So, first things first – if it was entirely up to me, this is a watch I’d never even consider, let alone buy. But I was lucky enough to win the Edox SkyDiver 70s in a very generous giveaway – there were multiple watches you could win and I’d prefer almost all other models instead of this one.

I’ve never heard of the brand before and I just assumed it’s just one more of those newfangled “Swiss made” companies churning out run-of-the-mill homage watches. I started doing some research online, almost determined to sell it as soon as I got my hands on it and put the money towards something I’d actually like. While I was doing this, I found out that Edox wasn’t some no-name company, it’s actually a brand with more than a century of heritage, as well as some impressive technical innovations under their belt.

Even though the brand has fallen out of grace during the quartz crisis and faded into obscurity after that, it’s still independently owned and operated to this day. And while the watch I got, dubbed the Skydiver 70s, bears more than a passing resemblance to the Submariner, it is actually a reissue from, you’ve guessed it, the 70’s. So, even though an argument could be made that this is a Sub homage, it’s one of the earliest homages out there – being made more than 50 years ago.

There is a rather tongue-in-cheek story on their website about how this watch came to be and it involves a secret project commissioned by a mysterious Swiss colonel for his elite paratrooper unit. Now, since this bit of watch lore obviously can’t be verified, it’s up to the individual to decide how they’re gonna take it. I personally recommend consuming it with a grain of salt. But the fact of the matter is – a good story, and especially a military connection – sells well, regardless of the amount of truth it holds. Just look at the Tudor SKX homage.

Turning to the Edox SkyDiver 70s itself, when I finally got my hands on it, I was genuinely surprised by the quality of the craftsmanship involved. Having seen the images of the original from the 70s, I can say that this is a very faithful reissue of the original, keeping both appearance and dimensions as well as, thankfully, dropping the cyclops in favour of a cleaner look.

The watch isn’t small by any means at 42mm diameter, however the relatively compact lug-to-lug of 49mm and the thinness of the case at just 11.5mm make it incredibly wearable. The slender case is even more amazing considering the fact the Skydiver has a 2mm-thick sapphire and 300m of water resistance. The lume is one of the things that surprised me the most, as this is an area in which I’ve found Swiss watches tend to disappoint. Superluminova X1 is liberally applied, making this one comparable to any Japanese diver in the same price range.

Flipping the Edox SkyDiver 70s over there’s also a pleasant surprise on the back – a nice engraving of a paratrooper motif. Edox also claim that every watch they make is hand-assembled and inspected, which is another thing that makes people feel warm and fuzzy inside, almost as much as military provenance.

Not everything about the Skydiver impressed me, though. The ceramic bezel, which is very solid, is unfortunately 60-click and slightly misaligned as well – probably the guy doing the hand assembling was having a bad day. The presidential-style bracelet (with polished center links), which is also a carry-over from the original watch, does look out of place on a diver. However, it’s well made, comfortable and keeps the weight down.

There are also quite a few lines of text on the dial, written in different fonts. I personally don’t mind this, however it’s definitely gonna be an issue for some. In summary, the Edox SkyDiver 70s is a very well-built watch with an interesting backstory from a brand with rich heritage. It’s also a piece that has managed to win me over despite my initial thoughts, and that’s saying a lot.