HD9 Austral Watch

The Watch

Founded in 1956, Humbert-Droz is a brand that has endured across generations. Committed to honoring its heritage, the manufacture crafts high-performance timepieces built to stand the test of time. Thanks to their timeless design, they carry their charm from one generation to the next. To adorn your wrist with distinction and accompany you into the deep, the brand's HD9 collection features a range of dive watches paying homage to the five oceans of our planet. This collection is assembled in France by the team of watchmakers at the Humbert-Droz family workshop, blending Swiss and French expertise. The HD9 Austral watch is a powerhouse of technology and endurance - performance and aesthetics in perfect harmony, engineered for the most extreme dives. Punctuated with details paying tribute to the Southern Ocean, this model features a round case in 316L stainless steel with a brushed finish. Remarkably robust, it measures 45 mm in diameter, 13 mm thick, and 50 mm lug-to-lug. It is fitted with a unidirectional bezel with 120-click graduation displaying a minute railway track and a luminescent marker - essential tools for tracking elapsed dive time. Easy to grip thanks to its knurled texture, the bezel surrounds a flat sapphire crystal that shields the dial from the elements. A polished screwed crown at 3 o'clock - proudly bearing the maison's logo - handles all adjustments. Finally, the screwed caseback ensures water resistance to 200 meters. Featuring a transparent aperture, it also carries several inscriptions and lets you admire the movement inside.

The Dial

Elegant and timeless, the dial of this timepiece draws inspiration from legendary designs while adding a more modern, refined aesthetic. With a white, matte finish, it features bold geometric hour markers and a minute railway track around the perimeter. These markers are pointed to by sharp rhodium-plated hands for hours and minutes, joined by an apple-shaped seconds hand - all fitted with a Superluminova treatment for easy reading in low-light conditions. A date window at 3 o'clock is enhanced by a cyclops lens for effortless reading. The brand name appears at 12 o'clock represented by a double index marker, while the mentions "Automatic 20 bar/200 m" and "Assembled in France" are placed at the opposite end.

The Movement

Humbert-Droz chose to power this model with an automatic G100 movement produced by the renowned manufacture La Joux-Perret and assembled by Humbert-Droz in Besançon. It beats at 28,800 vph (4 Hz) and delivers a generous power reserve of 68 hours. This modern movement features 24 jewels and offers solid accuracy with a drift of just 8 seconds per day.

The Strap

This watch features a 316L stainless steel bracelet composed of links of varying sizes with alternating polished and brushed surfaces. Comfortable to wear, it fastens with a deployant clasp that keeps the watch securely on the wrist. The lug width measures 20 mm.

For extra comfort during dives, this watch also comes with a second white rubber strap. Flexible and durable, it features topstitching and a convenient pin buckle.

Water Resistance

This model offers a water resistance of 20 atmospheres, or 200 meters. This is a watch that goes where you go - including underwater. Built for freediving, it holds its own against high-pressure water jets too. Shower, bath, lap swimming, and freediving are all fair game. That said, for scuba diving with tanks, we recommend a timepiece with a higher water resistance rating. Also, avoid operating the crown or pushers while submerged to protect the integrity of the mechanism.