Tags: Photo Gallery | Edox | Men's | Classic
28.11.2023 | 10 MIN
The truth is that you don't hear that much about Edox, unlike more famous watchmaking names. And even in our magazine, we don't give Edox watches the attention they deserve. But there are several good reasons why it shouldn't stay that way.. Once you get deeper, Edox can convince you of the quality of its watches. Today's quick run through the sports collection is just a small taste...
Overall, Edox focuses more on sports watches with a strong emphasis on water resistance and related diving models.The SkyDiver series, which we will start with, is also interesting due to its historical roots. The design basis can be traced back to the 70s, when this series began.
And SkyDiver also includes the Neptunian collection, which only appeared at the end of 2020, but in my opinion is one of the most interesting of Edox's current production. These are sturdy divers with everything that goes with it, and at a very adequate price.
Here, Edox focused on high water resistance, which it shows off on the inner circle of the dial. There is a screw-down crown with a double seal, a screw-down crown and, since the watch is suitable for saturation diving, not even a helium valve at nine o'clock. The glass is sapphire with a thickness of 3 mm, the strongest we can find at Edox – and it is also a must for a watch with such high water resistance.
But without a doubt, it's a design that will appeal to diver watch lovers regardless of whether or not they're actually diving. The appearance of Neptunians is very classic. It's basically based on diver's watches from the 60s and 70s, so it's very functional and I'm not afraid to write timeless.
The case diameter is 44 mm, but the watch is very well balanced. After all, I did not find any imperfection in terms of quality and accuracy of processing. Everything fits very well and there is nothing to complain about in terms of material either.
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The rotating bezel with the necessary diving scale is ceramic, very pleasant to operate, and on the hands, indexes and zero point of the bezel we find Super-Luminova X1, which has excellent luminous properties.
The Neptunian is based on a model from the 1970s that became famous for its "secret" story. Rumor has it that in 1973, a certain wealthy Swiss colonel commissioned a collection of SkyDiver watches for his elite paratrooper unit.
Edox was chosen by the Colonel for its award-winning quality and overall durability, which was crucial for paratroopers. The colonel reportedly insisted that the entire project be kept top secret. So when a watch with the engraved information "1973. Special production in strictly limited edition" was found, the search for the origin began. Some light was brought to this by a former Edox watchmaker who told the story of a mysterious secret order.
Crucially, however, it gave rise to beautiful diver-style mechanics that appeal today as much as they did in the 1970s. And, of course, even with the SkyDiver Military collection, Edox paid attention to the robustness and precision of the design. There is an engraving of the Swiss Paratroopers on the dial to commemorate this magical story, and inside, like the Neptunian, a Sellita SW200 ticks at 28,800 semi-vibrations per hour.
In the same 1970s design, Edox also produces quartz models, using movements from the Swiss manufacturer Ronda. The series includes both classic three-hands and chronographs. Edox SkyDiver Chronograph 10116, for example, is beautiful with a convex sapphire crystal and a telemetric scale.
Edox SkyDiver 10116 with telemetry scale.
Here, too, we find a fantastic water resistance of 300 meters and a reference to Edox's historical collaboration with aviation. In addition, the set always includes a steel bracelet and a spare leather strap, so the model is very versatile. Plus – those beautiful gradient dials, right?
Edox has a very magical founding story. This was helped by the wife of founder Christian Ruefli-Flury, who convinced him of the talent and potential of his own watch workshop. Edox was thus established in 1884 in the Swiss Biel, where it was based until 1983, before the current owner moved it to the beautiful area of Les Genevez.
Among the latest additions to the popular SkyDiver collection is the Neptunian Grande Reserve, introduced in 2023. And as the name suggests, these diving models achieve a power reserve of 68 hours.
They achieved high reserves in Edox thanks to the new Edox Caliber 808 based on the Swiss La Joux-Perret G100. It runs at a rhythm of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour and the stated accuracy is +-12 seconds per day
The LJP G100 is such a more refined alternative to the ETA 2824-2.
In terms of design and functionality, they have remained at the Edox standard, which includes excellent workmanship, premium materials such as sapphire, strong Super-Luminova luminescence, a ceramic bezel and 300 meters water resistance.
The case and bracelet are made of steel and are offered in several color versions, of which the blue-white model stands out the most.
The current owner is Victor Strambini, who bought Edox in the 1980s, saving it from two likely fates – either ending up as part of a large concern, or going bankrupt like many other Swiss watch brands at the time.
Edox was thus able to remain an autonomous family business, which is not so common in the world of watches for a brand with such a wide collection. And since it is a watch with the Swiss Made label, you can be sure that the assembly and final inspection are done by Edox themselves.
As well as their own designs. The Edox factory also develops cases, where great emphasis is placed on precision – the production tolerance is, for example, 1/100 millimeters, so that everything really fits exactly. And what they don't make themselves, they have them made to order, for example hands, dials or straps.
Design-wise, Delfina can be recognized by several typical elements. First of all, it is the 12-sided bezel that first appeared in the Delfin series in 1973.
