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RGM founder Roland G. Murphy, is an American watchmaker in the heart of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Historically, the U.S. mid-Atlantic is rich in clock, pocket watch, and dress watch heritage... less so, dive watches. But the RGM Diver Ref. 300 is blazing the trail.
Despite the name, it's rated to 750 meters/ 2,500 feet. True to its U.S. roots, the dial eschews the metric rating for the archaic imperial alternative. After all, this is a luxury dive watch from 'Murica's heartland.
But don't let this diver's quaint origins deceive better judgement. With a hale and hearty half-pound mass of stainless steel, the 43.5mm RGM Diver Ref. 300 means business. A 5mm sapphire crystal provide bomb-proof protection for the dial, and a diving bezel built like a railroad turntable ratchets with the mechanical staccato report of a gatling gun.
RGM engineers a robust bracelet that would impress the Swiss "Big Three" of Omega, Breitling, and Rolex. The finely-finished links are assembled to outstanding tolerances and fit flush to the skin without pulling hair or pinching flesh. A clamshell clasp of equal quality opens with "snick" and closes with a "snap"; the deployant dive suit extension is a CNC-milled work of art worthy of a pedestal in the MOMA.
RGM draws upon the all-time greats of the dive watch pantheon to hone the classical pro-diver visage of the RGM Diver Ref. 300. The broad bezel is an homage to the great Blancpain Fifty Fathoms of 1953; the deep-set dial and slightly crowded cluster of calibrations recalls Panerai's 2000 PAM 64 "Bomba"; Rolex's latter-day Deepsea Sea-Dweller "uberdiver" is a close match for overall proportions of dial, case, and bezel.
Within a stainless steel case that could double as the hull of a Russian icebreaker, RGM has embraced the best of Swiss mechanical engineering for its (mostly) all-American diver. RGM gives credit where credit is due; the ETA 2892-A2 is a reliable, robust, and extraordinarily precise automatic movement. On the ocean floor, patriotism gives way to practicality, and the caliber made famous in the celebrated Omega "Bond" Seamasters is a fine choice for a premier sports watch from Felix Leiter's corner of the world.
RGM is a pioneer of the American luxury watch industry revival. As such, the 2009-present RGM Diver represents an important landmark in the comeback of a classic American tradition.
See this Series 1 RGM Diver Ref. 300 with all original RGM factory accessories in high-resolution images on www.thewatchbox.com. Video and content by Tim Mosso