The Ultimate Shark Week Watch: 2021

Ok, I know what you’re thinking.  Is Shark Week still Shark Week?

When it began back in 1988 this summer sensation brought us genuine oceanic photo-journalism — shining submarine light on unseen depths, dropping us in way-too-spacious cages, actually free-diving next to Great Whites?! — all to bring us face-to-face with the most notorious and tantalizing apex predator.  Look out!  We simply couldn’t get enough.

Neither could the advertisers.  It’s no coincidence that two phrases synonamous with style over substance both prey on our frenzied, fishy fascinations.  We took the click bait so eagerly — from fictional and controversial mockumentaries, exaggerated breech attacks lured by toy seals (which aren’t so benign), and celebrity stunts like Mike Tyson “knocking out” a shark (ok that was kinda cool) — that soon Shark Week had, you know… jumped the shark.

Still — perhaps we can forgive a few exploratory bites from Discovery Channel’s top fish.  Sitting at 33 seasons strong Shark Week remains the longest running event in cable TV history, and just might be straightening its course when its message is needed most.  This season’s episodes on conservation and discovery — Shark Academy, Extinct or Alive?, and Expedition Unknown — sure look like the dorsal fin above the water signaling a renewed direction home.

But what does that have to do with watches?

Well, as we discussed here last year in naming the Ultimate Shark Week Watch 2020, and as was recently highlighted on a HODINKEE “Talking Watches” with diver-journalist Jason Heaton — there’s a rather strong relationship between diving, dive watches, and marine conservation.

You could argue — and I will — that the watch community in particular has a starring role to play in ocean conservation.  Skin divers with skin in the game.  After all, this industry has profited mightily from the actual activity of ocean diving with waterproof tool watches, and more widely from the image of “sport-ready” as an important, highly marketable archetype.  You know the scene.

Which brings us to the criteria for the ultimate Shark Week companion among a sea of water-worthy wearables:

1. It should be a dive watch, paying tribute to the original submarine explorers who required these tools to bring us first-ever glimpses of the ocean’s hidden treasures
2. Waterproof is a nice feature already inherent to dive watches, though this does not rule out honorable vintage divers passed their submersible prime
3. It should convey the underlying ethos of ocean discovery — from Jacque Cousteau’s Calypso to Shark Week’s origins — that if we appreciate these aquatic wonders, we must also protect them
4. And the ultimate feature: that connection to ocean conservancy should be as meaningful as possible

Now that last point is where things get slippery.  Because while many brands may chum on the surface, a deeper dive often reveals nothing more than a creature-feature case back or vague references to ocean expeditions.  Yacht trips are fine, but not exactly pacing the field on conservation.

No, for the ultimate connection we’re looking for something more like Oris — who rises as the north star for navigating these waters (oceanic and fresh) — with invested partnerships on coral reef protection, plastic waste cleanup, and protecting the largest freshwater source in Lake Baikal.  If they release a brackish model I’m buying two!

Truly, any given year Oris could be honored as the ultimate watch industry partner for ocean conservation — like just this year they introduced the Whale Shark Limited Edition that focuses their “Change for the Better” mantra on the IUCN’s announcement that Whale Shark populations have plummeted by half; and this beauty just might get us to notice.

Another perennial contender worth highlighting — Freestyle USA and its signature Shark Watches not only offer a unique Shark Week collaboration, but have built noteworthy collaborations with marine biologists like Ocean Ramsey (yes Ocean is her first name) dedicated specifically to shark conservancy via One Ocean Research.  Others are taking notice that this brand deserves a deep dive for any watch enthusiast.

Now to take this relationship with ocean conservancy one level deeper, we look to a concept often regarded as the highest form of charitable giving: “the widow’s mite.”  In short, the contribution counts for more when it comes from someone, or some company, that has so little of their own.  Sure, the absolute dollar amount generated by the micros may seem like low surf compared to larger brands gravitational pull, but as a percentage of total budget it swells with tidal force; in time it might even produce a sea change.

This is the story with so many microbrands, including last year’s ultimate Shark Week alpha: Lorier.  The husband and wife duo Lorenzo and Lauren Ortega, both teachers in their career, not only budget their watches for people just like them — they also donate proceeds from every watch sale to Oceana.  So I really could have picked any of the impressive Lorier lineup: Hydra, Falcon, Hyperion, Gemini…

For the water-sport connection I went with Lorier’s OG vintage-inspired dive watch, the Neptune.  It certainly evokes the feeling of a mid-century diver — perhaps better than many modern offerings with its muted, non-polished stainless steel case (less likely attract a shark), admiral-striped pull through strap, and simple unguarded crown.

So which watch passes the ultimate test in 2021?

For that we turn to the North Atlantic coastline off the shores of Scotland, specifically to the layer of water that receives sunlight, allows for photosynthesis, and therefore becomes teeming with the majority of aquatic life — the photic zone.

Drawing inspiration from this diverse and essential oceanic habitat, this summer Clemence watches releases its inaugural model: the Photic Diver.

Now I was able to enjoy a week on the wrist with the Clemence Photic Diver and that full review will be right here on The Time Bum soon.  Taking a quick bite — this is a charming, elegant diver with versatility on land and natural acclimation in the sea.

But specific to the ultimate Shark Week honors, Clemence joins fellow sons and daughters of Scotland in their national devotion to sustainability by building climate positivity into their business: planting a tree in the United Kingdom with each watch purchase, in addition to sequestering 2x the carbon footprint of the watch’s life cycle.

And before you think this has nothing to do with sharks or the ocean — remember that ocean health and planetary health go hand-in-hand: tree canopies that sequester carbon play a crucial role in buffering against ocean acidification, which protect coral reefs, which likewise depend on apex predators to survive.

So, there is your ultimate Shark Week watch for 2021: the Clemence Photic Diver. A charming vintage diver from a nation planting some of the deepest roots to protect our aquatic ecosystems — including its captivating apex guardians.