Some time ago, I wrote a review of my first Oceaneva watch with a Damascus case and dial. As evident from my review, I was very satisfied with the watch—my only issue was the low contrast between the dial color and the hands. That was such an issue that in the end, I sold that particular watch and pre-ordered a model with a dark brown Damascus dial, which I also mentioned at the end of my stated review.
However, the damascus watch drew me deep into Oceaneva watches. Just a few months later, I already own all the models that use the Swiss Sellita SW200 movement (well, in fact I have four of them, but the mentioned brown Damascus watch has yet to arrive, as the series is expected to be assembled by the end of March). For this reason, I decided to make an objective assessment of which of these watches is actually the best purchase if you’re considering getting just one Oceaneva watch. Since I’ve already covered the Damascus model(s) in detail, this review will focus more on the other models, specifically—the Deep Explorer II, Deep Explorer II Titanium, and Deep Explorer III. But some remarks about the Damascus models will be added, when appropriate.
From left to right: Deep Explorer II Titanium, Deep Explorer II and Deep Explorer III
I quickly realized that the task was by no means easy. Although the design of all the models is very similar or even identical, Oceaneva offers an exceptionally large variety of color and material combinations.
Starting with materials – the case and bracelet can, of course, be made of titanium or steel, with the steel version also available in a black IP-coated finish. Some models feature a dual-tone approach, where steel is combined with rose or yellow gold-plated elements. The dial can be standard, sunburst, or Mother of Pearl. All of this is further enhanced by a wide range of dial and bezel colors.
In the table below, I have attempted to list all possible combinations and the models in which these combinations can be found. It is worth mentioning that "steel" in the "case color" column refers to the color rather than the material. For titanium models, "steel" simply indicates that the entire watch is made of titanium. Additionally, "OOS" is used to indicate that a particular model existed but is no longer in stock.
As can be seen from the images alongside the table, I tried to ensure as much variety as possible when making my purchases. The titanium model has a sunburst copper dial, the Deep Explorer II was chosen in a dual-tone rose gold version with a standard black dial, and the Deep Explorer III in a black IP finish with a blue MOP dial. Unfortunately, all versions feature a black bezel.
Regarding my selection, I owe one more explanation, which also serves as my first recommendation—I deliberately avoided choosing versions with a light-colored dials. In my review of the Damascus Steel version, I pointed out that the contrast between the hands and the dial color is very low, making it quite difficult to read the time. To avoid this issue, I consciously preferred dials in darker shades, which is my first recommendation.
I would also like to highlight another detail, which is not so evident from the attached photos. All models have identical gray hands and index markers, EXCEPT for the dual-tone models. The dual-tone models have hands and index markers outlined in the corresponding gold color.
| case colour | bezel colour | dial colour | DE II | DE II titanium | DE III |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| silver | black | brown | yes | ||
| steel | black | blue black fade | yes | yes | |
| steel | black | black | yes | ||
| steel | black | gun metal gray | yes | yes | |
| steel | black | gray fade | yes | ||
| steel | black | gray | yes | ||
| steel | black | silver/light grey | yes | ||
| steel | black | Yellow | yes | yes | |
| steel | black | navy blue | yes | yes | |
| steel | black | white MOP | OOS | yes | |
| steel | black | black MOP | OOS | ||
| steel | black | red MOP | OOS | yes | |
| steel | black | aquamarine MOP | OOS | yes | |
| steel | black | blue MOP | yes | ||
| steel | black | silver meteorite | OOS | ||
| steel | black | dark grey meteorite | OOS | ||
| steel | black | aquamarine burst | yes | yes | |
| steel | black | copper burst | yes | yes | |
| steel | green | black | yes | yes | |
| steel | green | green | yes | yes | |
| steel | brown | brown | yes | ||
| steel | brown | black | yes | ||
| steel | blue | blue | yes | yes | |
| steel | black blue | white | OOS | yes | |
| steel | black blue | black | OOS | ||
| steel | silver | green MOP | yes | ||
| steel | silver | blue MOP | yes | ||
| steel | silver | grey MOP | yes | ||
| steel | silver | navy blue MOP | yes | ||
| steel | silver | white MOP | yes | ||
| steel | silver | black | yes | ||
| dual tone YG | blue | blue | yes | ||
| dual tone YG | brown | brown | yes | ||
| dual tone YG | gold | blue MOP | yes | ||
| dual tone RG | black | black | yes | ||
| dual tone RG | rose gold | black | yes | ||
| Black IP | black | black | yes | ||
| Black IP | black | grey | yes | ||
| Black IP | black | green MOP | yes | ||
| Black IP | black | black MOP | yes | ||
| Black IP | black | navy blue MOP | yes | ||
| Black IP | black | white MOP | yes | ||
| Black IP | black | gun metal grey MOP | yes | ||
| Black IP | brown | brown | yes |
What can we conclude from this basic overview of all the models? While the variety of choices is indeed great, many combinations are available in only a single model where the Deep Explorer III follows its own unique design line. So, as an example, if you are particularly drawn to the black IP model with a navy blue MOP dial, you are essentially forced to purchase the Deep Explorer III, as no such version exists within the Deep Explorer II lineup. More color overlaps can be found between the Deep Explorer II and the Deep Explorer II Titanium, but even here, some models are exclusive to just one of these versions. (Remark: To make things even more complex, the Damascus line has its own entirely unique combinations, different from all those mentioned!)
