Carl Brashear spent his entire life overcoming obstacles and developing his professional diving career. Born in 1931 to a sharecropper family in Kentucky, Brashear grew up battling not only poverty but also a segregated society that treated him and other Black individuals as second-class citizens. In 1948, he joined the recently desegregated U.S. Navy, becoming the first Black sailor to graduate from the U.S. Navy Diving and Salvage School. He served admirably, even once serving as an escort for President Eisenhower's presidential yacht.
In 1966, the U.S. Air Force accidentally lost a nuclear bomb off the coast of Spain. Brashear was one of the divers called upon for the dangerous recovery operation. During the recovery, he was severely injured by a falling pipe, leading to the amputation of his left leg. Undeterred, Brashear trained intensely and, two years later, became the first amputee to be recertified as a U.S. Navy diver. In 1970, he became a master diver, the first Black American to earn this honor. He served for an additional nine years, ultimately achieving the rank of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate, one of the Navy's highest enlisted ranks.
The Swiss watch company Oris released the Carl Brashear Cal. 401 Limited Edition. As the name suggests, this is a limited-edition watch released in honor of this incredible man's legacy. I managed to get one and test it out. Here's what I found.
Marine Bronze Case
Oris Carl Brashear Limited Edition on a WATCHPOD case
The Carl Brashear Cal. 401 Limited Edition looks like a vintage diving watch. Forget the Pepsi bezel of the '70s style. I'm talking about an old-fashioned monochrome rotating bezel. In this case, the bronze bezel perfectly matches the case. It rotates easily but has a refined design and looks like a continuous part of the case. If you don't look closely, it all looks like one solid non-rotating piece. The screw-down crown is also well designed. When screwed in, it fits very snugly against the case. This screw-down construction provides water resistance to 10 bar or 100 meters. They are not true 'diving watches,' but they are suitable for most water sports.
The sapphire crown has a double-curved shape, creating an attractive vintage illusion when viewed from the side. It also slightly distorts the edge of the dial when viewed straight on, but not enough to make the watch unreadable. In fact, thanks to the scratch-resistant construction and anti-reflective coating on both sides, visibility is excellent. There's no display back. Instead, the case back features a U.S. Navy anchor with Carl Brashear's name. There is also a special engraving with a unique number for each piece. The case back is made of stainless steel, creating a beautiful contrast with the rose gold case when the watch is removed.
High-Visibility Dial
Many people mistake high-end watches for needing to be richly decorated. And, honestly, many Swiss watches do have a wealth of complications. But the Carl Brashear Cal. 401 Limited Edition is magnificent and requires no embellishments. The dial is a deep blue, transitioning from a barely noticeable light center to a darker perimeter. Large brass and luminescent markers with fill denote most hour positions, with bars at three and nine o'clock and an arrow at twelve o'clock. At the six o'clock position, you'll find a small seconds subdial, a new 'feature' for Divers 65. It's an unusual setup but surprisingly easy to read and gives a refreshingly nice look to the classic model.
The hands are broad, matching the color of the case and index. They are bordered by thin luminous lines, providing some visibility at night. That said, the large metal hands and shiny indices make the dial legible in any lighting except the darkest. You may not have water resistance for deep-sea diving, but you'll have excellent visibility in dark conditions.
Quality Inside
The Carl Brashear Cal. 401 uses the Oris 400 movement, which is fully developed by Oris. The Diver 65 generation that used the original Cal. 400 had a large second hand, whereas the newly modified Cal. 401 includes a small second hand at the '6 o'clock' position. More importantly, this new movement has a massive power reserve of 120 hours. It consists of 24 jewels and vibrates at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour, allowing it to run very smoothly, so you won't even notice the ticking. It's also hacking, so you can easily set the time precisely when needed.
Special Edition Extras
The watch strap is a thick and sturdy elastic nylon strap that fastens with a brass buckle. The simple clasp matches the case, opening and closing easily. The strap is entirely unique and was produced by Erika’s Originals for this special edition Carl Brashear. Along with this, you'll receive a beautiful wooden display case. It's a wonderful redesign of the popular Oris Divers 65 model, with only 2,000 pieces made, making it a unique addition to any collection.