The Suunto Elementum Aqua showed up in a discrete black cube, with just one word written on: “SUUNTO.” The one I was given has black case, black rubber band, and positive face. The black case is stainless 316L, the typical “marine grade stainless steel,” and it is very elegant. From some distance it might appear like a classy dark G-Shock watch.

Actually a friend of mine made exactly this comment; nonetheless a closer inspection unveils its originality. The 41mm bezel has 8 hex screws and its combination with the sapphire glass and the curved case remind me of the viewing port of an atmospheric scuba diving suit. In fact I do think that here is the most incredible feature of the watch, and though it resembles the bezel of a UTS model, the execution by Suunto seems to be great.

One more exclusive characteristic of the watch could be the significant crown pusher at 2 o’ clock, the one feature that is shared among all of the Elementum units.

Being larger than the simple pusher at three o’ clock, it stands out, adding a supplementary touch of various design culture. The crystal has yellow circular and linear markings that define the measurements taken under water. The two yellow lines help to notify about the current and maximum depth, and the dive time, while the circular marking is the analogue temperature scale.

Suunto Elementum Aqua operates in 2 modes: TIME and DIVE mode. The time function is easy to understand, the hour and the minutes are placed at the center of the display screen, while at the end of the display the date is discovered. Do not question the reading of seconds, the primary display does not have it, regardless of the empty higher part of the screen which may give you the best area for this reading. The reason for this particular omission could be an attempt to avoid the refreshing of the display each second and save some battery. The setup of the time requires pushing the crown for a few seconds. Then the time, date, and alarm setup is quite simple by screwing the crown clockwise or anti-clockwise. One more intriguing function of the watch is a button lock function, which is activated by pushing both pushers simultaneously. Additionally, by pressing the center pusher firmly in any mode, the backlight is turned on.

Jack Russel is a long time timepiece enthusiast and understands few things about them, specifically the outside/activity ones. So his opnion on Suunto Elementum and especially his favorite Suunto Elementum Aqua could be taken into account before purchasing one. For more info: http://suuntoelementum.com/