Ocean 39 Legacy - Gnomon Exclusive

As a partner who started with Steinhart, Gnomon Watches has worked closely with the brand since the beginning, abetting Mr. Steinhart and his team to introduce these valued-for-your-money watches to an even larger audience. Our strong bond has allowed us to further launched an array of exclusive models where our specific designs speak to watch enthusiasts like us. These achievements and recognitions can only be seen through both companies' excellent relationships. So fasten your seatbelts as we unveil a new Steinhart x Gnomon exclusive.

Steinhart Ocean 39 Legacy - Gnomon Exclusive

In 2016, both of us released a perfect tie-up between two brands with the same values and a strong passion for watches. We introduced the Steinhart Ocean One Legacy - a Gnomon Exclusive and limited to only 199 pieces - all of each got sold out within a short period of time, and Steinhart fans craving for this particular throughout the years. Therefore, when Steinhart started dropping its all new Ocean 39 series with the “premium” case in 2023, we’d knew its about time to bring back the Legacy’s DNA.

Seven years later, Gnomon Watches are introducing an exclusive Ocean 39 timepiece, the Ocean 39 Legacy. As many might know, our exclusive usually straddles very much on the vintage path, like the aged looks and period-correct elements, it indeed contains more than a strand or two of the 42mm Limited Edition, Ocean 1 Legacy elements. This particular Ocean 39 is more than our usual execution. It is the first time we upgraded a beautiful sapphire bezel which mimics the pre-aluminium insert days from the pre-sixties, which turns out to be just as nostalgic in its design as wearing it on the wrist.

Drilled Through Lugs - History Inspired

Drawing inspiration from dive watches of the 1950s, the Steinhart Ocean 39 Legacy comes in at 39mm in diameter with a compact 47mm lug-to-lug. It has just a thickness of about 12mm excluding its domed sapphire crystal atop the dial. It encapsulate a number of recognizable design cues synonymous with dive watches of that era such as its: black divers bezel, unguarded Steinhart signed screwd-down crown and its highly domed Sapphire crystal that creates those charming distortions that we all love when viewed from the side.

What we like about this case is there are additional details to it. Its case has been beautifully finished with defined edges, polished case sides and satin brushing along the tops of its long contouring lugs. There are additional polished bevelings at each lug of the case, and it does not come with crown guards, allowing Steinhart to bring back the "big crown" look for us. This particular style could only be found on the premium Ocean 39 models.

Matching Gold Gilted Hands

The Ocean 39 Legacy features a unidirectional 60-minute dive bezel with a matching triangle marking at its 0 position, allowing you to track your dive-time. There's another first attribute to be highlighted here. What's so unique and distinctive about the bezel is that, for the second time, we requested Steinhart to use a sapphire bezel insert in a vintage bakelite form that's been used in the pre-sixties. Sapphire was the choice of material to mimic the gorgeous bakelite bezels of yesteryears. It was expertly chosen - with the bezel giving off a charming vintage hue - while still retaining the scratch resistant benefits that a modern material like sapphire offers. The bezel markings features an aged shade of yellow, just like the marker’s colour of a nicely vintage bakelite bezel in which collectors coined them “tropic”. The bezel rotates anti-clockwise with a solid 120 clicks and can be done with ease thanks to its pronounced grooves.

Great care has been lavished on its matte black dial which features gold lettering and a minute-track also in gold. The text below with the additional “meters first” another nod to the dive watches before the late sixties. The hour and minute hands are pencil shaped, while the seconds hand is tipped with a circle which gave way to the nickname “lollipop”. The hands, indices, and the bezel markers (just like the Bakelite bezels of the past) are generously painted with Swiss C3 Superluminova. We got to say that the "aged" colour befits the theme here. Nevertheless, the watch offers a superb glow that will last quite a long time, ensuring maximum readability in darkness.

C3 SuperLuminova

The Steinhart Ocean 39 Legacy has its specifications engraved right on the case-back, including our “exclusivity” and serial number. Clad within it is the Swiss automatic caliber, SW200-1, operating at 28,800 BPH (4 Hertz) with hacking and hand winding capabilities. It has 25 jewels with a power reserve of approximately 40 hours.

A 20mm oyster-style bracelet is affixed to the watch. The bracelet is well-built and elegantly tapers to 16mm to a signed Steinhart clasp. The style and taper of the bracelet contribute to the classy yet robust look of the watch, giving wearers great comfort while still oozing style.

Perfect proportions on all wrist sizes

What could we say? Gnomon and Steinhart are exceptionally excited ourselves to bring back the Ocean Legacy model in 39mm! The new Steinhart is the latest in our line of Steinhart x Gnomon collaborations to end the year 2023. Featuring new material and in vintage colours that both Steinhart and Gnomon have never used. And by catering a refreshing take to what might be a sober and no-nonsense sports watch space, the timepiece is a killer that has got all of us at Gnomon buzzing. This watch signifies our long-standing relationship with Steinhart and how we constantly thrive to bring what we love and produce well-liked watches by many.