Say hello to Clerc’s first three-hand version of their popular Hydroscaph dive watch collection. Called the Hydroscaph H1, this watch is meant to be an entry-level priced way of getting into the independent watch brand who has lured a lot of watch lovers with their quality designs and impressively bold colors. Like many new watches in the Hydroscaph collection, the H1 is offered in a whole range of color styles. The one we had for review had a deep metallic blue dial accented with a lime green hand. In addition to our normal hands-on review video of the Clerc Hydroscaph H1, look for a second video showing some of the other versions of this attractive watch.
The Hydroscaph should not be a watch that is unfamiliar to aBlogtoWatch readers. We last reviewed the Clerc Hydroscaph Limited EditionChronograph watch here. We feel that it is a good idea to read some our past Hydroscaph watch articles (easily done by searching the site for the Clerc brand) to understand what this watch case is all about. Though we will give you the basic details. In a nutshell it is a 44mm wide dive watch that is water resistant to 500 meters, and has some impressive utility and comfort features that you can’t easily find elsewhere.
The funnest features of the Hydroscaph case is the locking rotating bezel system with fold-out key. When the key (located at 2 o’clock) is folded down, the bezel is locked from rotating. When opened up, the bezel can turn either by twisting it or by turning the little key. On a daily basis it is more fun than useful, but wearing this watch I find myself surprised at how often I play with the bezel. For people like me it is a good idea to have things I can fidget with to release idle tension. Fun fact: with some people, fiddling with something in their hands frees up parts of their brain to do deep thinking, and thus leads to more productive cognition. So bring on more watches with little moving and clicking parts to play with.
On the comfort side, the Hydroscaph case has slightly articulating lug structures. They move a bit with the strap and act to mold to your wrist. Despite a tall profile and relatively large stature, I have to say that the Clerc Hydroscaph is a damn comfortable, albeit large watch. Anyone who is finicky with how their watches wear, should certainly check one of these out.
Produced here in steel, the Hydroscaph case also has a range of fine details. From the multi-part crown to the nicely engraved and printed bezel, this is a cool case that is aging well. I keep saying that it is aging, which is true, but at the same time I am secretly waiting for Clerc to update the case and offer a brand new Hydroscaph. No matter how classic or good a design is, it can always get better. So with Clerc’s talent I am sure that anything they decide to improve on will be exciting if and when the Hydroscaph case gets a facelift.
Nevertheless, the Hydroscaph is still undeniably cool, modern, durable, and again comfortable. So it isn’t as though I am waiting for Clerc to actually fix any problems. But you know, when it comes to wild watches we always want more right? There is one issue I do have though. Clerc uses the same Hydroscaph case for the H1 as it does for its chronograph and other models, such as the GMT (hands-on review here). For those other models I get why the case is on the thicker side – given the size of the movement. While it would have cost a lot of R&D money and perhaps have changed the water resistance, would it perhaps have been a good idea to produce a thinner version of the Hydroscaph for this three-hand version? A slimmer three-hand dive watch would be very much appreciated – especially with these cool looks.