Thus, my second recommendation is—browse through the entire range without any bias and cherry-pick the models that visually appeal to you the most. It is very likely that by selecting a particular color combination, you have already determined which watch to buy, as the other models do not offer your preferred combination.
Let's now take a look at what comes with the listed models along with the watch. You can rest assured that all watches come with almost identical sets, but there are still a few details worth noting.
All watches are packaged in a very sturdy Pelican case. I am not sure whether the case for the titanium watch is different from the others (slightly smaller and blue instead of black) or if this is simply a newer version of the case for all watches. The Damascus watch also arrived in the same case as the Titanium model and both of these models belong to a newer generation than the ones that came in a black case, so I am speculating that blue box is just the new version of all new Oceaneva models.
All Deep Explorer II watches come with a strap-changing tool, whereas the Deep Explorer III includes a tool for removing bracelet links instead. Since all watches also come with a rubber strap, I find it much more practical to include a strap-changing tool, as this allows any user to easily remove the bracelet at home and attach the rubber strap or vice versa if needed. Additionally, the same tool can also be used to adjust the bracelet length at the micro-adjustment section of the clasp.
On the other hand, the link removal tool is something that a regular user would need only on rare occasions—usually just once—to shorten the bracelet to the desired length. From a practicality standpoint, I would give a slight advantage to the DE II models here.
Packaging of the Oceaneva Deep Explorer watches
A strap changing tool in DEII versions vs. the link remover in DEIII
Three identical aditional rubber straps
My biggest disappointment, however, is with the rubber straps, which, as mentioned, are included with all models. (Important remark: All models described today arrive on the bracelet and with additional rubber strap. I again must point out that this is not the case for the Damascus models which only come on the rubber, there is no bracelet there.)
Back to the rubber straps. The disappointment does not stem from poor quality of the strap itself—on the contrary, the straps are quite good, as I already pointed out in my review of the Damascus model. My disappointment lies in the fact that all models come with the identical straps: black with a standard steel pin buckle. I expected Oceaneva to pay more attention to details and better match the strap to the specific model it accompanies, similar to what they did with the Damascus model. If an entire watch is made of titanium or black IP, it would have made sense for the pin buckle to match the case... They could have also been a bit more innovative with the strap colors. While black is a safe choice that works in most cases, a bit more colour variety would have been appreciated.
Since Damascus models do not come with a bracelet, it is appropriate to say a few words about the bracelet itself. All models share the same bracelet design, with no differences between them. Overall, the bracelet feels very solid, with full links and good craftsmanship. All bracelets are long, suitable for wrists of at least 22 cm. I really appreciate that each bracelet includes several half-links, and the clasp allows a four-step micro-adjustment. This means that everyone can adjust the size to his needs, and with the micro-adjustment, it is easy to fine-tune the fit throughout the day if the wrist swells.
A bracelet construction with the clasp and the logo sign on the clasp
However, I believe that watches with such high WR ratings should feature a diver extension instead of micro-adjustment. There are quite a few bracelets on the market with simple and effective diver extension clasps, and I think Oceaneva should consider replacing their clasp with one of these.
A large - in my opinion too large - Oceaneva logo stretches across the clasp.
