Arizona’s SēL Instruments have been making, literally, bomb proof watches since 2017. The term overengineered is often thrown around in watchmaking, but no other brand quite embodies this term the way SēL Instruments does. Not only do they engineer their watches from scratch, but they also engineer the equipment to make them, as well as the tools to test them. They even reinvented the watch bracelet with an ingenious clasp system called the Wavlock. According to the brand, their watches appeal to many in the armed forces, police, EMTs, or anyone that lives and works in the harshest environments on earth.

You can tell these watches were made by someone that never skips leg days, though just like Adrew McLean’s oversize quads, these watches have always been quite large. That is, until now. Introducing the new OmniDiver Xos 42, a smaller, much more wearable version of their signature OmniDiver. That said, they did not just shrink it. Their focus is on a trifecta feature set for extreme environmental protection in a smaller 42mm case: impact resistance, water resistance, and magnetic resistance. 

The original OmniDiver has a water-resistance rating of 6,100 meters, but the new Xos 42 is still no slouch at 2,000 meters. What is even more impressive is that the new one is only 13.7mm thick. To make that happen, they needed to add new Teflon bearings to their already incredibly good ball-bearing bezel bezel assembly. They needed to strengthen their screw-down crown and invent an entirely new shock protection system called Labyrinth Flux. It will also be entirely made in grade 5 titanium, just like the bracelet. 

The complete dimensions are 41.9mm case diameter, 13.7mm thick and 47.8mm from hinged lug to hinged lug. Powering this ultra dive watch will be either the E64.111-PD temperature compensated, 8 jewel high-accuracy quartz movement or a Swiss Chronometer grade automatic caliber, the choice for which has yet to be decided. There will be a choice of two dial colors, black or blue, and date and no date options. You will even be able to choose the hand color, or keep them bare. 

Pricing will be $4,892 for the automatic version, $4,479 for the high-accuracy quartz version and $1,865 for the Wavlock grade 5 titanium bracelet. For more information about SēL Instruments, we encourage you to read Zach Kazan’s article about them and, maybe check out the Worn & Wound Podcast Episode 128, where company founder Andrew McLean joins the conversation. SeL Instruement