Limited Edition Steinhart Ocean Vintage Military MAXI

Vintage military submariners (milsubs) are arguably the most beautiful and historically-rich dive/military watches around. They are highly sought after, very rare, and commands a premium.

Milsubs from the late 60s/early 70s by Rolex (ref. 5517) and Tudor (ref. 7016) caught the eye of collectors and quickly gained a cult following—in fact, military watches have always been the cream of the crop for vintage timepieces. Prices skyrocketed and coupled with their rarity, these milsubs are unattainable for most watch enthusiasts

732260de99c0c9879cbc76269b2ab61d — Rolex Milsub ref. 5517

In my previous article, we briefly mentioned Steinhart as a go-to watch brand for mechanical timepieces under S$1,000, and this year, the Germany-based company released the Steinhart Ocean Vintage Military MAXI—limited to only 300 pieces.

I had the pleasure of owning the first edition Steinhart OVM a while back. What really attracted me was the dial and its resemblance to the Rolex ref. 5517. Some may say that it’s a copy but I personally feel that it’s a respectful homage to a legendary watch

OVM Maxi LE Close — Homage to the early milsubs

Compared to my (long gone) Steinhart OVM, the dial of the OVM MAXI has richer lume plots and a deeper black tone. The painted markers seem to be slightly larger hence the term ‘MAXI’. Reminiscing the glory of vintage milsubs, the OVM MAXI comes with a pair of sword hands and a dagger second hand.

OVM Maxi LE Side — Domed hesalite crystal

This limited edition OVM features a high domed hesalite crystal, which is very uncommon for modern watches. It is not as scratch-proof as sapphire crystal but it supplements the dial with a warmer vintage vibe. Fret not, hesalite crystal has its benefit of being more shatter resistant than sapphire crystal.

OVM Maxi LE Lume — The “Old Radium” SuperLuminova lights up in the dark

The OVM MAXI’s case is similar to the regular OVM at 42mm in case diameter and 14mm thick, but offers lower water resistance. It could be the hesalite crystal, otherwise, I am not too sure what’s the reason for it having only 100m water resistance instead of the usual 300m. After all, not everyone is a professional diver anyway.

There are only 29 pieces left as i’m writing this article. Interested? Place your order now with Gnomon Watches at only S$698.28 (excluding GST).

Photo credits: Gnomon Watches