What inspired you to create the Scuba?
It was pretty simple. At the time of designing the Scuba (2019) I wasn't comfortable with using any of my watches for more demanding outdoor activities, so I decided to create my own adventure-proof watch, fast-forward to now and we have the Scuba.
The Scuba doesn't look like most classic dive watches - why did you choose to design something so unique?
I had wanted to do a sandwich dial watch with a gradient finish like this for a while. Originally the dial was going to be textured like sandpaper to imitate the sea bottom, but I happened upon a vintage diver with a beautiful blue gradient dial with a sunburst finish and knew that is what I wanted (see photo below). The case was inspired by the Genta-style integrated watches of the 1970s.
Will there be additional colors for the Scuba?
I will be offering a green dial version as a stretch goal in the Kickstarter campaign. Should the K.S. campaign be successful and there is demand for a version 2 I have some great ideas lined up that will be very exciting...
How did you decide on the name of the Scuba?
I find naming a difficult part of the design process, as an online business you are dealing with buyers from around the world and many different languages. Something that might sound good in English could be off-putting in another language. Scuba, however, is universal and everyone knows what it means.
Were there any pieces you took inspiration from when designing the Scuba?
The octagonal case was inspired by the right side of the vintage Orient Sports SK, a very quirky watch, as well as the Genta style watches of the same period. I then added my own touch of the sides angled towards the center.
Was there any significance to the color options?
Blue and grey are always safe color options, orange and blue go together very well, then I wanted a bit of drama for the grey dial so added a red bezel (our brand color). I like red so wanted to offer that as an out-there dial option, and with the sunburst finish it changes from red to pink depending on how the light hits it. With the red dial being so bright I chose grey as a complimentary bezel color.
I initially chose green just for something completely different but didn't build that sample with the rest as green wasn't as popular a couple of years back, brown was, so I chose that instead. I have since changed my mind as green pieces have been very hot this year, so we are working on getting that produced as well.
The Scuba will be published to Kickstarter in the coming months, to stay up to date on all things Roebuck, subscribe to our email newsletter and follow us on social media!
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