Introduction

When I found out my wife was pregnant and that my daughter would be coming into the world, I wanted to get something to remember it by. Something I would forever look at and think about how excited I was to meet this new little person and how excited I was to become a father.

I decided on a watch. I wore watches before my daughter was born, but I didn’t know much about them and wore primarily G-Shocks. I decided that a nice watch was a grown up thing to have, so I started looking. I wasn’t really in a position to buy a Rolex or Omega (I was about to be a father, and I was in the process of starting my own business). I didn’t want to get something as replaceable or common as another G-Shock or Invicta. I wanted something special and versatile enough to wear with a suit and tie, so it would be with me more often.

I finally found a discontinued watch from a company called Deep Blue. Deep Blue was founded in New York in 2007 and quickly became a well respected micro-brand within the watch community. I read a lot of forum posts and review and nearly everything I read about this company was positive. So, I decided to pull the trigger on a Deep Blue Fleet Admiral.

Details

Deep Blue is primarily known for making dive watches. I’ve actually purchased a few more watches from Deep Blue over the years. The Fleet Admiral is a departure from their usual repertoire. I wouldn’t say the Fleet Admiral is a true dress watch, but it’s also not a true sports watch. It’s somewhere in the middle.

For example, the case size is relatively large at 45mm. This doesn’t bother me because I’m 6’4” and feel like a larger watch suits me. The watch also has a water resistance of 100m, which means you can swim while wearing it (and I have).

The dial is the busy reflection of the Miyota 9100 movement beating inside. The dial shows seconds, minutes, hours, power reserve, month, date, day of the week, and 24 hour scale. It’s a lot of information to take in, but I don’t think it’s too busy. I like the alternating blue and silver of the dial. I like the blued hands, which have superluminova applied.

The crystal is a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. The case is restrained with only high polish as a finish. The crown is pleasant to interact with and signed with the Deep Blue logo. Flipping the watch over, you can see the Miyota 9100 through the display caseback.

The movement is the Japanese answer to the ETA range. They are simple, accurate, inexpensive, easy to service and reliable. The movement is quite complicated as I outlined above. It isn’t ornately decorated, but there are Geneva stripes under the rotor if it matter to you. Other than that, the movement beats at 28,800 VPH and keeps excellent time.

What I Love About It

Looks

I love the looks of this watch. The color of the dial and subdials contrast and also mix well. The watch is on the large side, but its dimensions lend to the legibility of the dial. The case is simple and classic. The crown is well finished, and I like the exhibition case-back. There’s really not much I don’t like about this watch in the looks-department.

Versatile

This watch is truly versatile. I can wear this watch with a suit without any issues. It’s slim enough that it slips under my cuff. It also doesn’t look out of place with jeans and a t-shirt. I’ve worn the watch swimming and kayaking without worry due to the 100m water resistance.

It looks good on a variety of straps from alligator, to calf leather, and even nato.

Customer Service

I can’t testify to the customer service pertaining specifically to this watch, I’ve never had an issue with it. I can testify to the customer service of this company, however. I had another watch, a dive watch, that had a broken case tube (the tube the crown stem goes through to interact with the movement). My watchmaker couldn’t fix it, so I contacted Deep Blue directly. They asked me to send the watch to them and they would get me an estimate for repairs. A few weeks later, I received a package in the mail. It was a brand new version of my watch in a really nice single watch travel case. No money required. They just shipped me another watch.

I really love it when a company stands behind their products and Deep Blue is a company I can wholeheartedly recommend on that front.

Complications

Some people like simple watch dials. I tend to like complications. I don’t mind cluttered dials and subdials. It’s part of what I like about mechanical watches. It’s truly amazing that gears and springs and bearings can tell me what month it is.

For my day job, I’m an attorney. As any attorney will tell you, the calendar matters a great deal. Law firms, cases, and lawyers are run by deadlines. For me, knowing the date, day, and month is very valuable information.

What I Hate About It

There’s only really two things I’m not wild about this watch. The first is that the case is a little boring, if I’m honest. It is classic, there’s no denying that, but a different finish or a bevel here and there might have made the difference. It also might have ruined it entirely.

The second thing I’m not that fond of is the date window. It cuts into the 24 hour dial and also isn’t color-matched to either the main dial or the silver of the sub-dials. The white of the date window just seems out of place with the rest of the dial.

Closing

In closing, I love this watch. I’m happy it was my first foray into “serious” watches. Of all the watches I own, this would probably be the last one I’d part with. It’s not my most expensive watch. It’s not my most interesting watch. However, it always reminds me of the time spent going to doctor’s appointments and hospitals leading up to my daughter’s birth. I remember that excitement. I remember the joy of her birth, all because I chose this watch and wore it though that part of my life. In short, I like this watch on it’s own merits. It’s a fine watch, but I love it for personal reasons.