In 2019, Titoni released its Seascoper 600—a new generation of the dive watch it first launched back in 1979. With little resemblance to that funky, cushion-cased behemoth, the Seascoper 600 nonetheless furthered a model that managed to survive the quartz crisis through continual renewal and reinvention. Indeed, both the watch and the brand itself—in operation since 1919—have proven to be resilient and adaptive chameleons.
But while iterations of the Seascoper over the years may not have much to do with the latest inventive, its little brother–the Seascoper 300–springs directly from the DNA established in the 600 Series.
The Seascoper 600 has bragging rights when in comes to water resistance, its helium escape valve, and the exclusive in-house T10 movement. But the Seascoper 300 corners the market on cool—at least in my opinion—with its more traditional dive dial, its pared down bezel, and its sleeker case.
Any way you slice it, though, it’s a tight race.
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Like the 600 before it, the Seascoper 300 comes in a 42mm package that measures 51mm lug to lug. However, the stainless steel case has a much thinner 12.55mm profile with lugs that curve slightly downward at the ends, making for a better wrist fit. The width of the T10 calibre dictates the diameter of the Seascoper 600 to a certain degree, and some might argue that Titoni had an opportunity here to go smaller, further differentiating the two models; however, the Seascoper 300 hides its dimensions well—partly with its new lug design, and partly with its drastic taper into a 20mm lug width, but most certainly with its recessed bracelet which allows for a tighter, and more immediate, drape.
The case finishing is a highlight—certainly for a watch in this bracket. The brushing on the upper portion has a seamless uniformity that would be at home on a timepiece two or three times the price. And the polished bevel on the interior of the lugs is razor sharp. On the back, we find a screw down crown, embossed with the image of a porthole, on the inside of which is a mirrored circle. The slab sides of the watch also share this level of high polish.
The case is asymmetrical, with partial guards surrounding the screw down crown. The finish of the 7mm crown is identical to that found on the bezel edge, and the end sports a polished version of the brand’s plum blossom logo. True to its name, the watch offers 300m of water resistance.
On the coin-edge 60-click, unidirectional bezel, there is a lustrous ceramic insert with high contrast markers and a lumed pip at twelve. However, its distinct lack of numerals provides for a much more contemporary and minimalist experience. The black-on-black variation featured here is one of five references. The Seascoper 300 is also available in blue-on-black, blue-on-blue, green-on-black, and green-on-green. I am partial to the classic vibe of the black-on-black, but also find the wholly blue variant to be very attractive.
Echoes of the 6-digit “super case” are undeniable (broad lugs, wide bezel, Cerachrom insert). Hints of the Rolex “maxi-dial” are also present in the large, circular hour makers and wedge indices at 6, 9, and 12. But where the Titoni really differentiates itself is in the handset, which is a customized variant of swords hands—thoughtfully skeletonized so that the hour hand is never completely eclipsed by its longer counterpart. When lit up with a generous treatment of BGW9 Super-LumiNova, the hands appear to float independently. The substantial pairing truly matches the robust markers and brings a dynamic sense of balance to the dial. The second hand, as well, with its orange tipped wedge, adds just the right amount colour, picking up the line of text in the bottom half of the dial. While I normally prefer a colour-matched date wheel, the white works well here as it aligns with the opposite marker at 9.
The Seascoper 300 is also a prime example of AR done right. When the sapphire crystal is clean, it can completely disappear, leaving you with the impression that you could simply reach through it and pluck the sweeping second hand.
In the Seascoper 300, Titoni eschews its own T10 movement for a COSC-certified Sellita SW200-1. This automatic calibre operates at 28,800vph and comes with 38-hours of power reserve. While the T10 promises a far superior 72-hour reserve, the trade-off is a calibre which is easily and inexpensively serviced around the world. In addition, this high-grade version of the SW200 operates at +6/-4 seconds a day—which is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, over a three-day period, the watch featured here ran at an average of +3 seconds a day, well within specs.
The Seascoper 300 comes on your choice of a fitted black rubber strap, a recycled plastic NATO band, or a stainless steel bracelet. While the Oyster-style bracelet is common enough, the finish is on par with that of the case. Tolerances at the lugs are also incredibly high. And each link is gently rounded so as to provide a comfortable and satisfying articulation. But the clasp is in a league of its own.
Milled and predominantly brushed with a polished chamfer along each side, the clasp has a push button release and on-the-fly micro-adjust, operated through the depression of the circular brand logo.
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Specs
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 42mm Diameter 51mm Lug to Lug 12.5mm Thick 20mm Lug Width Screw Down Crown & Caseback 60-Click Unidirectional Bezel /w Ceramic Insert 300m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Flat Sapphire Crystal /w AR Applied Indices Date Window @ 3 BGW9 Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | Sellita SW200-1 COSC Certified Chronometer 26 Jewels 28 800bph 38-Hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | Stainless Steel Bracelet /w Milled Clasp & On-the-Fly Micro-adjust Rubber Strap Recycled Plastic Band |
Titoni Seascoper 300
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Of Interest
Titoni has been producing watches in Grenchen, Switzerland for more than 100 years, though it began its journey as Felca AG under the leadership of Fritz Schluep. During the Second World War it provided the US military with 30 000 watches. A decade later, the brand moved into the Middle East, Singapore, and China, expanding sales. It was during this period that the name changed to Titoni, and the watchmaker took on the meihua, or “plum blossom,” as its logo. It had several popular lines, including the Airmaster, the Sportsmaster, and the Rist-Mate. The 1970s saw the introduction of the Race King and the Space Star. But it wasn’t until the end of that decade that the Seascoper came to be. Digging into the Asian market, Titoni managed to survive the quartz crisis of the 70s and 80s, while many other venerable Swiss houses succumbed or amalgamated. Now in its fourth generation of family ownership, Titoni looks to the leadership of Marc and Olivier Schluep for future success.
Quibbles
There is a lot of text on the Seascoper dial. Despite the fact that it does not seem crammed, the chosen font does stretch horizontally, making it difficult to read—particularly the line of orange proclaiming the watch’s water resistance. And although the bracelet–and especially the clasp–are top notch, I was surprised to find that it did not use screwed links.
Final Thoughts
The Titoni Seascoper 300 looks and feels like a luxury watch. It is difficult not to be smitten with it, once on wrist. Its robust construction conveys quality. The finishing, the ceramic bezel, the level of tolerance, and the COSC-certified movement all contribute to reveal a watch that is completely a sum of its parts. Titoni can stand tall amongst the dwindling number of independent Swiss watch brands, not only for its excellence, but equally for its value. As a long-established Swiss watchmaker—marching shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Oris and Fortis—Titoni manages also to compete with up-and-comers like Monta, Farer, and Christopher Ward, building beautiful tool watches in the sub-$2000 range. While the brand is not yet a household name in the West, it is unlikely to remain this way for long.
The Titoni Seascoper 300 retails for $1750 on bracelet. For more information, please visit the brand website.
About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.
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Not a brand heard often – thanks for sharing more on Titoni!
Submariner vibes going strong on this Seascoper.
Undeniable
Not too shabby. I kinda don’t like the font of their brand, it’s big and weird. Seems like a great watch though, very informative article on a brand I know little about
I am always surprised by these smaller heritage Swiss houses