Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Fiery Eska Amphibian 250 Red Viper
The young micro brand returns with a bold red edition of its accessible vintage dive watch
While a young brand in its current form, with only one model in two versions so far, Eska Watches has history and pedigree. Originally founded in 1918 in Granges, Switzerland, the brand made a name for itself during the golden era of dive watches with its Amphibian 600, a watch closely related to the Fifty Fathoms. Shutting doors due to the quartz crisis, Eska was relaunched in early 2024 by a French duo, bringing the accessible yet cool-looking retro-inspired Amphibian 250, first in black and followed by a handsome White Shark edition. Now, it’s time to get bold with the Eska Amphibian 250 Red Viper, a limited edition perfectly suited for the upcoming festive season.
Under the impulsion of watch enthusiasts Sinicha Knezevic and Christophe Chevreton, Eska was relaunched with a tribute to the Amphibian 600 and operations are now in France. The idea was not to bring another high-end, ultra-performance dive watch but more to have the look and feel of the original model, largely sufficient specs and a very pleasing price tag. The first model, presented in classic black, will be followed by a white edition – the latter still available and not limited. But the third model is not only far more exclusive but also much more… colourful.
With the Eska Amphibian 250 Red Viper, specs remain largely unchanged and most parts are shared with the two previous editions. As such, we’re still looking at a retro-inspired dive watch with typical 1960s shape, yet modern materials to make it usable on a daily basis. The stainless steel case is 40mm in diameter and 13.5mm in height, which is quite versatile for a modern diver. Lug-to-lug is 46mm, again comfortable and compact. There’s a large, almost oversized flat undirectional bezel with coin-edge profile on top, like the original watch, that dominates the design. But it’s now fitted with a sapphire crystal insert, while retaining a countdown 60-minute scale, again with oversized beige-toned numerals – a unprecedented touch, the baton markers have been replaced by square markers. A double-domed sapphire crystal, a node to the past, protects the dial while the back is solid steel. A screw-down crown helps for the decent 250m water-resistance.
Retro again on the dial construction, the Eska Amphibian 250 rely on a sandwich construction. The lower plate is largely coated with Old Radium lume, visible through the large baton hour markers. Stylised and large Arabic numerals complete the display, but those are printed on the high plate of the dial… And this time, the latter comes in a bright and unmistakable colour; fiery gradient red. Combined with the vintage-toned lume, it brings a fairly confident look to this retro dive watch. The handset remains unchanged, with its arrowhead minutes hand and a lollipop seconds hand, here however with a red-toned tip.
Compared to the inaugural black version, which was powered by a Seiko NH38, this Amphibian 250 Red Viper relies on Swiss power (like the white version). It is equipped with a Sellita SW200 automatic, an alternative to the ETA 2824, with 4Hz frequency and 38-hour power reserve. The watch is delivered with 3 different options to secure it to the wrist; a new steel Ladder Band with quick-release spring bars, a red rubber tropic strap and a black two-piece NATO strap.
A limited edition of 136 pieces (a reference to its water-resistance, at 136 Fathoms or 250 meters), the Eska Amphibian 250 Red Viper is now available from the brand’s website at the attractive price of EUR 1,090. Deliveries will be done before Christmas 2024. For more details, please visit Eska-Watches.fr.
