In practice, on the included rubber strap or any 22mm NATO, the watch is just large enough for easy viewing underwater without presenting a risk for fouling on gloves, hot-water suits, tools, or rigging, a welcome feature in a sea of “commercial diving” watches that are simply and unnecessarily huge.

Miyota 9015 Automatic Movement

Keeping track of time in the Bell Diver 1 is the capable and inexpensive Miyota 9015. Miyota, a subsidiary of Japanese watch powerhouse Citizen, has in recent years become a go-to supplier for microbrands in search of a robust automatic movement at a reasonable price. Oscillating at 28,800vph, with 24 jewels, a 42-hour power reserve, and Parashock shock protection, the Miyota 9015 has already found a home in many microbrand tool watches and divers, including the utility-oriented Bell Diver 1.

Scurfa has taken an extra step in the Bell Diver 1 by protecting the 9015 with a brass cover, a diving industry-specific maneuver intended to protect the magnetically delicate automatic movement from the high levels of magnetism experienced in the offshore oil and gas diving industry. This feature, in particular, adds even more value and is rarely seen in watches, in general, and certainly seldom seen in watches in the Bell Diver 1’s price point.

My Bell Diver 1 has kept capable time at about plus-eight seconds per day, with some variation, whether it’s worn or on the winder. Given the price and intended purpose of the watch, that’s more than adequate automatic timekeeping for my needs and, indeed, the needs of most. As with many other 9015 equipped watches, I get a fair amount of rotor noise from my Bell Diver 1. Personally, I am not bothered by it, but it might trouble some.

Scurfa Bell Diver 1 Strap

Scurfa has already developed a reputation for its rubber straps. The Bell Diver 1 comes as standard on an absolutely excellent 22mm signed natural rubber strap. While somewhat thinner than you’d imagine, especially toward the buckle end, the Bell Diver 1 strap is just surprisingly good for the price. This is a comfortable, flexible strap, which is custom fitted to the Bell Diver 1, presumably at some expense. There is a raised vertical line at the 9 o’clock side of the strap that goes all the way around to a subtle Bell Diver Signature on the 12 o’clock side.

In what is always a triumphant moment for me, the Bell Diver 1 rubber strap is also not painfully long. I have small wrists and am often stuck with inches of strap tail to attempt to manage (Seiko!). There are also as many closely-spaced holes in the strap as one could ever need, allowing for a welcome degree of micro-adjustment. The buckle is a bit simple and unsigned, but it is at least color-matched to the watch.

I did experience a bit of a challenge fitting the watch on a certain pictured coworker when he was wearing a 5mm wetsuit. He has a big wrist. The strap was long enough, but only just. For the Arnie types out there, a NATO or some kind of strap extension might be necessary when wearing thick diving suits.

Perhaps best of all, natural rubber doesn’t collect lint, making for clean wrist shots and an all-around easier time for the OCD-afflicted among us. While Scurfa was kind enough to supply an impressive high-quality PVD-coated bracelet with a ratcheting clasp (available for approximately $60), I didn’t use it. I simply feel like the rubber is more comfortable, looks great, and is easier to manage for the variety of diving suits I wear at work.

Simply A Really Good Diver’s Watch

With a long list of features more often found in watches costing a heck of a lot more, and genuine commercial diving legitimacy by way of its deep-sea-diving founder/designer, the Scurfa Bell Diver 1 is one of the best microbrand divers out there for actual diving. Features like an AR-coated sapphire crystal, a fully Super-LumiNova-inlaid ceramic bezel insert, and a brass-protected Miyota 9015, all in a 500-meter diver’s watch for less than $400, represent an incredible value for an actual proven tool diver.

While I try to stay away from the, “If it’s good enough for _____, it’s more than good enough for you” line of reasoning, it really makes sense here. This $400 watch can, and does, capably provide the time for an actual commercial saturation diver 500 feet underwater in the North Sea, likely right alongside Rolex Submariners and Sea-Dwellers, which cost, you know, a bit more.

In my own experience, the Bell Diver 1 stood up to the daily rigor of inland commercial diving work, both topside and below the surface, over an extended period of time, and came out looking close to new. It keeps good time, is easy to read at all hours, and is comfortable on the wrist. If you’re even a bit interested in what Scurfa Watches is doing, it’s worth taking the plunge with the Bell Diver 1 at a very reasonable $400. You won’t regret it. scurfawatches.com.

Necessary Data
>Brand: Scurfa
>Model: Bell Diver 1
>Price: $400
>Size: 43mm-wide, 51mm lug-to-lug, and 16mm-thick
>When reviewer would personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Divers who take their watches diving.
>Worst characteristic of watch: The buckle on the rubber strap could be a bit nicer, but I’m really splitting hairs.