During my 9 years of service to the community as a police officer, I have often said to myself, “I never thought I’d be doing this when I went through the academy.” My career has blessed me with many “firsts,” and the staff at CLERC offered me yet another first: protecting the streets of a small Texas town with a CLERC Hydroscaph H1 strapped to my wrist. Within no time, the H1 found itself covered in mud, sweat, rain, blood and even tears; all of which were met with unshakable confidence, strength and grace, as if this timepiece had found its purpose. A purpose to “be more” than it was designed for. And for two weeks, the CLERC was not only a replica watch I had been provided to test out, but instead it became a faithful partner.
CLERC, which is pronounced ‘Claire’ (silent second C), was founded in 1874, and since its inception, the brand has prided itself in developing timepieces that are as unique as those that have adorned them. The Hydroscaph H1 is no exception, as its styling and design is a welcomed departure from the sport replica watch norm.
CLERC Hydroscaph H1 Specs:
- Case Diameter: 48mm
- Bezel Diameter: 43.8mm
- Case Height: 15.5 mm
- Lug Size: 20mm
- Lug to Lug: 51mm to 56.5mm due to articulating lugs
- Strap: Vulcanized Rubber
- Movement: COSC C609 Automatic (28,800 BPH)
- Crystal: Glare-Proofed Sapphire Crystal
- Water Resistance: 500m/ 1640ft
- Retail Price: $5,900.00 USD
The H1 arrived timely at my doorstep, and it was very well packaged to say the least. While the exterior was the commonplace brown box, ‘the goods’ were wrapped, wrapped and then wrapped again to ensure that the box’s contents would travel safely nestled in hundreds of cushiony pockets of air. As my excitement grew, so did the fervor in which I attacked the unboxing of a timepiece I could only have dreamt of wearing. After setting the bubble wrap aside for future enjoyment, I located a square matte black box with the CLERC logo, Genève and the brands birthdate embossed at its center. Within the box, a two-piece hinged wooden box emerged, and at its center, the CLERC logo, only this time it was bigger than life. With the push of a button, the latch gave way and the blue dialed CLERC Hydroscaph H1 appeared. Undoubtedly a dive replica watch, but it was funky, cool, and unlike anything I had ever seen. The smell of the vulcanized rubber strap saturated my immediate space; a smell that would continue to liven my senses, even when my on-the-job surroundings did their best to override them in the most nauseating of ways.
Every aspect of the box screamed ‘quality,’ and as a standalone object, it could be a review unto itself.
The H1’s dial is matte blue, which is a spot on match to the blue vulcanized rubber strap. This color scheme was purposely sent to me by CLERC in honor of the men and women that make up the ‘thin blue line.’ The intensely lumed 3 dimensional sloped markers stand tall within the dial, which adds some serious depth to the overall design (pun intended). This was one of the features I relied on the most while on patrol since I work night shift for five months out of the year.
The tops of each marker have been highly polished to add visual pop to the dial. The brand’s name is prominently displayed below the 12 o’clock marker and, as per replica watch norm, you’ll discover tons of pertinent information about this particular model above the 6 o’clock marker.
A conical cutout that extends from the hands outward toward the 3 o’clock marker houses the visible date wheel. A triangle, one that is the same color as the minute hand, points to today’s date. The hour and minute hands are shaped much like the tuning forks I use daily as I test out my police vehicle’s radar unit, a simple design that I am quite fond of. As mentioned above, the minute hand color is only found in one other place on the dial, giving the person who wears it maximum readability at a glance. The white seconds hand swings around the dial at a COSC certified 28,800 BPH in such a smooth manner that its pulse is hardly noticeable.
The H1’s round case is robust, coming in at 48mm, and it’s hefty on the wrist. Should the size frighten you at first glance, do not fret, as it wears much smaller than the numbers would suggest. At the 2 o’clock position you’ll find what I believe to be the replica watch’s coolest feature, the C|CLIP, which is a strong nod to how serious of a dive replica watch the H1 is. When the C|CLIP is in the down position, the bezel is locked, but when flipped up, it allows you to spin the bezel counterclockwise, much like you would wind the crown. When set, simply flip the C|CLIP back down and you’re ready to safely time a dive or your grandma’s secret buttermilk pie recipe in the oven. Either way, the C|CLIP is a fidgeter’s dream come true. The design of the bezel alone is a work of art, as it reintroduces sloped brushed edges that seamlessly blend into high polished curves. The crown can be found at the 4 o’clock position, and due to its design, it turns effortlessly in either direction whether you’re setting the date or the time.
I found the replica watch to be extremely comfortable despite the compromising situations I placed it in. The replica watch derives its wearability from its articulating lugs. As one can imagine, my wrist flexes often during my shift, which included felony arrests, jumping over chain-link fences in an almost single bound, running up stairs, tumbling down stairs, and the occasional fight with a midnight burger (not burglar) packed with ‘special sauce.’ When used in conjunction with CLERC’s superb straps, it makes for a perfect fit on your wrist, no matter the shape. The decorated deployant clasp dresses up the replica watch quite nicely, but perhaps this was the area in which I discovered my only gripe. While this is purely subjective in nature, I found the push button release on the clasp to be too large, which made it a bit uncomfortable at times, especially as my wrist would swell.
The future-esque case back houses two sapphire windows that allow you to peer into the H1’s colorful soul, which consists of blued screws and ruby red jewels. Squared off edges intermingle with round screws in an almost eclectic design. The branding is plentiful, but much like other aspects of this replica watch, it all works well!
While CLERC timepieces have been carefully crafted for royalty and heads of state, it felt right at home among those with more humble roots. There’s no better way for CLERC to have outshined its competition than having rode atop the wrist of a humble public servant. The H1 never looked out of place, and it was clear to see that CLERC is a brand that represents us all, whether you’re meeting clients in a boardroom or grabbing a quick meal between calls at your local police department break room. My experience only echoed a CLERC spokesperson’s statement: CLERC timepieces are the common area where “raw power meets pure luxury,” and that the Hydroscaph is a new breed of Swiss luxury replica watches. While I was never able to subject it to the pressure of depth during its tour of duty, it was given a full helping of one of the greatest forces known to man: the pressures of life.
