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The Circula SuperSport Blue is the first diver’s watch from the traditional German manufacturer that I am testing after 5 years. In addition to the watch itself, this review will tell you everything you need to know about an almost forgotten technology that securely seals the case of this diver’s watch…
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Circula’s philosophy of the diver’s watch
Since 2019, I have been familiar with the watches of the traditional German brand Circula from Pforzheim, an important German center of watchmaking. After an interview and the presentation of the Circula Heritage Hand-Wound, we lost track of each other for a few years. And found each other again in 2024. From now on, you can find the family-run company’s model range in my shop. And because I haven’t published any content about Circula on my blog for almost 5 years, it’s high time I introduced you to the first model. It’s time for a new watch review.
One of Circula’s most successful and perhaps most beautiful models are, of course, diving watches. I find the founder’s grandson Cornelius Huber and his team’s understanding of diving watches interesting. The brand no longer sees diving watches as functional high-tech devices, but as flexible lifestyle accessories and useful everyday companions. This gives a very realistic view of the subject and tells us what we can expect from Circula’s diving watches. Not functional beasts for special naval commandos, but chic premium timepieces for people like you and me, for whom the highest of emotions is the snorkeling trip on the annual beach vacation, without meaning to be disrespectful. Not every diving watch has to dive 1000 meters. And I will be judging today’s test watch according to these criteria.
How the Circula SuperSport Blue revives an almost forgotten case technology
Which brings us to the object of desire. I find diver’s watches from the AquaSport and SuperSport collections particularly beautiful in the world of Circula. As you can easily see from the product photos in my store, the two collections are very similar. Both have a vintage look in their design. According to Circula, the AquaSport is based on diving watches from the 1970s.
The SuperSport, on the other hand, is a super-compressor diver’s watch. Its name is self-explanatory; the watch is sealed using this special case technology. Super compressor diver’s watches were particularly popular from the 1950s until the 1970s. They were then increasingly replaced by other, now conventional seals, until they made a comeback a few years ago. Watch enthusiasts have rediscovered the Super-Compressor watch for themselves.
Super-Compressor technology: how it works explained
But how exactly does the case technology that also characterizes the Circula SuperSport Blue, our test watch today, work? When diving watches first appeared in the 1950s, the biggest problem was finding seals that could withstand the high water pressure and did not have to be replaced after a few dives. The rubber seals commonly used at the time had to contend with precisely this problem.
The Swiss housing manufacturer Ervin Piquerez S.A. (EPSA) was the first to solve the problem. His Super-Compressor diver’s watches had a spring-loaded case back. This moves inwards with increasing case pressure and further increases the compression pressure on the O-ring seal. The case therefore becomes even tighter at greater depths. The advantage: unlike conventional diving watches, the case back does not press permanently against the O-ring. This results in less wear and lower maintenance costs.
You can recognize Super-Compressor diver’s watches by their internal bezel and the two crowns. One of them is used to turn the diver’s bezel.
Water-resistant to a depth of 300 meters
Luckily, it doesn’t get any more demanding than this today. In my opinion, Circula has implemented the “rediscovered” case technology excellently in its SuperSport Blue. The water resistance of the case, which is a maximum of 300 meters and should meet all requirements, also fits in with this. If you turn the Circula SuperSport Blue over, you can see the six-screw case back on the back, from which a slightly three-dimensional diving helmet has been carved – wow! The idea and craftsmanship are ingenious. You want to take the cyan-blue diver’s watch off and turn it over again and again to see this highlight.
One design – 4500 heads
In this respect, I find the design approach chosen by Circula interesting. Instead of developing a design as a team in the traditional way and then presenting it, the Pforzheim-based company involved its customers and fans in the design process right from the start. Just like AquaSport. The community voted over 4500 times on the various designs. By limiting the number of suggestions per element, Cornelius Huber and his team were able to guarantee the “Circula signature” and at the same time ensure that the new watch would be a success – brilliant!
