Montre de plongée Herbelin Newport Diver Automatic
Starting from 1.250 €The Herbelin Newport Diver Automatic is a French automatic dive watch that carries the Newport collection’s nautical spirit below the surface. A descendant of a diver the house designed in the 1970s and rediscovered in its archives, it revives that model’s 42mm cushion case and tool watch stance in a contemporary execution. Water resistant to 300 metres and powered by a Swiss Sellita calibre regulated in Charquemont, it comes in two versions, Blue Chapter Ring and Steel & Blue, which differ in their dial, ceramic bezel and strap. Suited to both leisure diving and everyday wear, this Newport Diver is aimed at fans of neo-vintage divers who value carefully controlled French manufacturing.
Herbelin Newport Diver Automatic dive watch
Herbelin, which the house also signs Michel Herbelin in its own texts, is a family owned, independent manufacture founded in 1947 and based in Charquemont, in the heart of the Jura watchmaking region. The brand claims a craft passed down from father to son ever since: the design, assembly, regulation and control of its watches are all carried out in France. Each piece is hand assembled, then put through sixty five quality control checks. Water resistance tests are carried out with air and water, and any watch showing the slightest trace of condensation is stripped down and reassembled.
Newport has been the house’s signature collection for more than thirty years. Its inspiration is openly nautical, drawn from the America’s Cup and the race to Newport, Rhode Island. Within the Newport Heritage line, the Newport Diver descends from a diver the brand designed in the 1970s and rediscovered in its archives. It borrows that watch’s cushion case, very fashionable at the time, along with its instrument like character.
Launched in 2025 under the name Newport Heritage Diver, it is the brand’s first true automatic diver water resistant to 300 metres in this neo-vintage vein. The specialist press has presented it as an affordable French diver capable of moving from recreational diving to city wear without changing register. Its purpose is twofold: to accompany underwater outings and to be worn day to day, with an openly sporty design and a clearly French identity.
Technical specifications Herbelin Newport Diver Automatic
- Brand: Herbelin
- Model: Newport Diver Automatic
- Reference: 1774BL15CB or 1774AN154
- Indicative price: From €1,250
- Movement: Swiss automatic
- Calibre: Sellita SW220-1, 11 ½'''
- Diameter: 42 x 42 mm
- Thickness: 13.95 mm
- Water resistance: 300 m
- Materials: 316L stainless steel
- Crystal: Double domed sapphire
- Dial: Black to blue gradient or textured matte black
- Strap: Blue FKM rubber or black textile
- Warranty: 3 years
The Herbelin Newport Diver Automatic dive watch
The Newport Diver Automatic is built around a 42 x 42 mm cushion case in 316L stainless steel, a shape directly inherited from 1970s divers. This silhouette, which reads visually larger than a round case of the same size, stays manageable on the wrist thanks to a compact construction and a 22mm lug width that balances the mass of the strap. The 13.95mm thickness reflects the presence of an automatic movement and a reinforced construction built to withstand pressure. The dial is protected by a double domed sapphire crystal, whose curvature recalls period acrylic crystals while offering sapphire’s scratch resistance.
The matte dial subtly fades from the edge toward the centre on the Steel & Blue version, while the dial’s grained finish evokes the texture of the sea. Luminescent hands and hour markers ensure legibility in dark water, and the seconds hand carries a luminescent running indicator, a useful detail for checking at a glance that the watch is running. The unidirectional rotating ceramic bezel with 120 click action completes the diving equipment, with a screw down crown and caseback that bring the whole to 300 metres of water resistance. Hand assembled and inspected in the Charquemont workshops, this diver claims fully French manufacturing, from design through to final regulation.
