In daylight, the lume makes for an interesting pallet because you see the yellowish/green tint of the indexes against the blue markers. There is also an inner-rotatable bezel accessed via the crown at 10 o’clock and the outer bezel is topped with blued-steel numerals. The dial is going to be pretty busy for a lot of people, especially with the stacks of text under the 12 o’clock marker with a day window below that. The dial could have used some editing since all the text, subdials, day and date windows, hour markers, and indices can be almost overwhelming.

Naturally, the Xēzo Air Commando D-45S houses an AR-treated sapphire crystal and the white dial is actually a little more intricate than the D-45R, featuring some nice guilloche work. Xēzo has reason for the prominent lettering below their name at the center of the dial. You will notice the phrasing “Unite4Good,” and this is because a portion of the proceeds from sales of this piece go towards the charity founded by Anthony Melikhov that serves to, among other things, create a plethora of outlets that inspire social good, with a partnership list full of celebrity endorsements. Unite4Good is quite an umbrella of avenues and there is plenty of info up on their site for those that are curious about the foundation.

Furthermore, there is a calendar window as well as a date window atop 6 o’clock. The chronograph features both add and split functions as well as a 10-hour counter, 30-minute counter, and 60-second counter. The push buttons and crown are all screw-down and the water-resistance for this model is a little lower at 200m.

With the Xēzo Air Commando D-45S you get a Swiss-made, shock-proof quartz movement that shouldn’t need a battery but every 4.5 years or so. Accuracy is a standard -10/+20 a month, and it features 17 jewels. The inclusion of a quartz movement keeps the price point down a little, and that may be a good thing considering they are wanting this piece to function essentially as a charity driver. Regardless, you get a solid watch with great utility.

Speaking of utility, it seems as though this is the segment into which these pieces fall. They are made for those that want something Swiss-made but don’t want to have to fret over banging it into a wall or some accident on the occasional rogue diving days. These are watches you can wear and forget about until you need them, at which point you can rest assured they’re still ticking, ready for the next beating. They really are what I guess you would call “pilot-divers,” meant to imbue some aviation themes with the ability to withstand the rigors of casual diving.

If I had to pick the one I enjoyed more, I would probably stick with the Xēzo Air Commando D-45R. I loved the sleeker black dial and the cleaner experience throughout the day. As I mentioned, both watches have a fairly big footprint, and I do feel like the Xēzo Air Commando D-45R could pair with a suit a little more easily than the D-45S, but to each their own. I did find myself wondering if I would end up putting a NATO strap on, but that’s usually the case with any dive watch I end up with.

Xēzo is a great option if you’re on a budget, still want something Swiss-made, and you don’t feel like going with a Tissot or a Hamilton. Not knocking those at all, I just realize some like to venture out into more uncharted waters with their “beater watch” purchases. The Xēzo Air Commando D-45R is priced at $1,045 and the Xēzo Air Commando D-45S is priced at $605. xēzo.com

Necessary Data
>Brand: Xēzo
>Model: Air Commando D-45R
>Price: $1,045
>Size: 45mm
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to: Someone looking for an affordable “pilot diver” that can withstand daily wear.
>Best characteristic of the watch: The price point. A lot of features for this price range that make it worth considering.
>Worst characteristic of the watch: The bracelet, while interesting to me, may not be to everyone’s taste. I can see it on a NATO in the future.

>Model: Air Commando D-45S
>Price: $605
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Those with a penchant for trying out newer brands with a motivation for a purchase that benefits a charitable cause.
>Best characteristic of the watch: Definitely the durability. A great grab-and-go piece.
>Worst characteristic of the watch: The dial is pretty busy.