Victorinox DM500 Bead Blast Project

[jmackoul]

Hello!

I'm starting this thread today with great excitement, as this will be my first journal of a custom diver project! I received the DM500 today and shipped it out the Industrial Watch Works in NC just a few hours ago. It will be bead blasted and the bezel indicies from 1-20 min will be lumed like its PVD counterparts. To my knowledge, I am the third DM500 owner to bead blast the case, and the first to lume the 1-20 min indicies on a Stainless Steel model.

This project all started when I was searching for the ultimate tool diver that I can use both in and out of the water. But with all the Diver options out there, how did I possibly settle on a DM 500? Here's how...

I needed a diver that was water resistant to at least 300m
No diver really needs a watch resistant to more than 200m, thats a fact. But 300m + watches give divers major peace of mind. So what does that leave me in the market? Doxa, Zixen, Tissot, Marathon, Benarus, the list goes on...

I didn't want to spend more than $500.
Why the budget? Because tool divers get scratched, nicked, and are used regularly. I wouldn't want to scratch up a brand new diver I spent $2,000.00, $1,000.00, or even $600.00 on. So what does that leave me in the market? Tons of used options like Boschett and Helson, New options like Magellan, Christopher Ward, the list goes on...

I wanted a hearty swiss movement and a sapphire crystal
Now I thought that I was asking too much. But lo and behold, the Victorinox DM500 presented itself!

I needed a reliable movement
It would have been nice to have an automatic so batteries wouldn't be a part of the equation. I'm the worlds biggest automatic watch fan, but I have be honest... for a tool diver, nothing can beat the reliability and preciseness of a swiss quartz.

So where did I get it?
I got the DM500 from a friend of mine who is a watch seller in the Cape Cod, MA area. He had this watch in his small boutique store new for roughly three years. He sold me the watch, which he had priced at $550.00, for $260.00. I think he had such a hard time selling the watch because in his store, Victorinox is his lowest end brand. I know online this watch can be had for similar prices, but I never trust online dealers marking down watches 50%+, as they are frequently previously used, owned, or case models.

Now for the review.

Model: Victorinox Dive Master 500m Diver
Finish: Stainless Steel, Black Dial
Movement: Quartz

This diver is massively impressive. I had used a DM500 Mecha in the past and was very impressed, but I was and still am not a fan on PVD finished divers.

What I like:
- The case is a TANK! super solid, good balance between case thickness and width.
- The movement is one of the better swiss quartz movements I have used. The second hand lines up perfectly on every marker.
- The bezel is awesome! I can compare it best to a snap-on ratchet. It feels hefty and metallic, and the markers line up perfectly.
- The lume is surprisingly bright. Its no seiko lume, but its pretty close.
- The presentation box is pretty impressive...

What I don't like:
- Although it has a diver's extension, I do not like the band at all. But thats okay, because I will be using a NATO strap anyways.
- The polished accents on the Bezel

So heres some pictures!













Ill post again when I receive it with a full review!

[clouser]

That will be a good mod. Mine was bead blasted by MCWW, and I painted the bezel indices black. I still regret selling it.

If you want to take it up a notch, I highly recommend putting it on a Sinn U1 rubber strap. It's a perfect fit.

[jmackoul]

I saw your DM just by searching google images, I like it! Ill definitely consider the U1 strap, it is one of the few real diver straps with blasted hardware.

I have two 22mm NATO's laying around, a grey/black bond and a red/white/blue that will be shown with my posted pics

[BrentYYC]

Congrats. It's a great watch and one of my most often used 'go-to' watches. I often refer to it as being "bomb proof" and choose it 100% of the time when 'getting wet' over my Submariner. In another thread somebody posed the question "what watch would you grab if you were suddenly leaving on a vacation" and only had a second to choose one watch. The DM 500 was my choice.

[David Woo]

jack is definitely the man for blast jobs.

[jmackoul]

Thats what I've heard! I'm really excited to see how it turns out!