It’s no secret that the watch market is saturated with divers, especially in the affordable end of the market. It makes sense. Diving watches are immensely popular and thus, a good bet for a new microbrand, but let’s face it, this also means are a lot of very similar watches out there. The Diving Armour Narval is not one of them. I got to review this oddball bullhead before its release and it was a blast.
The Narval (Narwal for us non-Francophones) has got everything you need to handle the icy depths. It is rated for 200m water resistance, has a screw-down crown and case back, a single-domed sapphire crystal, bright lume, and a solid link bracelet with a diving extension. Just in case there was any doubt of its underwater ambitions, the Carmagnolle Diving Suit rendered in high relief on the case back will remind you.
Of course, the real story here is all about the case, which recalls that of 1960s vintage (and recently reissued) ZRC Grands Fonds. Like the GF, it is sharply hexagonal with a prodigious, centrally located crown. The ZRC positioned it dangling below the 6, so it was less like a bull’s head than a bull’s … oh, never mind. It is at 12 on the Narval, more like a conventional bullhead and certainly in keeping with its namesake. Polishing on the crown, the peaks of the bezel, and the merest sliver of a bevelled edge lends just enough flash.
Bullheads can be bulky, as can angular cases, so I was pleased to see that Diving Armour kept things to a manageable 40mm wide, and 43.5mm long. Now, I must note those measurements don’t tell quite the whole story because you will see the Narval has an oversized link at the top that provides clearance for the crown. It is fully articulated and wraps right over the curve of your wrist, but it does add some length.
Measuring from the bottom lugs to the top of that fully-folded link brings it to just 45.5mm, so a little bigger, but still quite compact. Best of all, by using the smooth and svelte Miyota 9015 automatic, they kept the thickness to just 12.5mm. The result is a surprisingly trim and comfortable watch, even on my 6.75″ wrist.
There are four variants from which to choose. Dials are blue, black, and meteorite dial (featured here), all with glossy ceramic bezel inserts, or gray with a steel insert. The layout is of the dots-and-bars family, but I like the way they have positioned the applied and polished hour markers at the very perimeter of the dial as it opens things up and allows the placement of a small marker under the framed date window at 6 without it looking out of place. Of course, the polished sword hands are long enough to reach them. 
Dial text is minimal and attractive. Faux handwriting typeface is never my first choice, but I must confess that the one used for the Narval model name looks quite good. On the meteorite dial, they’ve gone for a subtle black-on-gray treatment that lets the incredible metallic striations take center stage.
The downside is that the index is black too. I’d call that an error, except the orange second hand is long enough for you to use the lumed bezel index for the same function, so really, no loss at all.
By the way, that’s a healthy dose of C3 SuperLuminova on there. Turn off the lights and … boom.
The bezel action is tight and precise as it snaps through its 12-click rotation. While I wouldn’t call it overly still, I did wish it had a tiny bit of overhang for a more secure grip.
Diving Armour supplies the Narval with a 22mm strap and a bracelet. We can dispense with the strap first. It is a smooth nylon two-piece with a signed buckle and quick-release pins. While I have no issue with the strap itself, the spring bar perches have almost no clearance, so it took a fair bit of squeezing and cussing to get the pins seated. Only the thinnest of straps will work on this watch, and in my opinion, fitting one will sacrifice the Narval’s heavy metal appeal. Still, if you are bracelet-adverse, it can be done.
The bracelet, on the other hand, is perfect for this watch. The end links are fitted, it flares to 32mm to match the width of the case ends, the rapidly tapers to 20mm. The links are only 3mm thick and have a polished chamfer matching that of the case. As it the fashion these days, it secures with a boxy extension clasp. Regular readers know that I have no love for these things, but I will admit that the 8.4mm thick box suits the lines of the Narval’s angular case and unlike most I have sampled, it was mercifully free of sharp corners. I still can’t fathom why one would make a watch with a slim case and a slim bracelet, and then finish it off with steel brick, but clearly, I’m in the minority on this one.
The Narval lists for $399 (even the meteorite) and launches on Kickstarter June 5. I’d say that is an excellent price for a watch as distinctive and well-equipped as this one. For more information and to sign up for alerts, visit DivingArmour.com.
