Baltic unveil the Aquascaphe Mk2, a more refined take on their incredibly popular dive watch
Jamie Weiss- Baltic updates its now-iconic dive watch after seven years of production.
- The totally redesigned case, which features a more legible bezel and crown guards, is available in two diameters: 37mm or 39.5mm.
- Four dial colours are available at launch, all sporting block lume indices.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve personally recommended the Baltic Aquascaphe, in all of its forms and complications, but especially its archetypal form, the Aquascaphe Classic. This vintage-inspired French dive watch just ticks so many boxes: it’s got great proportions and specs; a charming, retro design that doesn’t stray too far into pastiche or schmaltz; and all for a very reasonable price. Conventional wisdom would say ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, but Baltic have indeed fixed it, improving upon the Aquascaphe with a Mk2 after seven years of production.
Baltic explains that the changes they’ve made to the Aquascaphe have all been in the pursuit of greater legibility, although they’ve also made a few aesthetic tweaks as well. Let’s start with the case. It’s a little more refined and distinctive, with sharper angles and shapelier lugs that somewhat recall those found on their Hermétique field watch, just more robust. Those lugs, by the way? Still drilled, a reflection of its tool watch intentions. A particularly noticeable change is the addition of crown guards: the crown has a slightly beefier design, too.
Something else that will appeal to enthusiasts is that Baltic is offering the Aquascaphe Mk2 in two different diameters: 37mm and 39.5mm from the bezel (36mm and 38mm at the case, or 45mm and 47mm lug-to-lug). The Mk1 measured up at 39mm, which is already a pretty Goldilocks diameter, but offering a smaller size opens the Aquascaphe up to even more wrists and is emblematic of the emerging trend back towards smaller diameters in the watch hobby.
Both diameters are 12.9mm thick, with the Aquascaphe’s double-domed sapphire crystal accounting for 2.2mm of that thickness. The Aquascaphe’s bezel, too, has been updated: its knurling is slightly coarser, matching its new crown, with the sapphire bezel insert now sporting proper minute markers, making it a more effective dive timing tool.
Speaking of diving, its essential specs remain: it’s water-resistant to 200 metres and is powered by a Miyota 9039 movement, which offers an automatically-wound 42-hour power reserve, 4 Hz beat rate and hacking seconds, beating away behind a closed screw-down caseback with nifty geometric wave patterns.
Four dial variants are available at launch: a blue and a green, which have a glossy finish; plus a grey and a ‘warm silver’, which have a grainy, textured finish. Other than the blue, we’ve not seen these exact colours appear on an Aquascaphe before (curious that Baltic haven’t offered a black dial at launch, but whatever), but the big change here is dimensional. Where the Mk1 Aquascaphe Classic sported a hybrid sandwich dial, the Mk2 features 0.4mm-thick block lume applied indices made from Super-LumiNova BGW9. Not only are these indices significantly more legible, but they’re more striking aesthetically. It’s a much more modern look, and a type of index we’re used to seeing on much more expensive watches.
Complementing these snazzy new indices is a new handset, which has a sort of alpha-meets-sword design that again, feels a bit more premium than the less distinctive pencil-style hour and minute hands of the Mk1 (although the lollipop seconds hand remains). I know I’m perhaps leaning into nitpick territory here – the Mk1 is still a very handsome watch – but this is all to emphasise that Baltic’s changes have been many and substantial.
Rounding off the changes, there’s also a new rubber strap for the Aquascaphe that Baltic has dubbed the ‘Rubber Classic’, which they posit is a dressier alternative to their extant ‘Rubber Sport’. Compared to the latter, the Rubber Classic strap less immediately resembles a Tropic strap, instead featuring a Saffiano leather-like pattern and wider-spaced ventilation holes. Familiarly, the Aquascaphe Mk2 will also be available on either a beads of rice bracelet or a steel flat-link bracelet – although I’m pretty keen to get my hands on a Rubber Classic-equipped model and take it into the ocean with me as Australia enters summer and the beach beckons…
Baltic Aquascaphe Mk2 pricing and availability
The Baltic Aquascaphe Mk2 range will be available for pre-orders from the Time+Tide Shop from Thursday, 25th September 2025, with deliveries slated for October 2025. Price: €630, A$1,230 (on rubber), €695, A$1,360 (on bracelet)
| Brand | Baltic |
| Model | Aquascaphe Mk2 |
| Case Dimensions | 37mm (D) x 12.9mm (T) x 45mm (LTL) or 39.5mm (D) x 12.9mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel with sapphire bezel insert |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Double-domed sapphire front |
| Dial | Blue and green (glossy finish) or grey and warm silver (grained finish) |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Tropic-style FKM rubber strap Steel beads of rice bracelet Steel flat-link bracelet |
| Movement | Miyota 9039, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, unidirectional diving bezel |
| Availability | Available now from the Time+Tide Shop |
| Price | €630 (rubber, excl. taxes) €695 (bracelet, excl. taxes) |