Motor journalist Hiroki Yamada reviews the Edox Chrono Offshore 1 Bezel Lock Chronograph Automatic, a model released in 2024. He explains the concept and details of the watch while uncovering the appeal of the Chrono Offshore 1 itself.
Photographs & Text by Kouki Yamada
[Article published on January 16, 2025]
A professional diver's watch for adventurers
Edox's high-spec series "Chrono Offshore 1". This is the company's flagship model that expresses the world of powerboat racing with high functionality and elegant design. In July 2024, I reviewed the "Chrono Offshore 1 Chronograph Japan Limited Edition" on webChronos.http://www.webchronos.net/features/119146/)did.
I was happy to be able to provide my impressions of this series again. The biggest difference from the previous review is that this model is a standard catalog model of the Chrono Offshore 1, and it is equipped with an automatic mechanical movement.
Automatic (Cal. EDOX011 / Sellita SW500 base). 25 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve approximately 48 hours. Stainless steel case (diameter 45mm, thickness 16mm). Water resistant to 500m. Price: 638,000 yen (tax included).
Incidentally, the current Chrono Offshore 1 model has been renamed a professional spec diver's watch "for adventurers," aiming to enhance its image as a tool watch for professional use in addition to its image as an elegant powerboat racing watch.
Its most iconic feature is the brand's first bezel lock, attached to the side of the body at 9 o'clock. This function prevents the bezel from accidentally rotating forward when diving, and when used in conjunction with the unidirectional rotating bezel, it completely locks the bezel in place.
The locking system is large and easy to operate; when you slide it toward the automatic helium escape valve for saturation diving at the 10 o'clock position, you hear a clear click and the word "LOCK" appears at 8 o'clock, locking the bezel in place. As the 50 bar water resistance suggests, this feature is of no concern to the average person like me, but as we all know, it's exactly why wearing such high-spec watches on your wrist makes you feel good. The orange (or red) coloring, which improves visibility when worn, also adds a casual touch to everyday wear.
Review the details
Let's take a closer look at the main body.
The case is a substantial 45mm in diameter and 16mm thick. Crafted from 316L stainless steel, a material also used in medical equipment, the automatic helium escape valve is located on the left side of the case, while the chronograph pushers and crown are screwed down on the right. The crystal is made of 3mm thick sapphire crystal.
The bezel, engraved with diving scales, is made of high-hardness high-tech ceramic. Perhaps the degree of resonance differs depending on the body material, but the feel of turning it is slightly more subdued than that of the titanium-bodied "Japan Limited Edition," but it generally turns with a light, clicking sound. This is a matter of preference, but I think that if it had a finer, more precise feel, like a "tick-tick-tick..." sound, it would give a much more luxurious feel. In terms of a sports car, it would be like the touch of the brakes or the initial steering feel. I believe that the texture you get when you turn the bezel plays a major role in determining the face of a diver's watch.
The refreshing blue lacquer dial has a gradient that deepens towards the edge, and the silver trim surrounding the Super-LumiNova hour markers adds a touch of light to the abyss. The large Arabic numeral "1" index remains the trademark of the Chrono Offshore 1, making a strong statement.
The chronograph is arranged with a 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock and a 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock. The small seconds at 9 o'clock is cleverly designed without a circular trim, as this allows the two counters to stand out more and improve their legibility. A small day-date window is located at 3 o'clock.
The sapphire crystal glass is anti-reflective, and the outer edges of the hands of the counters and the tip of the chronograph second hand are colored orange, making it easy to quickly identify the position of the hands when using the chronograph. This color scheme matches the tone of the bezel lock function, which is also cute.
The start/stop button has a crisp, snappy feel. The reset button feels a little softer in spring stiffness, but either way, it's a functional feel.
The screw-down push button and crown, which prevent accidental operation, are slightly chunky, and if they had been a little sharper, they would have looked even more rugged. The feeling of tightening the screw lock is a little soft, and although it is actually fully tightened, it would be better if there was a sense of full torque.
Incidentally, the crown still uses the basic mechanism of the "double O-ring" that Edox invented as early as 1965.
Case back view
The movement is the Caliber EDOX011, based on the Sellita Caliber SW500, a vertical three-eye chronograph movement on par with the ETA7750. It has 25 jewels, a frequency of 28,800 vph, and a power reserve of approximately 48 hours. The case has a see-through back, allowing you to enjoy the movement of the rotor, which features premium copper-colored gears and bridges, as well as the EDOX logo.
The feel of setting the hands wasn't particularly outstanding, but it was easy to fine-tune the hands and I was able to set the time without the hands jumping. I think it's a very honest unit.
By unlocking the double-opening D-buckle and then opening the buckle with the small hole, you can easily adjust the size of the rubber strap. It was still a hassle to thread the chunky strap through the two fixed and free-floating straps (which are rubber, after all), but once it was on, it fit surprisingly well on the wrist, just like the model I reviewed previously. This is a borrowed watch, so I can't do it, but if I cut the strap and move the buckle closer (there are two more adjustment slots), I'm sure it would be even more comfortable.
Because it comes with a rubber strap, it weighs just 158g (measured), which is a reasonable weight considering it's a bulky diver's chronograph watch. Because the body is made of stainless steel, the head swings when you swing your arm, but the lug side of the strap firmly absorbs the weight and inertial weight of the watch, so while a snug fit is fine, a looser fit is also comfortable. And as the rubber heats up, the fit improves even more.
The author's thoughts on the appeal of "Chrono Offshore 1"
The Chrono Offshore 1 Bezel Lock Chronograph Automatic was developed in response to a request from the Wake Earth Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the marine environment and carrying out the polar exploration project Ananta Expedition 2.
The Wake Earth Society was founded by Thibaut Dacheux, who was just 20 years old at the time, and as if to echo this, the overall appearance of this device is very refreshing and youthful.
The large, easy-to-read dial and body, typical of professional use, are not overbearing but rather energetic. Even if the edges are a little rough, the polished screw-down crown, pushers, and body have a brilliance that overcomes the roughness. This is youth.
Interview article from "Kronos Japan" (http://www.webchronos.net/features/127530/According to Edox, the reason this watch did not meet ISO diver's certification standards was because they did not want to compromise the distinctive design of the Chrono Offshore 1 and to keep costs down, which would have been higher if they had done so. Given this, I would have liked to see a quartz model like the "Japan Limited Edition" added to this standard model. While the chronograph dial arrangement may change, a quartz model with this blue gradient and orange hand coloring would be great.
The price of this watch, 638,000 yen (including tax), for an automatic chronograph is quite reasonable considering the current exchange rate, but looking at both models, I didn't see any reason to insist on a mechanical movement with the Chrono Offshore 1. Rather, it would be better to say that I was greatly attracted to the quartz model, which has an automatic helium escape valve, a tough body with 50 bar water resistance, and is priced under 300,000 yen.
If we compare it to a car, the appeal of the Chrono Offshore 1 lies in the high performance of its chassis rather than its engine. Its toughness for both casual and professional use makes it easy to use in practice. While I came to the same conclusion as the Japan Limited Edition I reviewed last time, I strongly felt that this was the way to maximize the appeal of this watch, and that it could even be a way to refresh your daily life.