Now, we come to the most important differences between the models. The first and extremely significant difference is the total weight of the watch with the bracelet. The watches with bracelets adjusted to my wrist (four links removed, fitting a wrist circumference of around 19 cm, depending on the micro-adjustment), weigh as follows: DEII Titanium – 132 g, DEII Dual Tone – 190 g, and DEIII Black IP Coated – 230 g. As expected, the Titanium version is by far the lightest, while the DEIII is a rather heavy piece of steel on the wrist.
After just a few days of wearing, I already noticed quite a few desk-diving scratches on the titanium clasp, whereas the other two models remained scratch-free. I seems that the Titanium version of the bracelet is the most prone to scratches!
You might be wondering why the DEIII is so much heavier than the DEII. The reason lies in the additional WR protection (3000m vs. 1250m). However, this increased protection not only adds weight but also causes another issue—the DEIII is significantly thicker than the other two models, as shown in the pictures below.
In terms of thickness, again the Titanium version performs the best. In fact, I am not sure why there is a difference in thickness between the DEII Titanium and DEII, as according to factory specifications, they should have the same thickness. However, despite multiple measurements, I consistently found the Titanium version to be slightly thinner.
From the left to the right: thickness of the DEIII, DEII and DEII titanium
You are probably wondering how the differences in weight and thickness affect wearability. Unfortunately, I don’t have good news—it makes a big difference. The DEIII is bulky and rather awkward to wear. In reality, it is not very comfortable on the wrist. In my opinion, for this thickness, the standard DE of 42mm diameter is simply too small. A watch this thick needs more surface area to distribute the weight better on the wrist. A diameter of at least 44-45mm would have been more appropriate.
Thickness also affects bracelet adjustment! When removing the same number of links on all bracelets, it was necessary to set a different position for the micro-adjustment on the clasp.
From everything written so far, you can already see what my third important recommendation is. I do not recommend purchasing the DEIII. Only consider buying the DEIII if you absolutely need a watch with such a high WR rating (let's be honest, 99.9% of users will never need this) or if a specific DEIII color combination has caught your eye to the extent that you’re unwilling to choose any of the DEII or DEII Titanium options and therefore you are ready to tolerate some discomfort while wearing it. While weight can be reduced by switching to a rubber strap, nothing can be done about the thickness of the watch.
So, I narrowed the choice to two watches. But before I try to determine which of the remaining two models to choose, here are some additional details.
First - an interesting fact — according to Oceaneva, Titanium models use a slightly improved version of the movement, namely in the Titanium models the movement is gold-plated. The other two models apparently have the "standard" version, as there is no mention of a gold-plated movement in the official descriptions. Of course, I did not open the watches to verify this.
The second important factor is the price. Here's something interesting—the price of each watch does not depend on its color combination, dial material, or whether it is dual-tone or IP plated. Very unusual, as normally black IP should be more expensive, MOP dial as well... But here, the only factor affecting the price is whether it is a base DEII, Titanium DEII, or DEIII model. Oceaneva takes a pragmatic approach here. The standard DEII costs the same as the upcoming Damascus model (be careful, in damascus versions the price do vary depending on the dial type, with the Damascus dial being more expensive than the regular one). This is approximately €930 (if you're outside the USA, add shipping and import duties, bringing the total to around €1,150). The Titanium DEII and DEIII are priced at approximately €1,120, which means around €1,400 delivered to the EU with all taxes included.
So now we have the following dilemma—is it worth paying 20% more for a watch that is lighter, (presumably) has a slightly better movement, but is also more prone to scratches? Additionally, the Titanium model includes a rubber strap, which doesn’t quite match the purchased watch.
Ultimately, the deciding factor between these two models should be my first recommendation—choose the watch that you visually like the most. You can't miss here. In any case you will receive great, quality built watch! For me personally, the clear winner is the standard DEII. Not only that I personally love the rose gold dual-tone variant, but it is also the most affordable option. And on top of that, somewhat surprisingly, it sits best on my wrist out of all three. What is a bit of surprise as I expected the light titanuim would be the best in comfortability.
P.S.: I should mention that Oceaneva has started promoting its new watch, which promises to be a true monstrosity in terms of WR—they are claiming an incredible 6000m! As expected from Oceaneva, we can once again look forward to an interesting color palette, with 10 different color variants available right from the start. From the initial descriptions, it is also clear that they have learned from their experience with the DE models. The new watch will be larger (44mm) and made of titanium. This suggests that they want to avoid excessive weight while also addressing the imbalance that a significant case thickness would create if paired with a diameter that is too small.
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