SCUBA divers love SCUBAPRO! The brand itself and the quality of every product they sell—SCUBAPRO is, after all, almost as old as the sport itself, having been founded in 1963. They built their reputation by offering superlative diving essentials such as regulators, fins, and masks. Their clear silicone mask brought them wider attention when Jaqueline Bisset wore one in the 1977 film “The Deep”. It's a clear silicone surround rather than the usual black, giving greater light to the actress’s eyes and face. When it came to their diving watches, SCUBAPRO spared no expense in specifying components and construction methods that met the needs of their professional and military diver clientele. They collaborated with different manufacturers over the years to ensure the highest quality products. Admired by dive watch enthusiasts for their unique PVD “Tuna Can” design, SCUBAPRO 500 dive watches from the mid-70’s are rarely released from private collections, and when they are, they are usually battered from hard use in the sport they were designed for. Ours, on the other hand, has lived an easier life, and without doubt, ours is a beauty! The case, which measures 48mm in diameter, is protected by a PVD-treated outer case. It does show some signs of normal wear but isn’t overly worn; just the odd blemish on the PVD, with the worst of these at 9 o’clock. The dial and hands are both in superb order for a 50+ year old watch. The dial has very few (if any) blemishes and sports a date window at the 3 o’clock position. The hands preserve their crisp luminescent elements, which just about still glow, but only just! The second hand is a bright orange, easily seen in any light condition. The unidirectional bezel “clicks” with a solid “click”, with 60 positions. It is beautifully faded and retains its triangular orange hour marker too. The crown at 4 o’clock turns very smoothly when setting the time or date. The flat mineral crystal is slightly recessed, designed to prevent damage and scratches. Inevitably, the crystal is lightly scratched, but we are really impressed by how this simple feature has saved it from the ravages of time. Compare and contrast a Seiko dive watch domed crystal after many years of abuse to see what we mean! The Swiss-made ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, which is a dependable and accurate movement used in many high-end watches, is the machine that powers the Scubapro 500. The movement can be wound manually or automatically and has a power reserve of about 42 hours. Our watch's movement was described by our watchsmith as in almost “New Old Stock” condition. None the less, it has been fully serviced and is working perfectly with a good power reserve. It is presented on a thick Leather “Diver” style strap, which makes this large watch comfortable on the wrist. So, there you have it: a “Swiss” tuna that is as rare as seahorse teeth. Don’t hold your breath; this won’t be around for long!