The Deep Ocean reference ANN0982 is the second timepiece I’ve reviewed from independent watch brand Andersmann. Once again, I find myself immediately charmed by what is a real tool watch and a pure expression of what many enthusiasts are looking for in a beefy yet simple daily dive-style watch. With that said, for a watch of its style, the Andersmann Deep Ocean 3000M is on the pricier side – so let’s see how appealing the features and overall wearing experience are.

The Andersmann Deep Ocean is about 800 Swiss Francs more than the Andersmann Oceanmaster II timepiece that I previously reviewed from the brand, but you do get more sophisticated features and additional construction complexity. At about $2,500, the Deep Ocean is likely about has high as many collectors are willing to invest in a watch – no matter how pretty – from a newer brand that doesn’t come with the cache value big name luxury watch brands have which collectors rely on for resale value. As cool as the Deep Ocean is, if you want to sell one, you’ll need to find someone else who agrees that it is just as cool. This point is important to bring up because I find that many watch collectors with the open-mind to purchase from smaller brands are also the types of enthusiasts who like to shift around the pieces in their collection – which means a lot of sales and trading activity could be going on.

I’ll also bring up the same comment that I made when reviewing the Oceanmaster II, and that sentiment is how I am not entirely sure how I feel about the fact that Hong Kong-based “Andersmann” (apparently “Anders” is the name of the founder’s son) is a name designed to sound European, while the website prices the watches in Swiss Francs. It is true that Andersmann timepieces are assembled in Switzerland and given a Swiss mechanical movement, which is beneficial due to the “Swiss Made” designation.

With that said, founder Raymond Chan started the company as a watch lover in Hong Kong, and given my respect for both the people in Hong Kong, and the watch appetite for the city, I do wish the more authentic home of the brand was celebrated a bit more in the branding on the website. It is a minor thing, and it is also the case that Mr. Chan likely wants the products (not his story) to be the focus of the company. I get all that, but I still wish I was more immediately reminded of who to thank when wearing and enjoying the watch.

The Andersmann Deep Ocean is a serious deep diver born of the design school of thought where simplicity and strength make for a good watch design. I applauded the “design restraint” of Andersmann’s original watches and likewise appreciate the Deep Ocean. In theory, all of the brand’s watches are essentially the same thing – a simple daily dive watch that is thematically inspired by the same appeal a Panerai has. This simple focus on utility, streamlined looks, and not too much fuss allows the watch to be fashionable and conservative, which allows it to work in a range of situations. Likewise, Andersmann includes both a rubber and a leather strap which you can play with. The rubber strap feels like an upgrade in material from that used on the Oceanmaster, and while the style of the leather strap isn’t for my taste, if you can find 26mm wide straps, you can fit anything you like to the case.

What all Andersmann watches have in common thus far is the movement they use, which is a Swiss ETA 2892-2 automatic. This higher-grade three-hand automatic was visible through the sapphire crystal caseback window of the Oceanmaster, but the Deep Ocean has a solid caseback – for good reason. The movement is capable and reliable, with a 4Hz (28,800 bph) operating frequency and about 42 hours of power reserve. The dial of the Deep Ocean features just the time, and (as in the Oceanmaster II), there is no date window. The omission of this functionality (which the 2892 movement does have) is done in order to make the dial entirely symmetrical, as well as to satisfy the desires of many watch enthusiasts who feel that these days they don’t need a date window (they can learn that information elsewhere) and prefer a more purist look to the dial design.