Two versions for a neo-vintage diver
The Newport Diver Automatic is currently offered in two versions in the official catalogue. Reference 1774AN154 Blue Chapter Ring features a textured matte black dial underlined by a blue chapter ring, topped with an engraved black ceramic bezel, and is worn on a rot proof black textile strap with blue topstitching and a deployant clasp. It is the most vintage reading of the model, and also the lightest at 113 grams, and the brand highlights its transparent caseback, which reveals the engraved oscillating weight. It is priced at 1,250 euros. Reference 1774BL15CB Steel & Blue features a polished blue ceramic bezel and a black to blue gradient dial, on a blue FKM elastomer strap fitted with a double deployant clasp with a safety catch and an extension allowing it to be worn over a wetsuit.
This strap is sized to the wrist before shipping, over a range from 12 to 23 centimetres, and can carry a warranty of up to 10 years given the material’s durability. This version is priced at 1,350 euros and weighs 145 grams. The house also notes that the marine cordage style textile strap can be swapped for an FKM strap or a Milanese mesh bracelet, which leaves real scope to change the watch’s character. A third reference, the 1774AN14CA with a black dial and black FKM strap, is still available from some retailers.
Herbelin Newport Diver Automatic dive watch: seventies heritage
The Newport Diver Automatic combines a 42 x 42 mm cushion case in 316L steel, a unidirectional rotating ceramic bezel with 120 click indexing and a double domed sapphire crystal. Its Swiss Sellita SW220-1 calibre offers 41 hours of power reserve and a double window day date display, regulated in the Charquemont workshops with a stated accuracy of 0 to +15 seconds per day. A screw down crown and caseback carry the water resistance to 300 metres, suited to recreational scuba diving. Two versions are offered, Blue Chapter Ring on textile and Steel & Blue on FKM rubber, from 1,250 to 1,350 euros, with a three year warranty.
Movement
The watch is powered by a Swiss automatic Sellita SW220-1 calibre in the 11 ½''' format, a proven movement that displays hours, minutes, seconds and a day and date in a double window. Its 41 hour power reserve lets the watch rest overnight without needing to be restarted. Herbelin regulates each piece in its Charquemont workshops and states an accuracy of 0 to +15 seconds per day, a tighter window than the calibre’s standard tolerance.
Diameter and materials
The cushion case measures 42 x 42 mm, with a thickness of 13.95 mm and a 22mm lug width. It is machined from 316L stainless steel and topped with a ceramic bezel, polished blue on the Steel & Blue version, engraved black on the Blue Chapter Ring version. The dial, protected by a double domed sapphire crystal, comes in a black to blue gradient or a textured matte black depending on the reference. Weight ranges from 113 to 145 grams depending on the strap.
Water resistance
The 300 metre water resistance places the Newport Diver among genuine dive watches. It relies on a screw down crown, a screw down caseback and a reinforced construction. The brand states it is suited to swimming, water sports and recreational scuba diving. The unidirectional rotating bezel with 120 click action allows dive time to be tracked, while luminescent hands and hour markers, along with a running indicator on the seconds hand, ensure legibility at depth.
Accessories
Two straps are shared across the collection. The Steel & Blue version receives a blue FKM elastomer strap fitted with a double deployant clasp with a safety catch and an extension for wearing over a wetsuit; it is sized to the wrist before shipping, from 12 to 23 cm. The Blue Chapter Ring version adopts a rot proof black textile strap with blue topstitching, also with a deployant clasp. The house notes that this marine cordage style textile strap can be swapped for an FKM strap or a Milanese mesh bracelet.
Warranty
The watch is covered by a 3 year warranty from the date of purchase, parts and labour, for any manufacturing defect under normal use, on presentation of the completed warranty card. Natural wear and impact damage remain excluded. The site announces a free extension to 5 years for any purchase made between 1 July and 31 December 2026, and the FKM strap can benefit from coverage of up to ten years.
Herbelin Newport Diver Automatique The pros
and cons
- 300 metre water resistance
- In house regulation in Charquemont
- Unidirectional ceramic bezel, 120 clicks
- Two dial versions available
- FKM strap sized to fit
- Thickness of 13.95 mm
- Power reserve limited to 41 hours
- Imposing 42mm cushion case
- Uncommon 22mm lug width
Discover all the brand's models!
Prices and technical specifications are subject to change. Content and photos are not contractual.
