Argonaut 1000 TQ diving instrument by CX Swiss Military Watch

CX Swiss Military -a brand that people often mistake with Victorinox Swiss Army- has recently revealed its new Argonaut 1000 TQ diving tool.

Combining a bold, testosterone-dripping exterior with an impressive water resistance rating, it is a bit too expensive for a chronograph powered by an average quartz movement (you will have to go for the Argonaut 1000 COSC if you want an automatic ETA 7750-based caliber, but that one is even more expensive.) Still, I have an impression that the watch will be not particularly hard to sell since it literally (well, actually it is ‘figuratively’) screams quality and sturdiness, and what else do you need from a professional-grade diving timekeeper?

Powered by the Ronda cal. 5030.D quartz chronograph movement and featuring a helium escapement valve, the 1000 TQ Diver has a guaranteed water resistance of up to 1000 meters and its titanium bracelet has an integrated extension to use the watch with a diving suit.

While making it more affordable and probably a bit cheaper to own since it won’t require the regular and often expensive maintenance that mechanical calibers have a reputation for, the use of Ronda’s quartz movement also makes it less distinctive, which may decrease its value when the time finally comes to flip the watch to free a place in your drawer for a new timepiece.

Like many other chronographs that feature the same quartz caliber, the Argonaut 1000 TQ sports the inevitable tri-compax dial layout with a central chronograph hand, 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock, 12-hour totalizer at 6 o’clock, and a small-seconds sub-dial at 3 o’clock.

As usual, you can find the standard date window at 4 o’clock. Well, this one is definitely not a fashion watch but a diving instrument, which makes its standardized dial more of a merit rather than a disadvantage.

You can read elapsed time intervals at a single glance without losing precious seconds trying to figure out what is where. And if that is not enough, consider this: the movement sells on the gray market at about $60, which makes it more expensive than mass-produced automatic chronograph movements made by ETA. So, it is not some cheap piece of Asian plastic.

The watch sports a titanium case 46mm in diameter with rubber details that tips the scales at only 188g. The extra water resistance comes courtesy of the screw-down push-pieces and crown.

To make sure that the Argonaut 1000 TQ will sell at the recommended price of €1398, which is on a Northside of the price range that the brand usually operates within, the guys from CX Swiss Military limited the series to only 200 units.

So it is pretty clear that, if you want one, you’ll have to hurry up, since the watch is not to be here for the taking for very long.

WWR Verdict

Originality 3.5/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Overall Legibility: 4/5
Nighttime Legibility: 4/5
Value for Money: 3.5/5
Overall Rating: 4/5

Photos: CX Swiss Military

Argonaut 1000 TQ Diver by CX Swiss Military

WWR Verdict

CX Swiss Military Watch Argonaut 1000 TQ specification