Setting course for the new Newport Heritage Diver
While the editor-in-chief was slaving away in the office, Frank Sans C was enjoying a spot of sailing in Porquerolles, alongside Maxime Herbelin. Envy and jealousy be damned... Our tick-tock fanatic simply took advantage of this dream trip to meet Aurélien Ducroz, the skipper and ambassador for the brand, and also - and above all - to discover the new Herbelin Newport Héritage Diver watch. A watch designed by Mathieu Herbelin, the family's talented designer, who is working with Frank on a highly-anticipated new collaboration...
The Côte d’Azur sea, a catamaran, shellfish and crustaceans were the backdrop chosen by the Atelier d’Horlogerie Française Herbelin to unveil the Newport Heritage Diver to a handful of journalists.
© Romain Marie
The Newport Heritage Diver, a recognisable design
True to the DNA of the Newport Heritage collection, launched in 1988, this edition is instantly recognisable. The central attachments on the strap, the marine wheel stamped on the crown, and the cushion-shaped case: these identifying elements are found again on this Newport Heritage Diver, whose resolutely vintage style is inspired by a diver’s watch from the 1970s.
Crafted in 316L steel, the 42 mm case is enhanced by a unidirectional ceramic rotating bezel, notched with 120 clicks to ensure an excellent grip. This sporty-chic instrument features a matt black grained dial evoking the surface of the Mediterranean, surrounded by a sky-blue sunray pattern. This azure hue echoes the stitching on the strap, which is made of a technical textile such as Newport blue marine rope, and is also available on a Milanese mesh strap.
“Herbelin is a privileged brand with a rich watchmaking past, stretching back to the middle of the 20th century. This allows us to draw on an authentic and inspiring history, in line with the current craze for vintage“,
Mathieu Herbelin, grandson of the founder and associate creative director.
A sports watch made in France
It is important to note that the Newport Heritage Diver is a timepiece designed, assembled, adjusted and tested in Franche-Comté in the company’s workshops in the Jura region. Water-resistant to 300 metres, this edition is the perfect instrument for deep dives and the most extreme water sports. The watch was designed by Mathieu Herbelin, the family’s talented designer and creative director, who is working with Frank on a highly-anticipated new collaboration…
The screw-down crown and caseback, and the hands, hour markers and 12 o’clock marker covered in luminescent material to ensure legibility in all circumstances, make this watch a diver’s watch in more ways than one. The reference beats to the rhythm of a reliable and precise Sellita automatic movement (+0 / +15 seconds per day). With around 41 hours of power reserve, it is visible through a transparent caseback and reveals an engraved oscillating weight.
Aurélien Ducroz: THE GRANDE CLASS (40)!
€1 250
Technical details :
Case
Polished 316L stainless steel, brushed on the edges
Black ceramic bezel
Double-sided curved sapphire crystal
Transparent back
Screw-down crown stamped with a marine wheel
Screw-down back
Cushion-shaped 42 x 42 mm
Thickness: 13.95 mm
Water-resistant to 300 metres
Dial
Black matt grained dial
Facetted steel hour-minute hands and hour-markers, coated with luminescent material
Nickel centre seconds-hand with movement indicator
Double day window (English/French) / date at 3 o’clock
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date
Strap
Newport blue marine rope-type technical fabric, with sky-blue stitching
Folding clasp
Movement
Swiss automatic (Sellita, SW220-1 calibre) regulated by HERBELIN master watchmakers
26 jewels, 28,800 vph
Oscillating weight engraved H
View all Herbelin watch technical data sheets.
TO GO FURTHER…
Until 30 September 2025, Herbelin is exhibiting the colourful works of Émilie Grison, aka ‘Dans les Pinceaux d’Émilie’, in its Paris boutique at 58 rue Bonaparte in the 6th arrondissement. A former school teacher, she has changed her life to share her vision of the world through ultra-colourful, feminine canvases. Part of the proceeds from sales will be donated to a children’s charity.
Visit the Herbelin boutique at 58 rue Bonaparte, Paris 6ᵉ – Exhibition until 30 September.