Vaer DS4 Solar Dive Watch for Men - Ocean Ready 20 ATM, Solar-Powered - Perpetual Time Keeping, Sapphire Crystal, & Extreme Accuracy (+/- 20 Seconds per Month), Two Quick-Change 20mm Straps, 38mm/42mm

Received watch but is not working

If you haven’t heard of Vaer, do yourself a favor and do some research. What they are doing right now is making some of the best dive and field watches for the price point you can buy. This DS4 is a perfect example of their craftsmanship in a no frills package. Classic dive style, with 200m water resistance, screw down crown and caseback, and with a sapphire crystal (good luck finding that at this price). The bezel action is crisp, indices all line up perfectly, the dial has a beautiful sunburst effect and with solar movement, it’s set and forget. The FKM rubber tropic strap is excellent quality, super pliable, and you get an extra nylon strap. The straps being quick change means you can add any strap you want easily. For this price, good luck finding a better dive watch anywhere! The two founders of Vaer are very involved in all facets of their operation and design and are doing some great work right now. This isn’t some big corporation pumping out mass produced pieces. This is a small operation making some great watches at reasonable prices you’d be hard pressed to find somewhere else. If you’re at all concerned about the origins of this watch, don’t be. The movement, the finishing, everything about this watch is top notch in every way. The Horween leather strap in the picture is from Vaer and is beautiful! The ridged FKM rubber strap is from StrapHabit, another small business doing top quality work.

I have a Vaer 38 mm field watch which I like very much, however the opportunity to buy a dive watch at a savings of 30% off caused me to pull the trigger and buy this watch. And am I glad I did! I like the way this dive watch looks on wrist even better than my field watch - it has more of a presence. I like to use the rotating bezel when I am grilling to keep track of the time so I don’t overcook our dinner. This watch will be a “wear everyday watch” for me. It is a very practical “tool”, and the fact that it is solar powered is an added bonus - no need to worry about replacing batteries and a screw down crown to keep things water resistant. Very nice attention to detail - raised engraving on back of watch is beautiful as well as engraving on the crown and strap buckle are also a bonus. Even without the 30% off, this is a very solid value. Thank you Vaer for offering such a high quality watch for such a reasonable price. This is a great product - get it, you will be happy with the watch.

Is there a perfect watch? I guess that's debatable and depends a lot on personal preference but this comes close. Among dive watches costing less than $300 you'd be hard pressed to find anything better. I love that they offer two sizes as well. So many watches today are enormous wrist clocks and since I have a smaller wrist, they look ridiculous on me. The 38mm version of the DS4 is perfect. I have several vintage watches and it wears much more like those on the wrist, very understated and classy. The case is hefty and sold with beautiful contours and finish. The screw down crown is substantial and easy to operate. The engraved case back is a thing of beauty. The watch comes with two bands, an FKM dive strap (that alone is worth $40 - $50 if you bought it separately) and a khaki colored nylon strap. You can also use any standard 20mm strap. The design is such that many straps look good so you can easily change the look of the watch for different applications. For swimming and outdoor use, the FKM is probably the best choice, however. I enjoy wearing my vintage watches but this will be my workhorse watch for every day and what's better than a workhorse that looks and performs like a show horse?

The Vaer DS4 Meridian Solar Dive Watch is stunning! The 42mm is perfect for my 7.5" wrist. The details are what really set it apart from other watches. In hand you first notice the solid feel and weight. The Anti-Reflective coating on the Sapphire Crystal show the depth of the dial and dimension of the applied indices. The aluminum bezel insert has a nice matte finish that doesn't leave fingerprints. The easy to grip bezel makes a satisfying 120 clicks as it smoothly ratchets around the dial. The solar panel dial has a subtle sunburst effect. Lume on this watch is amazing! In my photo it looks blue but in person it appears green. The twisted lyre lugs are brushed on the sides and polished on the top. Vaer is signed on the crown and buckle. Two comfortable high quality 20mm bands are included and have quick release spring bars that don't require a spring bar tool. My photos feature the Tropic strap. 200m water resistance and solar powered, this is an exceptional value. You won't be disappointed. This is my new favorite watch!

I really like this watch. I think the design is unimpeachable: the fonts on the bezel are utilitarian and clear, the bezel has a delightful crunchiness when you turn it, the entire face feels solid and well-crafted, and the hands are legible and distinct. I wish they used a more powerful lume, as it's not the brightest lume in pitch darkness, but it's at least serviceable However: the crown has an annoying habit of unscrewing extremely easily. I bought this watch to be a daily driver, something I'm wearing while I'm hiking or walking the dog or riding my bike or swimming or whatever. I've found that I have to monitor the watch very closely if I'm being active: if I hit a big bump on my bike, the very first thing I have to do is check the crown. Same if I'm hiking and bump it against a tree or if I'm roughhousing with my dog and she clips the watch. I haven't taken it fully swimming yet, but I'm worried about how the crown will react to strong tides, and for a diver that shouldn't be a worry Again: I think overall it's great and I won't be returning it. But I advise other buyers to keep this in mind, and I implore Vaer to figure out a way to keep the crown locked down more solidly