Speaking of the back, the reverse end of the watch is a solid case back. I’m a sucker for an exhibition back and would have loved the Blue Devil to show off its innards in this fashion. But since this is a serious dive watch, it’s not really expected, and the solid back fits. The back is nicely appointed and not too busy. Nothing to write home about, but simple and classy and fitting with the smart simplicity of the front. The back also calls out the limited-edition numeration of the watch (being one of 100) which is appreciated and adds to the uniqueness of the piece compared to the other “standard” Pontos models out there. Also, since the blue leather NATO wraps around the case when applied, it would be a shame if the back were super detailed or exhibition-style while having the strap prevent me from even seeing it.

The one negative issue with the case is that after a few short months of wear, mine is already scratched in a somewhat visible location on the left side of the case just below the crown next to the helium-release valve. I haven’t dropped the watch or bumped into anything hard with it, so my best guess as to when the watch had been scratched is when I took it in to get the strap changed.

As mentioned previously, the watch comes on a handsome stainless steel bracelet. It’s very classy and weighty and definitely lets you know it’s there, but what instantly drew me to the watch (and to the contest to try to win it) in addition to the blue face, was the way it looked on the blue leather NATO strap. I knew that’s how I would wear the watch on a day-to-day basis if I was lucky enough to win it. So almost as soon as I unwrapped the Blue Devil treasure chest, I brought the watch to an official Maurice LaCroix dealer to execute the strap change from the bracelet to the blue leather thinking they would be familiar with the way to handle such a task. I was sorely mistaken.

The watch was passed around like a hot potato between their most highly trained staff who tried in vain with both the supplied tool as well as other name-brand professional tools to unlock the steel strap from the sides of the watch. Sweat glistened on their foreheads and fingers stiffened up with exertion. Muttering under their breath that “it’s usually not this hard” and “I’ve never had a problem with a strap change like this” made me nervous just witnessing them toil. I was also thankful that I had brought it in because if they couldn’t do it, there’s absolutely no way I would be able to change the bracelet to the strap without damaging the watch. Finally, after a good 30-45 minutes, there was a whoosh of success and the death grip of the bracelet was released. The blue leather strap was produced and summarily applied quickly and without incident.

I have no idea if bracelets on Maurice LaCroix watches are typically this difficult to change, but if yes, I would definitely recommend a simplification and/or more detailed explanation of how to change the strap included with the watch materials.

But, perhaps since I’m a newbie to NATO straps (especially of the custom leather variety vs. the cheap vinyl aftermarket variations), I was unprepared for the length of the strap to be so seemingly ill-fitted to the spacing of the buckle loops. It’s unavoidable for a good portion of the strap not to “hang off” the end of the buckled strap like a “Devil’s Tail” on this “Blue Devil” and I have a very average (if not larger than average) sized wrist. I can only imagine the strap overhang for gentlemen with smaller wrists. This is easily my biggest disappointment with the watch. I’ve tried every combination of strap folding and double folding to make the overhang not seem unwieldy to the point that in just two months of wear, the edges of the strap where I’ve been folding and bending it are already starting to fray and come apart.

Whether I fold the overhang over the last loop or doubled up under it, the result is an unsatisfying lump that interrupts the otherwise seamless elegance and simplicity of the piece. And the folded overhang piece will also dislodge and unfold itself over time or during activity resulting in frequent re-folds throughout the day that further corrupt, fray, and overwork the edges. I’ve even taken it to a leather smith and thought about having the end piece cut off and tailor stitched to remove the excess. However, I’m afraid that the result could look worse than the current situation. Very much open to suggestions here!

I’m no expert when it comes to movements, but the ML115 aka Swiss Sellita SW200 automatic caliber has a good power reserve of 38 hours. Since the back of the case is closed, there’s no reason for me to take a peek inside and behind the curtain to inspect. But it seems to be a trusty execution of fine Swiss automatic craftsmanship and the loss of time through the course of a day of wear (or multiple days of repeated wear) is negligible. For future limited-edition models, an open “exhibition” back would be a nice touch to showcase the movement and set this Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver apart from other divers. I’d take the fashion at the expense of pure dive functionality, but that’s just me.

All in all, I am exceedingly thrilled, honored, and humbled to be the lucky recipient of this Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver Blue Devil watch. I cannot thank the incredible team at aBlogtoWatch and Maurice LaCroix enough for their generosity in selecting me as the winner of this fabulous timepiece and the endless entertainment, education, and enjoyment that I get from consuming aBlogtoWatch (via the blog itself and following on Facebook and Instagram). It has gotten to the point that not a week goes by that my wife doesn’t look across at me in bed on my phone ogling and researching watches and while exclaiming with the same incredulity that I parrot back with when I see her trolling another celebrity style or dog rescue blog. “Watches Again?!?!”

I don the Blue Devil proudly as my daily wear blue watch whenever I wear blue to work – and my Schofield whenever I wear black. Over the past few months, it seems to be about a 50/50 breakdown of daily wear between the watches. I have been complimented many times on the watch, and that is always a great feeling. And even better is the story I get to tell people about how it came to my possession and the story that my 5-year-old son will ultimately get to tell when it’s passed down to him. mauricelacroix.com