And another is the specific fastening of the straps. Not only the classic two legs protrude from the case, but also a third, smaller pawl – a very interesting design element. Unfortunately, slightly impractical, because in the event of a replacement, you will be referred to the original from Edox again and you won't fit anything universal there. But Edox wants to be original and consciously leaves the mainstream behind.
The entire Delfin collection is designed as durable diving models that benefit from Edox's rich history as a diving watch manufacturer. They never go below 200 meters of water resistance and screw-down components, a protected crown and good legibility are standard. The Delfin movement has special protection – either by being fixed in a case or by a special shock-absorbing ring.
In 2023, chronographs with an octagonal case and bezel came on the market. This gave them an even more dynamic style and a sporty charge. The water resistance of 200 meters and the overall robustness is also supported by the double dungarees.
The Edox Delfin Chronograph immediately catches the eye with its bevelled case replicating the lunette.
One of the more recent additions is the Edox Delfin Mecano – an automatic skeleton with an interesting sight.
Inside is the Edox 102 caliber built on a Sellita SW200 with a power reserve of 42 hours, which you can observe through the transparent case back. It is very interesting how Edox managed to combine the sporty style of the Delfin series, maintain 200-meter water resistance, and decent readability despite the skeleton dial.
They remind many of the Defys from Zenith, but of course at a fraction of the price. The success of the model was also reflected in the new color versions.
The 1960s were truly rich in diving exploits. Many brands were showcasing their best at the time and Edox was definitely one of the important players. Already in 1961, he presented the Delfin collection and, thanks to his own patent for the double seal of the crown, also models with (at that time unheard of) water resistance of 500 meters. Not only many professional divers relied on diving Edoxy. The current Delfin production is also based on this tradition.
The ChronOffshore 1 series, CO-1 for short, focuses on sports watches with high water resistance and premium materials. A boring definition, I know, but it fits to a tee. Or carbon fiber.
The most interesting is the model combining a case made of a steel base and carbon plates. The rotating bezel is also made of carbon. The carbon CO-1s refer to XCAT racing carbon boats, in which Edox became the official partner of pilots Pal Virik Nilson and Brett Luhrmann.
Edox originally used a Valjoux 7750 automatic movement, but the situation around ETA forced it to reach for the Sellita, an alternative of no less quality, one could even say with several advantages. It is the Sellita SW500, which has two hours more power reserve than the Valjoux 7750 at the same frequency, and the date rolls beautifully at exactly midnight.
You can watch the movement of this automatic chronograph through the transparent case, which is an admirable feat by Edox considering the 500-meter water resistance.
The collection also includes quartz models with an all-ceramic bezel and cases made of titanium or classic surgical steel. To maintain high water resistance (1000 meters!), not only the crown, but also the stopwatch buttons are screwable. Here, too, expect a helium valve, a double crown seal and a strong sapphire crystal, as well as luminescence.
The year 2023 brought a design relief to this sports series in the form of white-tuned models, which became (perhaps unexpectedly) a huge hit.
Edox CO-1 Chronograph models with white straps.
Although it is a family business, it certainly cannot be said that it is averse to reaching for innovations and modern materials. True, it feels most confident in the reincarnations of its historical models, but the CO-1 series proves that it also takes the demand for premiumness and up-to-dateness very seriously.
For the cases, in addition to standard steel, it also uses durable materials such as carbon and titanium. It is the use of carbon that is very interesting, and here Edox used it not only as reinforcement for the case, but also used it to make the bezel and, on some models, the dial. The super durable, yet very light material is also visually appealing with its folded structure.
Genuine sports watches for motorsport lovers. This is a simplified characterization of the Chronorally series.
Probably the most popular is part of the Chronorally 38001 collection with easily recognizable design elements. The rear tire is, for example, in the shape of a car wheel, the tire pattern can be found on the strap and, of course, the top button for starting the stopwatch is appropriately large and colour-coded.
The water resistance is 100 meters, they have a titanium case, so they are light, which is also helped by the quality rubber strap. Inside is a Ronda 8040.N with a cool retrograde day of the week feature at 12 o'clock. At six o'clock there is a big date for a change, and the stopwatch is accurate to 1/10th of a second with a capacity of 30 minutes.
Several Chronorally X-treme models were created in cooperation with BMW. The limited edition (which included 555 pieces) is already sold out today, but we can of course also find them in the unlimited collection, and what's more, in the popular – and quite typical for Edox Chronorally – orange color.
Timekeeper of the Masters – Edox's slogan, which he chose very carefully. Edox has a truly admirable number of collaborations with sporting events of global importance. It is especially worth mentioning the WRC, where it has been the official timekeeper since 2010. It was also present at the Dakar Rally, the FIA World Rallycross Championship and Formula 1 (Sauber team). Chronorally series ambassador is Dominique Aegerter, a Swiss motorcycle racer.
In 2021, he began to cooperate with another famous name – BMW, specifically the BMW M division, which focuses on the production of sports models.
Limited editions in a blue-white composition were also created for this occasion.
They attract attention not only with their design, but also with their size. Chronorallies with a diameter of 48 mm and a typical large stopwatch start button will definitely not fit on the wrist.
So, has Edox got your attention yet?
