The entry-level dive watch market is a ruthless one. Seikos abound at highly competitive pricing and legendary status. Orient divers have a cult following. And the Tissot Seastar 1000 and the Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba will put you into a Swiss diver for under $1000USD. Simply put, a microbrand diver must make a lot of noise if it wants to make a splash.

Enter the Dailos Waveform. At the time of publication, the Waveform is in the last days of a successful Kickstarter campaign. Starting at only $299USD, it’s clearly hoping to corner the market as an attractive value proposition.

But what do you get for your money?

Actually, it looks like a lot. To begin, the Waveform is fashioned from reinforced titanium, from its case, to its bracelet…and even its milled clasp. The only other titanium diver that I can think of, which even comes close to the Waveform price point, is the Citizen Promaster. But the Promaster is Eco-Drive Quartz. Powering the Waveform is a workhorse NH35 from Seiko. It also bears mentioning that reinforced titanium is eight times harder than grade 2 titanium. This makes the Waveform not only feather-light, but diamond tough.

Add to this a ceramic bezel insert and a double-domed sapphire crystal, and you have an admirable diver taking form. Did I mention drilled lugs, 5 layers of AR coating, and screw links? How about 300m of water resistance? Clearly the Waveform means business.

But how does it look?

As you can see, the Waveform design has more than a little SKX in its case shape, though it appears slightly more angular around the crown. The dial markers are applied, and the hands are of a hybrid sword form. Its bracelet is an oyster-style. The clasp and crown are signed, and the caseback is etched. In all, it has a rugged handsomeness about it.

There are four colourways available to choose from, as well. The Aurora Teal and Midnight Blue differ only in dial colour, while the Jet black also includes a dark ceramic bezel insert. My favourite, however, is the Ghost—a blacked out DLC coated version with matte black dial and matching bezel. It positively exudes special ops.

Specs

Case

• Reinforced Titanium Case
• 40mm Diameter
• 47mm Lug to Lug
• 13.7mm Thickness (including crystal)
• 20mm Lug Width
• 300m Water Resistance
• Signed screw-down crown
• Engraved case back

Bracelet

• Reinforced Titanium with screw links and milled clasp
• Seiko NH35 Movement with colour matched date wheel

Crystal/Bezel/Dial

• Double domed sapphire (5 layers of inner AR coating)
• 60-click unidirectional bezel with ceramic insert
• BGW-9 Swiss Super-Luminova

Of Interest

The Dailos has already unlocked its first stretch goal on Kickstarter which provides for a leather watch roll. However, even more interesting is the full lume ice white dial variant for an extra $29 should they reach $120 000 (as of publication they have $81 000 pledged).

Final Thoughts

While a microbrand such as the Dailos Waveform cannot offer the backstory of a legendary diver like the SKX, it cannot be argued that in terms of its specifications, the Waveform is—on paper at least—a diver of superior value. It bills itself as a rugged toolwatch and certainly appears to have the chops to back that up. At 40mm, it is practically a one-size-fits-all; and at $300, what have you got to lose? If you are in the market for an everyday diver, the Dailos Waveform is an attractive alternative to your everyday options.

Check them out on Kickstarter or here.

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