In fact, the Circula SuperSport Blue is strongly reminiscent of 70-year-old Super-Compressor watches, without appearing old-fashioned or copying them. The strong blue tone of my test model also contributes to this, which would certainly not have been seen in combination with the orange accents back then. This watch is therefore also unique.
The dial consists of a so-called sandwich construction. This means that it works with recessed indices, which gives the dial more plasticity. I was impressed by the lume. Circula uses Swiss SuperLuminova type BGW9. It shines extremely bright and bright blue. The luminous indices on the bezel stand out from this. They are coated with SuperLuminova type C3 and glow green. The markings at 20-minute intervals stand out slightly from the rest and glow more yellow. The interplay of the two colors in the dark is both beautiful to look at and useful.
Case and movement
Two crowns reveal to watch fans that this is a Super-Compressor watch. While the crown at 2 o’clock can only be rotated and operates the bezel, the screw-down crown at 4 o’clock functions as a winding crown. The former can only be turned in one direction and even has haptic feedback!
Grooves in the sides ensure a good grip when operating the device. Nevertheless, both crowns could be a little longer in my opinion. Especially because they are slightly recessed into the side of the case to provide better protection from stones under water, for example.
I like the compact shape of the case, which looks solid from the side. It is made of corrosion-resistant 316L stainless steel. The brushed finish makes a high-quality impression, and the polished bevels make the Circula SuperSport Blue look even more delicate and chic. The slightly curved watch glass exudes a vintage feel. It is made of sapphire and has a double anti-reflective coating on the inside.
It is no surprise, but the built-in automatic movement is at least solid. This is the Sellita SW200-1, a 1:1 copy of the ETA 2824-2 that is a permanent fixture in many timepieces in the premium segment, and not without good reason. Circula obtains the “Elaboré” version from the Swiss manufacturer. At the third-highest quality level, the movement has an average rate accuracy of -5/+7 seconds per day according to the manufacturer. Before being installed in the diver’s watch, the movement is fine-tuned once again in the Circula workshop in Pforzheim. Fully wound, the power reserve is 41 hours. The automatic movement drives the minute, second, hour and a date function.
The Circula SuperSport Blue on the wrist
With a diameter of 40 millimetres, the Circula SuperSport Blue is comparatively compact, but certainly doesn’t look lost on my wrist with a circumference of 17 centimetres. However, whether the watch fits you depends more on the length of the case between the strap lugs. Here, the Circula SuperSport Blue measures 46.5 millimetres and fits snugly on the wrist. During my test period, the wearing comfort was first-class.
The Tropical strap, which is made of rubber and, in the case of the model with the blue dial, echoes this shade of blue, also contributed to this. In my opinion, the Circula SuperSport Blue is clearly a watch that marks the start of summer (but can of course also be worn throughout the rest of the year). The intelligent quick-change system allows the rubber strap to be exchanged for the more classic, three-link stainless steel strap. The stainless steel strap has a fine adjustment in 6 positions.
My conclusion on the Circula SuperSport Blue
Top of the class would be the appropriate name to give the Circula SuperSport Blue. The emphasis is on “should”, because there are not that many diving watches with a super-compressor case. Of these, however, the Circula SuperSport Blue is one of the best. This is not only due to the consistently good quality or the excellent implementation of the technology itself, but also to the details here and there. The color combination: wow! Its diving helmet on the case back: iconic! The design: unique, retro and yet timeless. This is what a successful diver’s watch should look like in the 2020s.
Last but not least, the Circula SuperSport Blue impresses with its price. We remember: Circula attaches particular importance to humane pricing. The Circula SuperSport Blue with rubber strap costs just 979.00 euros in my store, which is still below the four-digit mark. If you want to wear the watch on a three-link stainless steel bracelet instead, you’ll pay 1,099.00 euros. But even that is remarkably cheap compared to the watch you wear on your wrist.
Circula offers us a choice of five different dial colors. That leaves plenty of scope for individuality. All further links to the watch and the entire collection can be found below!
More about Circula and the SuperSport Blue
Click here for the test configuration in the store
Even more diving watches from Circula
All Circula watches at a glance
My diving watch reviews in my blog
