Selten Salvage Bronze – Blue Cave (Real Patina Dial)

Each hand-made dial in the Selten Salvage Bronze series is unique. We have cherry picked the top four color combinations, and have arranged with Selten to have the first choice from all of the dials that are produced, so we can pick out the very best dials for our customers.

Why We Love This Watch

Patina Par Excellence

Not only does the 39mm Selten Salvage Bronze Blue Cave dive watch come in a marine grade CuSn8 bronze case, the most desirable type of bronze for developing some rich patinas over time, but all of the colors you see on the main surface of the dial are patinas that have painstakingly been induced on raw copper sheets by a skilled artisan brought over from the United States. Getting things right has been very time consuming, and we couldn't be more pleased with the final results. No two dials will look exactly the same, so you will be owning something unique to just you, with an opportunity to induce a patina of your choice on the case or just let it develop naturally.

Triple Sandwich Dial

Sandwich dials are popular choices for dive watches since the lume tends to be quite strong on the lower layer of the sandwich, which you can see through cut-outs on the upper layer. Selten have taken things one step further from the usual two layers, adding a third transparent sapphire crystal layer over top, with it's own anti-reflective coating. Although the dial patina has been sealed/fixed, this extra layer also adds a lovely gloss effect to the dial colors that plays wonderfully with the light outdoors. All of the dial markings are applied on top of this extra sapphire layer, such as the outer track, edging around the lume cut-outs, logo and writing, giving somewhat of a 3D effect when viewed up-close.

Attention To Detail

We adore the clean design and vintage look with fantastic touches like the vintage-style boxed "top hat" double-domed sapphire crystal, matching coin edging on the bezel and crown, and best of all, the custom semi-skeletonized faceted handset, which features linear brushing on top and diamond cut sides for an interesting contrast. Even the 3D pressed illustration of a warrior mermaid with her trident on the screw down case back has some great touches, such as the trident extending almost to the edge and the remains of a fish playfully discarded on the outer edge.

Robust Engineering

Naturally we're talking Swiss Super-LumiNova lume here, including all markings on the scratch resistant ceramic bezel, along with 200 meters of water resistance, double that of many other dive watches, and the ultra-reliable 9039 high beat automatic movement with it's 42 hours of power reserve. This timepiece has everything we look for in a dive watch, with a very unique appeal, great-looking design, and excellent specifications.

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Specifications

Watch Specifications

• Type: Microbrand CuSn8 bronze dive watch.
• Reference: Selten Watch Company Salvage Bronze Blue Cave.
• Dial Colors: All of our Blue Cave dials feature various hues of blue over the majority of the dial, (with one exception explicitly stated, which has a nice mix of some vivid browns with blue.) Other colors will be present on the dial, typically ranging from black to brown, which often adds more interest.
• Water Resistance: 20 ATM / 200 meters / 660 feet.
• Diameter: 39mm, excluding crown.
• Lug-to-Lug Length: 47mm.
• Lug Width: 20mm.
• Height: 12½mm, excluding crystal.
• Case: Marine grade CuSn8 bronze case with brushed finishes. CuSn8 bronze is the most desirable bronze choice for developing a rich warm brown patina.
  
• Case Back: 316L marine grade stainless steel screw down exhibition case back with 3D pressed illustration of a mermaid holding a trident.
• Dial: A unique triple layer sandwich dial. The lowest layer is lumed, and shows through the major indices cut-outs. The middle layer consists of brushed copper that has had some custom patinas brought out in the copper to give the layer a rich color palette, with no two dials exactly alike. The top layer is a clear sapphire crystal with the logo, wording, indices edging and outer track applied on top. This crystal also has an anti-reflective coating and gives the patina colors below a gloss effect, and can add a subtle 3D effect to the dial markings.
• Hands: Semi-skeletonized custom handset with faceting and a linear brushed finish on top that nicely contrasts with the diamond cut sides.
• Dial Crystal: Vintage-style boxed top hat and double domed scratch resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.
• Bezel: 120 click unidirectional CuSn8 bronze dive timing bezel with a coin edged grip, and a black scratch resistant ceramic insert with all markings fully lumed.
• Crown: Screw-down CuSn8 bronze crown with logo, and coin edge grips.
• Lume: Cream-colored Swiss Super-LumiNova Old Radium lume on all major indices, the hour and minute hands, and all bezel markings. (Glows green.)
• Straps Included: 20mm flexible black FKM rubber dive straps with quick release pins and matching CuSn8 bronze hardware. Tapers to 18mm at the clasp.
• Packaging Included: Black watch travel case for up to two watches.
• Movement: 24 jewel Miyota 9039 high beat automatic movement.
• Oscillation: 28,800 BPH, (8 beats per second.)
• Hacks: Yes.
• Hand Winds: Yes.
• Automatic Winding: Yes.
• Power Reserve: 42 hours.
• Manufacturer's Warranty: 1 year.

CuSn8 Bronze Patinas

Please note that all bronze cases will naturally change color over time as they develop a patina. That is part of the appeal of bronze watches for collectors, with some even liking to hurry this natural process along via techniques such as placing the watch case in a ZipLock bag near a crushed boiled egg for a darker brown patina.

These watches are being shipped to us in a sealed bag with a dessicant to help slow the patina process but, as with all bronze watches, some patina markings may already be starting to show after just a few weeks, by the time you receive your watch. If you prefer a more golden shiny look then a simple polish with a Cape Cod Cloth (or possibly a lemon oil treatment) can restore a new bronze watch to it's pre-patina state.