PROFESSIONAL WATCHES™: FEATURE: Oceanus Black 5 Motor Atomic Chrono

Photography by Phil Swanson

I just recently received a new Black Ion Plated Oceanus 5 Motor Atomic Chronograph from eWatches. After opening the box I immediately noticed how nice the finish was, it looks even better in person. The entire case and bracelet are treated with an Ion Plated PVD process that improves surface hardness, reduces oxidation and creates a beautiful dark grey to black finish. Another great feature I noticed immediately was the sapphire crystal placement below the bezel. This is sometimes referred to as "armoring" the crystal and greatly reduces the chances of scratching.

The watch has many features that make it very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. First the case and bracelet are made of titanium which feels lighter on the wrist than traditional stainless steel. Second the bracelet uses a very nice push-button deployment clasp to make taking it on and off a breeze. Finally there is no crown to poke into your wrist, instead there are four pushpieces used to control all watch functions.

As far as the movement the watch uses a Japanese quartz movement that automatically calibrates the watch via an atomic radio signal 6 times a day for ultra precise timekeeping. The watch uses solar power to recharge the battery, it essentially sets itself and never needs a new battery. On the inner bezel of the watch there are 37 cities used to set the time regardless of where you are in the world. There are five atomic clocks worldwide: US, (2) Japan, London and Germany. The watch does not always receive a signal, but there is a function that tells you if it has received a calibration with a Y or N indicator at 3 o'clock on the inner bezel. The watch also features a chronograph, alarm and even a tidegraph.

The only disappointment I have with this watch is the size of the case as I wish is was a little bigger. I guess if I had to change one more thing I would change the chronograph configuration to make stopwatch easier to use. You can buy it for $900 at eWatches.