Foolishly thinking I was getting towards the end of the watch journey, having finally added the coveted Rolex Submariner in 2024, the watch addiction reared its head this year in the form of wanting a MILSPEC or military-issue watch.
Like Mr. Peñate, I’ve owned all the Seiko Turtles, new and vintage- several times- and while I enjoyed them, they were always a little too big for me and ended up being moved on. I took a punt on a Seiko Willard earlier this year, thinking the more refined proportions would seal the deal, but in the end, it just couldn’t quite compete with my Black Bays and Submariner for wrist-time to justify having spent several hundred pounds on it.
After some cooling-off time, I started to think, “Dirty Dozen”. Not a vintage and expensive one, of course, but something in the more affordable, modern ‘homage’ vein.
Rummaging around the webscape, it became clear that there is plenty of choice in that field, but for me the word “authenticity” kept coming up in my rear-view mirror. So, what to do when one wants a military-quality watch, with modern build quality, a decent size and the elusive ‘authenticity’?
CWC has entered the chat
Listening to TBWS, its hard not to pick up on Michael’s love of the Cabot Watch Company and their military diver watches. I had looked fleetingly at them in the past but couldn’t see a place for an almost £900 quartz diver watch in my collection.
Just as my dirty dozen itch was reaching critical, I received an email from the CWC mailing list about the drop of the CWC SBS as an “overstock from their recent military contract”. They went on to say, “they will not be on the shelves long” and that the next batch in production is already earmarked for “upcoming delivery to the British Military forces”.
It was all very exciting! Military issue, authentic, seemingly limited edition (they are still on sale at the time of writing…). I read of how the watches are made for elite special forces groups and follow specs that date back to original MOD orders from 1987; that the watch is 300m water resistant; and the coup de grace – it was a relatively affordable £729. I fell hard and fast.
On manoeuvres
The watch was dispatched and delivered quickly. Simple touches like the fact it was set to the correct time and date and already running tickled my fancy, and I was besotted with its all-black, stealthy aesthetic. I had a big crush on the F117 Stealth fighter growing up, so that idea is never far from my happy place!
The watch was smaller but heavier than I expected, with a reassuring heft to the build quality. The fabric strap with ribbed details was nice, but I quickly took advantage of the Pelagos FXD style case by switching out single pass after single pass until I found the match for me: the RAF style strap from WatchGecko.
It’s often hard to be objective in the first few weeks of owning a watch: the honeymoon period is delightful, and it always seems like this is The Watch You Have Been Missing Your Whole Life. This is why I have waited over a month to think about reviewing the watch.
What are you looking at, Soldier?
It’s a strangely attractive watch, for all its lack of luxury and shine. The dial is actually quite busy, with the very pronounced minute track, oversized hour markers, and the encircled CWC logo kissing the encircled L for Luminova (versus T for tritium on older models). Sword hands are a new thing for me, but I do see why people find them so addicting!
The black PVD-coated case is a nice tonic when you are used to looking at shiny steel watches, and the glass is nicely flat with, I assume, an AR coating of some sort, which really helps with legibility.
The lume is lovely and bright, reacting after just a few seconds of direct sunlight. It seems to last well into the small hours, which is surprising because the hands are so thin you can sometimes read the dial text through them!
The joy of a quartz watch, of course, is that you can set-and-forget, until an odd-number-day-month crops up. It runs very accurately, and I have only corrected the seconds hand once in 5 weeks, as it was about 5 seconds fast by that point.
Wearing Experience
On the wrist, the watch is a nice size and weight, helped by the fact that it’s exclusively on the fabric strap. It’s relatively light, but I would say it feels heavier and better quality than your typical cheaper quartz watch. You don’t feel like you need to baby it, that’s for certain, which makes sense given its military purpose.
So, the watch is good looking, comfortable, a strap-monster, rugged, and keeps good time. It’s different-looking enough to keep things interesting when I already own a number of divers. It’s eye-catching enough that it catches the attention of non-watch folk, but not in a way that makes you worry about wearing it out in the city. A really excellent bundle!
How much??
Clearly, I am enjoying this watch and can see it being with me a long while. As it features a 2025 case back, it’s technically my 40th birthday watch to myself. The one thing I do question, retroactively, is the price…
I know watches are getting more expensive every year, and so in relative terms, £729 doesn’t “feel” expensive compared to say a TUDOR or a Rolex, but does £729 represent good value in this instance?
To test the theory, I handed the watch to someone who knows watches but didn’t know the brand, they liked it and said “cool, how much?”. I said the price, and they said, “oh! I didn’t think it would be that much”. They tried to politely backpedal, but the instinctive reaction said it all.
With the Luminox Sea Turtle having an RRP of £299, or a Seiko Turtle being £379, you are up towards Tissot Sea Star 1000 Powermatic 80 (£750) or Seiko Sumo SPB103 money (£780 RRP) when considering one of these CWC watches.
So, is it worth it?
‘Worth’ is such a difficult term, as it’s quite subjective. Ultimately, for me, the build quality, the novelty of the watch’s design, its authentic heritage, and the fact that I can larp as a military diver without actually having to put myself in harm’s way mean that yes, this is a great pickup. I am lucky enough to be able to commit £729 to this watch and not feel shortchanged.
I am not confident that someone newer to the watch game would feel the same, and I would perhaps encourage them to use their money elsewhere while they are finding their way on the path.
But, if you are an experienced watch collector, looking to broaden the collection and incorporate something understatedly excellent, I would say do not hesitate to give the CWC SBS Diver a try. I have a troubling suspicion this might be the start of a deeper dive into CWC for me.
Based in the UK, I began collecting watches in 2014. Started gently with an SKX009J, but then the Black Bay 79220N opened doors to this wonderful world of watches! Many, many Seikos, Casios, Tudors, Vintage and two Rolex later, I am in the slower, enjoyment phase of watch collecting now.