Berny Automatic Compressor Diver Watch-AM7081M

 I feel that the dive watch is an important part of watch history.  Even though most wearers of this type of watch have never taken their instrument to depths below the deep end of the swimming pool, the creations of the diving tool watch have influenced thousands of models.  Unfortunately, I feel that a dive watch is a crude tool when compared with a dress watch.  So in order to add a diver to my collection without buying a watch with looks I dislike, I started shopping for a dive watch with the super compressor style case made famous in the 1970s(see my other reviews of supercompressors on WatchCrunch). After quite a bit of shopping without a single watch grabbing me and a very depleted savings account I chose the Berny AM7081M.  I did not buy this watch to be a lasting part of the collection but more as an extremely inexpensive place holder but something happened after it landed on my wrist.

The watch is 42 mm but doesn’t wear large and 14mm tall which does not feel extreme but looks tall when you view it from the edge.  It has a stainless steel case with a claimed weight of 104 gram.  The crystal is a dead flat sapphire which I don’t expect at this price point.  The case helps the watch to be waterproof to 200 meters.  The complications are hours, minutes, a full dial sweep second hand day, date through a window and a knob driven decompression ring. A Miyota caliber 8205 offers a 42 power reserve and can be viewed through the rear display glass. The hands and indices are superlumed for impressive brightness. The knobs are knurled very much reminiscent to the ESPA cases which ended production years ago.  The time setting crown screws down after setting while the crown which operates the decompression ring does not. The decompression ring cannot be turned by twisting the dial with your fingers like on the inferior JLC. 

While placing the order for this watch through the Berny website I came across the customization tab.  So, even though this watch comes in orange, white or black, I was given the option to have an orange decompression ring paired with a black dial and the beautiful mesh bracelet also in black.  But it didn’t stop there, I could have the dial left blank or customized, so I went with the typical Berny logo at 12 o’clock and the WatchCrunch logo 6 o’clock.  Berny custom engraved the rotor to say limited edition #1 0f 1 and the case to read “Custom made for Velomax.”  All of the cool customization added less than $10.00 to the price of the watch and the discounted $90.00 watch landed here cost me just under $100.00 all in.  So the more amazing thing is that this watch feels like it should be priced between $1500.00 and $2000.00.  It fits well, wears comfortable, looks sharp and attracts hot women.  The watch is guaranteed for 12 months but I suspect that I may just keep this Berny as much more than a place holder.