According to Edox, a recent discovery of a sketch within the company archives, of a long-lost timepiece, the SkyDiver, led to the creation of a limited edition watch paying homage to the 1970s archival model.

A retired Edox watchmaker said the original SkyDiver from 1973 was rumored to be a secret project for a mysterious, wealthy Swiss colonel. The anonymous colonel wanted an exclusive timepiece for elite mountain paratroopers under his command. The watch had to be dependable and rugged – just like his troops. He chose Edox because of the brand’s exceptional water-resistant watches that have the ability to handle any situation the paratroopers might face – on land, air or sea.

Using that story, a sketch, and a note found in the archives which read “1973. Special production in strictly limited edition,” Edox created a modern interpretation of the SkyDiver.

Introducing the 2019 Edox Skydiver Military Limited Edition, presented in a stainless steel case measuring 42 mm x 11.5 mm in diameter, with a steel dive bezel and a glossy black scratch-resistant ceramic bezel insert (weight of 145 grams).

While the original SkyDiver had a black dial, the new version has a striking green-gray gradient dial. You could argue the new faded dial color is an improvement, but one questionable design decision was the use of such a large font, particularly “SkyDiver Military.”

The dial features similar indices, the minute hand has the same pencil shape, and the central seconds hand has the same lollipop design, however, the hour hand now features a large-arrow tip instead of a Mercedes tip. The date window has also gotten smaller, making way for a partial hour marker, and the date magnifier has been removed completely.

The case, which has a similar aesthetic to a Submariner, is largely unchanged and includes the same prominent pointy crown guards. The crown screws down, the solid caseback screws in, and the flat sapphire crystal on the front is 2 mm thick. Water resistance is 300 meters.

Despite the throwback nature of this modern timepiece, Edox decided to use a white material (with green emission for hours and hands) for the hours, chapter ring, hands, and bezel, as opposed to a faux lume.

Powering the hours, minutes, central seconds, and date is an outsourced Swiss-made automatic movement, covered by a solid caseback, which has a parachute motif engraved on it.

Limited to 555 pieces, the Skydiver Military Limited Edition comes with a gray military nylon strap, an additional metal bracelet, and a special leather pouch. (Ref. 80115 3N VD) Retail is approximately $1,550.

 

Photos by Edox.