Founded by the entrepreneur behind rubber watch strap specialist Everest Bands, Monta is new outfit that only just announced its first wristwatch: the Oceanking dive watch.

Rated to 300m, the Oceanking is stainless steel and features a ceramic bezel insert. While the Oceanking is designed in a style that’s typical of the genre, the watch was conceived with attention to detail. Consequently the hands and indices are diamond-cut, while the bezel insert is held in place with a gasket instead of the conventional adhesive.

But more unusual is the movement inside. Instead of the usual ETA or Soprod movements found in such watches, the Oceanking is equipped with the Eterna calibre 3909A. Notably, the movement fits the case exactly, so it is held in place with screws and clamps, without a movement ring.

Part of the Eterna calibre 39 family, the movement is an automatic with a longer than average 65-hour power reserve. Designed to be a robust and flexible movement, the calibre 39 is designed to accommodate complications.

So while the calibre 3909A inside the Oceanking is a time-only automatic with a date indicator, Eterna also offers the calibre 3916A, which is the same thing with an integrated chronograph mechanism.

Eterna – which ironically spun-off ETA as a standalone movement maker decades ago – has marketed the calibre 39 family little, which makes it fairly uncommonly, despite the movements being solidly built.

The Oceanking case is 40mm in diameter and 13.8mm high, and delivered with a steel bracelet as well as a rubber strap.

Price and availability

It’s available on Monta’s own website, priced at US$3550.

Watches purchased via pre-order (which requires a 50% deposit), come with a five-year warranty, while the standard three-year applies for future deliveries.