LIV GX-Diver’s 44mm Ocean Blue 2.0: a Swiss diver with a strong character
In the landscape of contemporary watch brands, LIV occupies a unique position. The company doesn't claim a 19th-century heritage or any connection to the great historical manufacturers. Its development is much more recent and is based on a model characteristic of the new independent watchmaking: direct sales, crowdfunding, and a commitment to offering Swiss Made watches with a highly distinctive design. The LIV GX-Diver’s 44mm Ocean Blue 2.0 exemplifies this philosophy. With its imposing 44mm steel case, multi-level blue dial, ceramic bezel, and water resistance of 300 meters, this automatic watch fully embraces its sporty positioning. In the version shown here, it also features a metal bracelet that further accentuates its presence on the wrist. It is available from €965.95.
LIV Watches, a brand born through crowdfunding
LIV's story is much shorter than that of most traditional Swiss brands. Its commercial development truly took off in 2014 with its first Kickstarter campaign for the GX1, a Swiss Made chronograph accurate to a tenth of a second. According to its founder, this initial campaign raised nearly $200,000 with virtually no advertising investment. Most importantly, it validated the idea that a market exists for Swiss watches with contemporary designs, distributed through a model different from that of traditional watchmaking. The brand is driven by LIV Watches, a brand born through crowdfunding. According to its founder, this initial campaign raised nearly $200,000 with virtually no advertising investment. Most importantly, it validated the idea that a market exists for Swiss watches with contemporary designs, distributed through a model different from that of traditional watchmaking. The brand is led by Chaz and Esti, the couple who started the project, and initially developed primarily online. LIV gradually built a catalog of chronographs, GMT watches, and dive watches, all sharing a consistent aesthetic: fairly large cases, intricately designed dials, and often bold colors. The GX-Diver's perfectly embodies this identity.
A 44mm diver's watch that makes no attempt at subtlety
The first characteristic of this Ocean Blue 2.0 is its size. The 316L stainless steel case measures 44mm in diameter and 12.9mm in thickness. The total length between the lugs is 52mm, with a lug width of 23mm. LIV states a weight of 108 grams for the watch in the brand's reference configuration. These dimensions clearly place the GX-Diver's among the larger dive watches. The 44mm diameter and, especially, the 52mm total length result in a significant presence on the wrist. Those seeking the compact proportions of a vintage 38 or 40 mm diver's watch will have to look elsewhere. Conversely, this size aligns with LIV's aesthetic vision and allows for a wide dial opening. The case is completed by a screw-down crown, an essential element for ensuring the claimed water resistance.
300 meters of water resistance
The GX-Diver’s Ocean Blue 2.0 boasts a water resistance of 300 meters, or approximately 1,000 feet. LIV attributes this resistance to the case construction, its screw-down crown, and its sapphire crystal. On paper, this 300-meter rating places the watch in a category more than sufficient for water activities and diving. As with any mechanical watch used regularly underwater, this water resistance naturally assumes that the crown is properly screwed down and that the condition of the seals is checked periodically. LIV also equips its diver's watch with a unidirectional rotating bezel made of polished ceramic. The principle remains the same as that traditionally used on dive watches: position the bezel marker opposite the minute hand to indicate elapsed time. The unidirectional rotation provides a safety feature: in case of accidental movement, the bezel can theoretically only indicate a dive time greater than the actual elapsed time.
An Ocean Blue dial built on several layers
It is probably on its dial that the GX-Diver’s departs most from the understated elegance of traditional dive watches. LIV uses a multi-layered Ocean Blue dial with a raised wave pattern. This construction gives the display greater depth and reinforces the watch's contemporary character. The hour markers are hand-applied and filled with Swiss LumiNova BGW9. The sword-shaped hour and minute hands also receive this luminescent material. They benefit from a satin-brushed blue heat treatment. The seconds hand deliberately contrasts with this ensemble: it is orange and also has a luminescent tip. This choice of colors contributes as much to the watch's aesthetic personality as to its legibility. The entire display is protected by a sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating on its inner surface.
Discover the full specifications of the LIV GX-Diver’s 44mm Ocean Blue 2.0
A Swiss Sellita automatic movement
The version currently described on the dedicated page for the model with a metal bracelet is powered by a Sellita SW200-1 Elaboré grade, a Swiss automatic caliber with 26 jewels. LIV advertises a 42-hour power reserve. The brand particularly emphasizes the precision of this movement. It claims a certified accuracy of ± 5 seconds per day and includes a LIV precision certificate with each watch. According to the manufacturer, the movement is checked several times, before and after assembly and again before shipping, and this accuracy is guaranteed for twelve months.
A transparent case back rather than a solid case back
Another contemporary choice: LIV equips its GX-Diver’s with a transparent case back, allowing a view of the automatic movement. Historical professional dive watches generally favored a solid metal case back, but the use of a sapphire crystal case back is now common on mechanical sports watches. The decision here is primarily aesthetic. It retains some of the pleasure associated with a mechanical watch by revealing the movement and its oscillating weight. This also underscores the dual positioning of the GX-Diver’s: a watch with the technical attributes of a diver’s watch, but also designed as a timepiece intended for everyday wear.
The metal bracelet reinforces its sporty character
The model presented by LIV pairs the Ocean Blue 2.0 with a steel bracelet, unlike the version offered with a blue silicone strap fitted to the case. This choice gives the watch a more substantial and versatile appearance out of the water. The metal bracelet is particularly suitable for those who wish to use their GX-Diver’s as an everyday watch, while the silicone offers a lighter configuration directly geared towards aquatic activities. In all cases, the color blue remains the dominant element of this Ocean Blue version: the dial, hand details, and bezel create a deliberately monochromatic aesthetic, punctuated by the orange seconds hand.
A limited edition of 1,000 pieces
The watch is limited to a production run of 1,000 pieces. This limited edition adds a differentiating element in a particularly competitive segment. The GX-Diver's faces a very large market of Swiss automatic dive watches using Sellita movements and offering water resistance between 200 and 300 meters. LIV therefore seeks to distinguish itself less through a specific horological complication than through its design, proportions, and the three-dimensional construction of its dial.
LIV GX-Diver’s Ocean Blue 2.0: a modern and striking diver's watch
The LIV GX-Diver’s 44mm Ocean Blue 2.0 doesn't attempt to replicate a historical military diver's watch, nor does it try to play the neo-vintage card. It takes an almost opposite approach. Its 44mm case, multi-layered blue dial, heat-treated hands, orange seconds hand, and ceramic bezel give it a contemporary and instantly recognizable identity. The technical specifications remain in line with what one expects from a modern diver's watch: 300 meters of water resistance, screw-down crown, sapphire crystal, unidirectional bezel, and Swiss automatic movement. The Sellita SW200-1 Elaboré isn't a particularly exotic choice, but it is a proven and widely used Swiss movement. The advertised ±5 seconds per day adjustment is also a compelling feature, subject, of course, to the conditions defined by LIV for its internal certification. With its generous dimensions, the GX-Diver's won't suit every wrist. This is probably the main point to consider before buying it: LIV has opted for a visually striking dive watch, a far cry from the compact models inspired by the 1960s.
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Editor: Éric Barse
Journalist, entrepreneur, and founder of the websites www.cafe-racer-only.com and www.scooter-3-roues.com, Eric Barse divides his time between his passions: motorcycles, travel, and watches. A graduate of the Saint-Cyr military academy and the 2nd RPIMA (Parachute Regiment) before pursuing a career in communications and digital media, he has a true passion for authentic watches that have accompanied his two-wheeled adventures for many years, from the Indian Ocean to Africa and Latin America!
