I first found out about Limes watches a few years ago, looking at their Endurance Chronograph model. It appealed to me because it was a 1000m diving chronograph that wasn’t overly large, especially at a time when a dive chronograph can easily be 44mm in diameter or more (which is still the case today). All Limes Endurance models come in at 41.5mm in diameter, which is highly welcomed in my eyes. I saw a post online that Limes made about their new model, the Limes Endurance GMT Diver, I sent them a message, and they were kind enough to allow me to spend some serious time with the watch and write a review.
The full specifications of the watch are: ETA 2893-2 Elabore Automatic movement, with a case size of 41.5mm (46mm with crown), Lug to lug length of 50, case thickness of 12.5mm, sapphire crystal with AR Coating, rotating dive bezel, luminous paint, solid screw down case back, and screw down crown. The case is rated to 30 atm (300 meters). While still not a small watch, I think the watch fit very well and comfortably on my 16cm circumference wrist. I measured the placement of the screw holes, and that comes in at 45mm across. In addition to the lugs angling downwards, this definitely aids in helping the watch fit on smaller wrists. While I didn’t get to take pictures, it also fit quite well on a friend of mine who has a wrist closer to 17.5cm.
The case is entirely brushed, and I think that is just fine for such a utilitarian time piece. I think the angular design of the case definitely adds a level of interest to the case design that some may consider missing because of the lack of contrasting finishing techniques. I also thought that the bezel was extremely satisfying to use. I had no issues gripping the bezel, even with wet hands, and the watch was always easy to read. I did get a chance to take the watch swimming, and doing so, I was very easily able to read the time and the bezel, even with foggy goggles and underwater. Where I go swim, there is metered parking that is paid by phone. I would use the bezel to mark my parking time while doing my workout. Excessive, sure. Fun, definitely. Also, the watch was comfortable to wear while swimming.
Speaking of comfort, I asked for Limes to send me the watch with a rubber strap. After spending time with other dive watches on bracelets, I wanted to see if a bigger watch on a strap was more to my taste, and it definitely is. With the strap, I am able to comfortably secure the watch tight enough to my wrist that is does not move around while going about my day. The strap also tends to be a bit grippy to the skin, which is sometimes annoying, but also sometimes exactly what you want. I think the strap could benefit from having some sort of texture on the underside to help with the slight discomfort, as the underside is smooth.
Setting the second time zone and date are on the same crown position (2nd position), and easy to use. The crown is also large and easy to grip. The best thing about the second time zone on this watch is that it is not in the way visually. I found myself forgetting it was there, until I wanted to use it. While having a 24 hour bezel would allow for another time zone to track, I think this set up is the best for a GMT Diver. The date, on the other hand, is the biggest problem with the watch. While I appreciate having the date function, the date is so far behind the dial that the dial often creates a shadow, making the date difficult to read. If putting the date wheel closer to the dial or putting on a magnifier on the crystal is possible, that would be the biggest change I would make to the watch.
Overall, if you are someone looking for a dive watch with a GMT function (or one, or the other), I think the Limes Endurance GMT Diver is highly worthy of consideration. I definitely got the sense while wearing the watch that it wouldn’t let me down, and having a watch that is fully capable of being durable while still being wearable is a big plus in my eyes. If anything, I want to check out the chronograph even more. Maybe I’ll have to cave and get one for myself.
Also of note, Limes is part of the Ickler family, famous for making watch cases. Their other well known brand is Archimedes watches. If you would like to learn more about Ickler, you can find out more here.
Cheers
-Don
To learn more, check out https://www.limes-watches.com/
