By Vincent Deschamps
Beat the bank with the Gavox AviDiver II GMT
Just like everything we consume everyday, watches get more and more expensive. At least that’s the general trend. Whether it is because components are getting more expensive to purchase or because brand owners need to offset their higher costs of living, at the end of the day, and what matters to you and me, is the fact that all of this is passed onto the enthusiast. And tool watches are not immune to this unfortunate trend, and I single out tool watches because we might think that, by their very own nature, they should cost less than most other types of watches. But that’s not the case from what I can see. Tool watches are slowly creeping up in prices and that is cause to worry.
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Or maybe not thanks to a few micro/independent brands which work hard to continue to offer well-priced purpose-driven timekeeping devices for the adventurers in us. I idealize and romanticize the times when anyone could buy a proper tool watch for not too much money and find comfort in knowing that he or she got a solid watch. Tool watches which are not too expensive won’t win a GPHG price for novelty in design or for the intricacies of their mechanics, but they constitute what some of us actually need and look for. So today I’m happy to tell you about a solid, legible, and well-spec’ed tool watch which won’t force you to break the bank: the Gavox AviDiver II GMT.
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Key Features of the Gavox AviDiver II GMT
For sea and sky
As its name indicates, the AviDiver II is part aviation and part dive watch, and the GMT portion of its name does mean one can track a second timezone. It is the perfect combination of complications for amateur divers and explorers, as one can time 60-minute events, know what time it is back home whilst diving the Great Barrier Reef, and be worry-free whilst exploring a city, jungle, or hiking a mountain. (All of this after diving, of course.) The pilot part of the AviDiver II GMT comes in the form of its dial layout and unique, multi-purpose triangular element I will go back to later. Whilst the dive part stems from its 200 meters of water resistance, its powerful lume (BGW9), dual-crown layout, and noticeable wrist presence.
Specs and dimensions of AviDiver II GMT
The latter will become evident looking at the AviDiver II GMT dimensions and paired to my 6.50”/16.5cm chicken wrist: 43mm in diameter, 50.6mm lug-to-lug, 12.8mm thick, and coming with a 22mm lug width. By all means this Gavox is a big guy however it wears quite well thanks to having short lugs which turn down towards the wrist and a flat case-back. (I feel we rarely think about the importance of a flat case-back regardless of the dimensions of a watch). A large case means a large dial and that is true here, however a dial which I find well-proportioned in relation to its design. The massive 3-6-9 Arabic numerals do fill out the space, so does the large handset, and the angled rehaut.
Additional specs include a domed sapphire crystal with inner AR, screw-down crowns (yes, plural!) and case-back, a bespoke fitted rubber strap and a stainless steel bracelet with a diver’s extension, and a Seiko NH34 GMT caliber which beats at 21,600 BPH (3Hz) and comes with 41 hours of power reserve.
Specs
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 43mm Diameter 50.6mm Lug to Lug 12.8mm 22mm “Lug Width” Screw Down Crowns & Case Back 200m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Sapphire Crystal Sandwich Dial Sword Handset BGW9 Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | NH34 GMT 24 jewels 21, 600bph 41-Hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | Fitted Black Rubber Strap |
Gavox AviDiver II GMT
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Of Interest
One of the key visual and technical elements of the Gavox AviDiver II GMT is the triangular-shaped orange element which sits between the rehaut and the dial. It is actually a ring that is actuated by the second crown located at the 2 o’clock which rotates in both directions and which can be used for one of many things. First, it can be used as an hour-timer by aligning the triangle to the minute hand, in the same way a Bund-style bezel was used by German underwater commandos to keep track of elapsed hours instead of minutes. Second, it can be used to time an event with more or less accuracy, or as a count-down timer. Third, it can be used to track an additional time-zone by aligning the triangle to the matching marker on the 24-hour GMT scale on the rehaut.
Another key visual element of this model is the dial layout and how Gavox organized the various types of information one can read and need. As mentioned earlier, the hands and hour markers are massive and are reminiscent of pilot watches, especially the hour and minute hands. The 3-6-9 layout of the hour markers reminds me of explorer-style watches but here they occupy a massive real estate on the dial. To guarantee daytime and nighttime legibility, Gavox opted for a sandwich construction so that all hour markers are lumed and easy to see in low-lit conditions. I also appreciate the dual-scale layout on the rehaut where the upper section indicates time on a 24-hour scale and the lower section permits to time an event.
On a daily basis I’ve mostly used the triangular element to time events or set a count-down timer which I found useful. I can also see the benefit of tracking a third time-zone. From what I gathered, Gavox builds all of its watches for professional military servicemen and women, who test-drive all of their watches. The AviDiver II was extensively tested by fighter jet pilots for all-time superlative legibility and durability. I’ve rarely heard of micro/independent brands that go to such extent and I applaud Gavox for doing so.
Final Thoughts
Despite the intense testing the brand puts its watches through, you might be surprised to hear that Gavox manages to offer its models at reasonable prices—given what you get, that is. This model retails for $630 USD/$894 CAD which is quite good for the long list of interesting specs you get, the unique design which blends vibes from pilot and dive watches, as well as the additional functionality of the GMT complication, the dual-register rehaut, and of course the multipurpose triangular element I talked about earlier. You should know that Gavox has an extensive catalog of military and tool watches and so I suggest taking a closer look at the brand’s website.
About the author
Vincent Deschamps is a museum professional, originally from France, with more than 10 years experience as a researcher, producing visitor experiences for national and international organizations. He is also the founder of mainspring.watch. You can follow Vincent on Instagram.
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