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With the DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic, the next special model in the professional diver’s watch series takes to the stage. This time, the manufacturer surprises us with a semi-transparent dial, through which you can also see the inside of the watch from the front…
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Diving for professionals
In my WATCHDAVID.SHOP: DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic 161.535.50 Rauchschwarz
I have already covered the DAVOSA Ternos for you in detail twice. Once as the Ternos Ceramic GMT and as the Ternos Professional Megalume Automatic. The latter was a real bestseller and had the professional features that make the timepiece interesting for such professionals. The Ternos Professional is one of the cheapest alternatives for those who want to know more. By that I mean those for whom the 2.50 meter deep hotel pool is not the maximum. Nothing against pool lovers, I would count myself among them. But I’m certainly not a professional diver. Nevertheless, I also appreciate the advantages of these particularly robust and functional tool watches. And if they can score points with a classic design and a reasonable price-performance ratio – all the better. I always put the DAVOSA Ternos Professional in this category in my last watch review. In other words: this watch has never disappointed me.
Exciting innovations: an overview of the collection
So let’s hope it’s a similar story this time. In fact, I’m taking another close look at the Ternos Professional. The occasion is a new special model that DAVOSA has released this fall. It bears the unusual suffix Nebulous. The newly designed dial, which is now semi-transparent, immediately catches the eye. The philosophy is novel and unusual. A dial color still exists in this sense. However, the dial consists of a semi-transparent sapphire crystal that reveals the fascinating mechanics “behind the façade”. Now the wearer can see things that previously remained hidden, such as the date disk.
However, this innovation does not stop there. DAVOSA has taken its TriaLink bracelet and given it a thorough overhaul. The folding clasp is new and innovative – keyword: WaveSlide. But more about what exactly this is all about in a moment.
DAVOSA is offering three color variants until October 2023. My tip: the bestseller will be the reference 161.535.50 in “smoky black”, as DAVOSA calls the color itself. I also chose it for this test report. Reference 161.535.10 (fog white) also has a black bezel, but a light-colored dial. And because green diver’s watches are currently so popular, the 161.535.70 in mystic green completes the Nebulous trio.
Even though the Swiss have made a few tweaks, the basis remains the same. After all, the Ternos Professional has proven often enough that it is a timeless classic. “Never change a winning team”, you could also say.
The DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic on the wrist
This is most evident in the case, whose dimensions remain unchanged. 42 millimetres in diameter and 14.50 millimetres in height suit all of us. The length of the case is also important for wearing comfort. A distance of 50.50 millimeters between the horns is not exactly short in my eyes. So if you’re unsure: always try them on! At 222 grams, the DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic is also no lightweight.
Details of the case
However, a protective, robust stainless steel case is essential if you want to design a durable watch with a high level of water resistance. Under water, the Nebulous can even reach depths of 500 meters – at least in theory, were it not for limiting factors such as our own maximum diving depth. Nevertheless, 50 bar is an impressive value that tells us a lot about the quality of the case.
For professional divers, who are the target group of the DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic, a helium valve is essential. This allows helium molecules to escape from the housing during the decompression phase, which previously entered through tiny openings and could cause the housing to burst in the event of overpressure. If you really have professional standards, you should not cut corners here and should definitely wear a diver’s watch with a helium valve.
I was impressed by the fine selection of materials, which deserves the title “made in Switzerland”. The brushed surfaces make a flawless impression, as does the extra-thick sapphire crystal. It has an anti-reflective coating for use under water. This prevents distracting light reflections. A cyclops magnifier has been installed at 3 o’clock. It magnifies the current date.
Inside the DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic is a DAV3021. Behind the name lies a Sellita SW200-1, a solid Swiss caliber with a power reserve of 38 hours.
Dial and bracelet of the DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic
A semi-transparent sapphire crystal in the respective color of the watch now rests on the movement. It is held in place only by the outer, skeletonized dial ring, which is, however, significantly higher. The minimalist indices are in turn attached to this. The result is an interplay of different levels that creates enormous plasticity. There is something going on here, and you notice it immediately. Nevertheless, the dial of the DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic does not appear too restless or even difficult to read. That actually surprises me. I never had any problems in everyday life. In my opinion, the mystic green and smoky black dials are the most comfortable to wear.
The matching bezel has a polished ceramic inlay. Its diving triangle and the indices on the dial are coated with Swiss SuperLuminova luminous material (type BGW9). The DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic therefore guarantees excellent readability in the dark.
It is worth taking a look at the redesigned stainless steel bracelet called TriaLink. DAVOSA has revised the folding clasp. It is equipped with two side pushers and a so-called WaveSlide fine adjustment, which is located inside the clasp. This allows you to adjust your strap perfectly to your size without the need for annoying tools and tedious fiddling.
My conclusion on the DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic
You might actually think that the Ternos is a thing of the past. I wouldn’t have thought it possible for a professional diver’s watch for demanding underwater expeditions to reinvent itself so visually. Yet the Ternos remains true to its values. The high-quality materials have remained, as have the helium valve and the outstanding water resistance of 500 meters, the trademark par excellence. DAVOSA has already proven that it can design with the DAVOSA Ternos Professional Megalume. The Nebulous has now been launched with a similar philosophy, but with a completely different concept. As both the Megalume and the Nebulous, the Ternos proves that diving watches can still look new and exciting in 2023. And you have to achieve that first.
Each of the three references costs 1,198.00 euros. As always, I have linked all the important and further information below.
More about DAVOSA and the Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic
The entire collection at a glance
Click here for reference 161.535.50 (black, test watch)
Reference 161.535.70 (mystic green) in the store
Here you can buy the reference 161.535.10 (fog white)
All DAVOSA watch reviews in my blog
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