Since bursting onto the scene with a pair of handsome ?40s-inspired watches at a great price point, Baltic has deservedly been at the center of a whole lot of attention for such a young brand. The hype surrounding their next release, then, has been intense. Early teases of a classic ?50s style diver with blended notes of Rolex, Blancpain, and even Panerai have only stoked the flames, so now that preorders are open on this new Aquascaphe series the question is obvious: Does Baltic?s sophomore album live up to these high expectations" Early signs point to yes.

Click here to listen to Baltic founder, Etienne Malec, on The Worn & Wound Podcast. 

Introducing the new Baltic Aquascaphe dive watch, shown here in Blue & Gilt. The Aquascaphe gets its overall classic sporty shape from Baltic?s earlier HMS and Bicompax models, with longish lugs, a double-domed AR-coated sapphire crystal, and an overall compact shape at just 39 x 47 millimeters. The Aquascaphe takes a turn in its own direction with a sapphire-topped unidirectional bezel to mimic the classic look of Bakelite. The effect is impressive, and the bezel design itself is elegantly simple with minimal dots at the hours in between the main 15/30/45-minute markings and the triangle at 12 o?clock. The overall look has shades of vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, while being pared down and proportionally changed enough to feel like its own style. 
Despite sharing much of its architecture with Baltic?s previous ca...