Duckworth Prestex Belmont 300 Automatic Dive Watch
Starting from 700 €The Duckworth Prestex Belmont 300 Automatic is a British dive watch that condenses the spirit of vintage cushion-cased divers into a contemporary execution. Produced by a house whose name has appeared on dials since the 1920s, it relies on a smoked wave-pattern dial, available in blue, green or orange, with a contrasting seconds hand that livens up the reading. Priced from €700, it serves as the entry point to the Diver collection and claims 300 metres of water resistance, a double-domed sapphire crystal and a proven Japanese automatic calibre. Three strap options, three-row steel bracelet or rubber, complete a versatile diver, designed as much for the water as for everyday wear.
Duckworth Prestex Belmont 300 Automatic dive watch
Prestex, whose registered name remains Duckworth Prestex, is an independent British brand with an unusual family history. It all began with the Prestons house, founded in Bolton in 1869, before the Prestex name appeared on watches in the 1920s, on pocket watches, dress pieces and chronographs. In 1948, Gordon Duckworth brought Omega, Rolex and Heuer into the family business. In 1982, Neil Duckworth introduced TAG Heuer to the United Kingdom, before much later relaunching the Prestex brand on its own footing. Today's watches are designed in England, then inspected and tested one by one in the house's workshops before going on sale.
The Belmont 300 Automatic occupies a precise place in this range. It is one of two divers in the Diver collection, alongside the Swiss Diver 300 Metre, and the most accessible offering in that family. Where the Swiss Diver claims a Swiss calibre, the Belmont relies on Japanese mechanics, a choice that explains its pricing while preserving the essential requirements of a dive watch.
Presented at the World Time UK trade events in September 2022 then launched at the end of November of the same year, the model made its mark thanks to a highly recognisable visual identity: cushion case, rotating bezel with luminescent triangular marker, smoked wave-pattern dial and touches of contrasting colour. A diver with character, aimed at tool-watch enthusiasts looking for an alternative to the usual Japanese and Swiss references.
Technical specifications Duckworth Prestex Belmont 300 Automatic
- Brand: Duckworth Prestex
- Model: Belmont 300 Automatic
- Reference: Depending on version
- Indicative price: from €700 to €750
- Movement: Automatic
- Calibre: Miyota 9039
- Diameter: 42 mm
- Thickness: 13 mm
- Water resistance: 300 m (990 ft)
- Materials: 316L stainless steel
- Crystal: Double-domed sapphire
- Dial: Smoked blue, green or orange
- Strap: Steel or rubber
- Warranty: 24 months
- Box contents: Presentation box and microfibre cloth
The Duckworth Prestex Belmont 300 Automatic dive watch
The Belmont 300 Automatic plays the cushion case card, a shape associated with divers of decades past, here executed in solid brushed 316L stainless steel. With its 42 mm diameter and 13 mm overall thickness, the watch stays within the proportions of a versatile modern diver, while the 50 mm lug-to-lug gives it a solid presence on the wrist without excessive overhang. The case design, all brushed surfaces, avoids any flashy effect and keeps the eye focused on the dial. This is the model's true signature: a smoked base, gradated towards the edges, animated by a wave pattern unique to the Belmont.
The Arabic numerals at the quarters are filled with BGW9 lume, as is the luminescent strip on the brushed and polished steel hands, ensuring immediate legibility underwater as well as in low light. The seconds hand, in a contrasting colour, provides the vivid touch that livens up the whole. Above, the double-domed sapphire crystal receives an anti-reflective treatment applied to its inner face, a choice that preserves the clarity of the glass while limiting unwanted reflections. Beneath the dial, the automatic Miyota 9039 calibre drives the hours, minutes and a sweeping centre seconds hand, with no date window, in keeping with the logic of a stripped-back instrument. The watch also claims a 300 m water resistance rating, a figure that places it firmly among genuine dive watches.
