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By David Crane
david (at) defensereview (dot) com
August 9, 2016
Last updated on 8/10/16.
“Progressive Modular Tactical Gear” company Hazard 4 is making an interesting titanium-cased combat/tactical dive/diving watch with very bright tritium illumination dials, called the Heavy Water Diver, and DefenseReview (DR) got to take a close look at it at SHOT Show 2016, earlier this year. The Heavy Water Diver is a 50mm watch (case diameter), so it’s big, which in this case, is a good thing. The size is part of what makes this watch really stand out, and the watch is indeed a looker.
Anyway, Hazard 4 representative Brandon Ryan was kind enough to take DR through the Heavy Water Diver at the company’s booth, and explain some of the watch’s most important features, which include the aforementioned titanium case, 300m (300-meter, or 990 feet) diving capability, large easy-to-read numbers, aforementioned self-contained everglow tritium-vial lamps/vials (which ar 80% above the face surface), comfortable TPR (Thermo-Plastic Rubber) and NATO fabric watch bands/straps, a large, ergonomic (i.e., easy-to-turn) screw-in crown for easy adjustments, date function, torque screw and tool for quick, easy band/strap exchange, moving bezel with a tritium vial for maintaining proper zero, and various face and number color options. You can also choose your tritium vial color, as well.
DR particularly liked the two variants: the black case and bezel with black face and white numbers, along with a FDE (Flat Dark Earth)/Desert Tan watch strap; and what appeared to be a black case and bezel with a FDE/Desert Tan face with black numbers with FDE/Desert Tan strap. These two variants looked partiuclarly sharp to us, and you can see them in the embedded photos and video below.
Defense Review really liked the Hazard 4 Heavy Water Diver tactical dive/diving watch variants we saw at SHOT Show, and Mr. Ryan’s presentation of it reinforced our initial impressions. So, we hope the watch lives up to its aesthetics with regard to accuracy, reliability and durability. Hopefully, we can get a product sample to run at the range and in the water at some point. Maybe we’ll take one down to the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, or Hawaii sometime. If it can handle high-round-count tactical shooting, speerfishing (freediving) AND scuba diving, it’s good to go.
Editor’s Note/Update 8/10/16: DR attempted to reach Mr. Ryan (and/or someone else at Hazard 4 who’s knowledgeable about the Heavy Water Diver) today by phone and email to glean some more detailed background history and info on the watch in order to update and expand this article accordingly, but we were unsuccessful. We were advised to email our questions instead, as they’re currently very busy over there, and unable to talk to us by phone. And, they don’t know if anyone from Hazard 4 will be able to assist us by phone in the future. This spooked us a bit, so we’re hoping this isn’t a reflection of their general customer service. Phone contact is one of DR’s methods of testing companies’ responsiveness. As it happens, we haven’t yet received a response to our initial email message, either.
Editor’s Note/Update 8/12/16: A Hazard 4 media representative got back to us yesterday via email and connected us with Hazard 4 Marketing Director Filip Postolek, who was kind enough to answer our written interview questions for him today, also by email. We’ll try to publish them in a follow-up to this piece, as soon as we can. We also plan to speak with Mr. Postolek by phone at some point within the next week.
The following Heavy Water Diver watch features and specs info comes directly from the Hazard 4 website:
“Details:
_ self-contained everglow tritium-vial lamps
_ tritium vials are not inset but 80% above the face surface;
this makes them visible from the edges not just from above
_ titanium case is light, strong, and hypoallergenic
_ large, substantial, 50 mm high-vis design
_ aggressively knurled unidirectional bezel
_ bezel has tritium marker in “12” porthole
_ scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass
_ crystal interior is anti-reflective coated
_ machined bezel markers won’t scratch off
_ high water resistance feature set
_ screw-down case-back and crown
_ the crown is large, grippy, and easy to turn
_ big, high-vis, 3D military stencil-cut numerals
_ unique 24-hour military time scale is integral
_ angled minutes inner-dial for better visibility
_ unique, user-service fast-change strap pins
_ boldly styled, broad, super legible hands
_ eye-catching retail graphic case-insert
_ easy strap changes w/ screw-in pins
_ moisture wicking map texture under the rubber strap, combined
w/ relief trench & many buckle holes keep the wrist dry
_ a selection of straps/bracelets coming soon
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
_ comes mounted with custom T.P.R. band
_ 1x extra N.A.T.O. fabric strap
_ 1x military-grade thermoformed travel case
>> Heavy Water Diver Instruction Manual
Additional Info:
Case Material Titanium (bead-blast)
Case Finish Natural or P.V.D. Black
Case Diameter 50 mm
Case Thickness 15 mm
Strap Horn Width 24 mm
Depth Rating 300 m/990′
Movement Ronda 515 Quartz (battery powered)
Date Window Position at 4 o’clock
Product Weight ~3.8 oz
Design Long Beach, California – In-House Team.
Manufacturing Swiss Movement”
Company Contact Info:
Hazard 4
235 E. Broadway Suite 1120
LB, CA 90802 (not open to public)
Phone: 626-344-1454
Email Contact Page: https://www.hazard4.com/contact-us
Website: https://www.hazard4.com
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