Portland, OR based Vero has returned with the Open Water, a dive watch inspired by the geography of the Pacific Northwest. Vero makes colorful, sporty, design forward watches, so it feels very natural for them to try their hand at a traditional dive watch in their own unique design language. Their first diver is a logical extension of their previous SW series (see Ed?s review here) but also very much it?s own thing. Let?s take a look. 

There are two distinct Open Water colorways available at launch. The Crown Point is named for a peak in the Columbia River Gorge, and has a deep navy blue dial with high contrast white hour markers and a black bezel. The blue shade of the dial was chosen as it recalls the view of the river from the Crown Point summit. The other variant, North Coast, has a bead blasted finish and monochromatic gray dial and bezel, which is reminiscent of the early morning fog that so many associate with the Pacific Northwest. Blue accents on the bezel provide a small pop of color without breaking up the gray, fog theme. 
The 41mm case has short lugs that angle sharply downward. From the top, the Open Water has the the appearance of a classic, mid century dive watch, but the view from the side reveals a case that?s a bit more complex, particularly on the crown side where crown guards come together at a steep angle to protect the black coated crown, which is a fun modern touch. The watch has been designed to be as compact as possible – V...