in sport diver history. In recent years, value has skyrocketed as collectors have scrambled to add clean examples to their own line up, and the run on this Caravelle classic has left opportunities to get one of your own in short supply. We rarely reach outside of the Seiko circle, but the allure of the Sea Hunter cannot be overstated. I wasn’t about to miss an opportunity to acquire an inaugural example from 1966! The dial is bedecked in luminous markers with heavy patina, and the matte black, though consistent in color, bears an uneven aging in the finish. In contrast, the hours and minutes are counted by broad and brightly polished dauphines. They have retained their original luminous material, which has also developed a deep golden patina. The slender sweep has a “spear head” tail, and nearly reaches the outer edge of the minute track. There are only two lines of text to denote it’s fiendish depth rating, and the “waterproof” designation is only seen on the earliest examples. A well proportioned bi-directional bezel provides a perfect frame, and amazingly the insert shows virtually no wear or fading. The case is a comfortable 36.5mm with crisp corners and sharply tapered lugs. The original finishes are still clearly intact with only light wear visible throughout. The case back screws down tightly, and bears a serif flourish on the Caravelle lettering that was foregone on later variants. The original signed crown is oversized and easily wound while on the wrist. Driving the hands is the 17 jewel version of Caravelle’s 11DP hand winder. A reliable and robust calibre built by Citizen (0241) and widely used across the Caravelle brand. This example is unpolished and completely original aside from a replacement acrylic crystal, and post service is keeping excellent time. We’ve paired it with a dark gray single pass elastic strap with a “devilish” red stripe for a finish that’s fitting in both name and comfort. It’s eye catching on the wrist, and sure to be a fast favorite in any rotation. 

CNS Dark Gray Single Pass Elastic w/ Red Stripe w/ Stainless Steel Hardware (cheapestnatostraps.com)

Serviced 1/4/20

Diameter- 36.5mm

Lugs- 20mm