Three smoked dials and three straps to choose from
The Belmont 300 Automatic is now available in three dial versions, smoked blue, smoked green or smoked orange, all sharing the same wave pattern and display layout. Only the tone changes, accompanied by a rotating bezel matched to the dial and a contrasting seconds hand, blue on the orange variant. The choice therefore comes down to character: nautical sobriety for the blue, an earthier tone for the green, unapologetic exuberance for the orange. Each dial is offered on three different straps. The brushed three-row steel bracelet features a deployant clasp with a notched extension, handy for fitting over a wetsuit or accommodating wrist swelling in summer.
The two other options use rubber, in black or matched to the dial colour, for a more beach-oriented use. All attachments are fitted with quick-release spring bars, allowing the wearer to switch from steel to rubber without tools and without risk to the lugs. On the brand's website, the nine dial and strap combinations are listed between €700 and €750, duties paid for the eurozone, while UK retailers price according to the strap chosen. The watch is delivered in a black presentation box together with a branded microfibre cloth, and is backed by a 24-month warranty covering manufacturing defects and the movement.
Duckworth Prestex Belmont 300 Automatic dive watch: a British instrument
The Belmont 300 Automatic combines a 42 mm cushion case in solid brushed 316L steel, a double-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment and 300 metres of water resistance guaranteed by a screw-down crown and caseback. Its smoked wave-pattern dial, available in blue, green or orange, pairs Arabic numerals and hands lumed with BGW9 with a contrasting-coloured seconds hand. The automatic Miyota 9039 calibre offers a 38-hour power reserve. Three quick-release straps, three-row steel bracelet or rubber, a black presentation box and a 24-month warranty round out the package at €750 for the steel bracelet version.
Movement
The Belmont 300 Automatic is powered by the automatic Miyota 9039 calibre, a Japanese movement known for its reliability and ease of maintenance. It displays the hours, minutes and a sweeping centre seconds hand, with no date window, preserving the symmetry of the smoked dial and its wave pattern. The brand states a 38-hour power reserve along with a rate tolerance of -10/+30 seconds per day. Each watch is individually inspected and tested in the workshops before being offered for sale.
Diameter and materials
The case takes on a cushion silhouette machined from solid brushed 316L stainless steel. It measures 42 mm in diameter, with a thickness of 13 mm and a lug-to-lug of 50 mm, well-balanced dimensions for a diver worn daily. The dial comes in smoked blue, green or orange with the wave pattern specific to the Belmont, hour markers and hands finished with BGW9 lume. A double-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on its inner face protects the whole and resists scratches durably.
Water resistance
The watch claims a 300 m (990 ft) water resistance rating, a benchmark threshold for a versatile diver used at sea as well as in the pool. This resistance relies on a screw-down crown stamped with the brand's logo and an engraved screw-down caseback, two elements that lock the case before immersion. The rotating bezel carries a luminescent triangular marker for tracking dive time, while the BGW9 lume applied to the markers and hands maintains clear legibility in dark water or at night.
Accessories
Each dial can be paired with three straps. The brushed three-row steel bracelet, for a total price of €750, is fitted with a deployant clasp with a notched extension, handy for instantly adjusting the fit. Next come two rubber options, black or matched to the dial, each at €700 with the watch, lighter for aquatic use. All attachments feature quick-release spring bars, allowing straps to be swapped without tools. The watch comes in a black presentation box together with a branded microfibre cloth for routine care of the case and crystal.
Warranty
All of the brand's watches are covered by a 24-month warranty covering manufacturing defects and the movement, a standard yet reassuring level of coverage at this price point. The house adds a 30-day returns policy, useful for checking the comfort of a 42 mm cushion case on the wrist before committing. A dedicated after-sales service is also accessible via the brand's website for future servicing needs.
Prestex Belmont 300 Automatic The pros
and cons
- 300 metres of water resistance
- 316L steel cushion case
- Automatic Miyota 9039 calibre
- Three smoked dials to choose from
- Quick-release straps
- 38-hour power reserve
- 13 mm overall thickness
- Entry-level Japanese movement
- Smoked dial less legible in low light
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Prices and technical specifications are subject to change. Content and photos are not contractual.
