When the Dietrich SD-1 came into town last year, it was a hard watch to look away from. The sapphire dial drew you in and before you knew it, you were lost in the depths of the fume dial. The case wore like a second skin and the bracelet was a thing of beauty. With the SD-2 Missions Maritimes, Dietrich has rearranged the layers and brought forth another compelling watch.
The SD-2 builds on the foundation laid by the SD-1 and shows that Dietrich knows how to design the hell out of a modern skin diver while retaining the charm of the genre. The SD-2 retains the same case shape, finishing, and general style of the SD-1 and strengthens the connection back to the French skin divers of the 60s and 70s that were the inspiration for this watch.
| Diameter: | 38.5mm | Strap/Bracelet: | Patterned NBR Rubber |
| Thickness: | 12mm | Crystal: | Sapphire |
| Lug to Lug: | 46.2mm | Lume: | Superluminova |
| Lug Width: | 20mm | Movement: | Sellita SW-200 |
| Water Resistance: | 150m | Price: | $1,150 |
I really enjoyed my opportunity to wear the SD and to really appreciate its case. The curve of the lugs wrapped right around my wrist and the finishing on all surfaces was crisp. Dietrich kept the hexagonal patterning around both the unidirectional bezel and crown from the SD-1 and I love how well both fit my fingers and make it easy to adjust the watch. The bezel insert is now flat anodized aluminum – a modern execution of a vintage classic, with a lumed engraved triangle as the marker. The bezel finish is a fantastic match for the brushing on the case, keeping the watch classic and true to its roots.
The model I have for review is an early production model, so a couple of details will change between this and the watch shipped to customers later this year. The lume on the dial, hands, and bezel insert will be green, and the crosshairs will be slightly thinner on the final dial.
In place of the fume dial of the SD-1, there is a glossy black sandwich dial (Azure blue is the other option available) showcasing hour cutouts with what will be bright green lume. The simplicity of the finish is almost mesmerizing as I keep checking how the light catches in the plane of the dial. The hour hand is impossibly flat against the dial and the minute track printed on the rehaut feels like it’s bringing the dial closer to you.
The SD-2 will ship with a fabric NATO and an NBR rubber strap with an engraved buckle to match the watch. The review model came on the rubber strap and I can only describe it as fantastic. It’s supple, strong, and the pattern carries the hexagon theme from the case to around your wrist, right down to the shape of the holes in the strap. Even wearing it on a warm spring day, the textured back prevented sweat from pooling under the strap. The lug holes are tight to the case, making the transition from case to strap as seamless as it can get. Swapping straps should be easy, given the drilled and chamfered (talk about attention to detail!) lug holes and straight ends.
Under the hood is a Sellita SW-200 and it performs exactly as it should. One thing that didn’t make it from the SD-1 to the new model is a date window. No complaints here as I think the dial is perfect exactly as it is, but I do wish Dietrich had removed the date position from the screw down crown.
The Dietrich SD-2 Missions Maritimes is a fantastic entry into their skin diver line. I think it takes the best of the SD-1 and brings a new perspective while still maintaining the brand DNA. The case design and finishing should be a hallmark of this line, and I think the decision to play with the texture of the dial and bezel was inspired. Preorders of the Dietrich SD-2 in Abyss Black and Azure Blue are live as we speak and I have a strong feeling you should act fast if you want to guarantee yours.
