A daring resurrection for the Electra Dare-Devil Diver
Tom AustinWho doesn’t love a comeback story? Well, Electra is a great one to kick off 2025 with. During the late 1960s and 70s, shifts in the watch market due to the so-called quartz crisis meant that numerous brands would sadly fade away despite enjoying relative commercial success in their day. By the 80s, two-thirds of all Swiss watch brands had gone out of business. Electra was one of them. Interestingly, Electra itself wasn’t a specific watchmaker but rather a brand created by the famous French manufacturer Lip in 1966. Electra united a number of Swiss and French watchmakers under one brand, and by 1969, had sold over 300,000 watches. However, by 1971, the Franco-Swiss brand had vanished.
Fast forward to 2024, and a group of French watch enthusiasts have decided to bring back Electra, drawing inspiration from its watches of the past. The first watch in this rebirth is the Dare-Devil Diver, a collection of vibrant dive watches that pay homage to various ‘Skin Diver’ models produced by Electra throughout its short existence.
The case
An important motivation underpinning this relaunch for Electra was to be faithful to the original designs while ensuring that the watches also suit modern trends. I’m glad to say they chose not to go down the “bigger is best” route with this and chose to only beef up the original Skin Diver’s 37.5mm case by 0.5mm. Now at 38mm, the lug-to-lug has also been reduced slightly to 47mm, making it an all-around better fit for modern audiences. Importantly, the thickness has been reduced to 10.95mm without the sapphire crystal – which potentially strays away from strict period accuracy but makes the Dare-Devil Diver even more wearable. These proportions are definitely befitting of a vintage-inspired piece and make it a very comfortable wear indeed.
The case is function-forward with a screw-down crown and caseback plus thick lugs with polished bevels and hardy brushed surfaces. It gives off elevated tool watch vibes but also has the specs to match, offering 666 feet (or just over 200 metres) of water resistance. This is also thanks to the double-domed sapphire crystal, locked down by a bi-directional rotating bezel – which, just like the vintage watches, has no ratchet system, just a well-tuned, smooth rotation that’s not too loose and not too hard. Interestingly, the Electra Dare-Devil Diver is actually assembled in France at the Pequignet manufacture – elevating it beyond microbrands assembling watches in the Far East.
The dial
The Dare-Devil Diver collection launches as a quintet, with five different variations, each with its unique dial and furniture. Firstly, the Deep Blue, Yellow Old Gold and Emerald Green feature fumé dials, with polished silver indices and hands. Each of these dials has a colour-coded syringe-style second hand alongside its pencil hour and arrow minute hands. The Dashing Red and Formal Black models, however, feature plainer dials, with the latter sporting a classic matte dial for those who love the vintage look best. These two dials feature gilt dial furniture, yellowed lume plots and indices on the bezel to truly hark back to the original Electras from the 1960s. Despite not being a proper GMT watch, the bezel can be used to track another time zone, too, which is a nice feature.
It’s the Deep Blue and Dashing Red models that we were able to get hands-on with, and while all the colours of the Dare-Devil Diver are easy on the eyes, it’s these two that resonated with us the most. The orangy-yellow bezel markings of the Dashing Red really warm up what is already quite a hot little timepiece, while the sunburst of the Deep Blue is the ideal tone for a dive watch.
The dials are clear and free of clutter, with the hour markers being true to that vintage style. It’s great to see that they haven’t been tempted to take things in too modern of a direction here, despite the slightly modernised Electra logo at 12 o’clock. The Arabic numerals applied inside the hour markers are appealing and quite legible, and of course allow you to read the number through the lume in the dark, which is something you rarely see on dive watches. The lume is also extended into the markers on the rotating bezel.
The straps
There are two strap options offered by Electra for the Dare-Devil Diver. One is an FKM rubber strap, colour coordinated with the dial selection and offering a modern twist on the classic look. The rubber straps are fitted with stainless steel pin buckles, double keepers and quick-release spring bars. The second option is an Italian leather strap in the same style, to offer a more relaxed and classic feel in keeping with the 60s/70s vibe. (Note: as of publishing, Electra hasn’t shared any imagery/details about their leather straps; we only reviewed the Dare-Devil Diver on rubber straps.)
The movement
For the Dare-Devil Diver, Electra opted for the Soprod P024, an automatic mechanical movement made in Switzerland, which is loosely based on the ETA 2824 – a close relative of the ETA 2472 that came fitted in original Electra Skin Divers. It features a 38-hour power reserve – again faithful to the original watches – along with 25 jewels, and beating at 28,800 vph. It’s a perfectly adequate if unspectacular movement for a watch at this price point, and is durable and highly serviceable, making it a very decent and accurate long-term prospect.
Electra Dare-Devil Diver pricing and availability
The Electra Dare-Devil Diver is available now, directly from Electra. Price: €599
Brand | Electra Watches |
Model | Dare-Devil Diver |
Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 10.95mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
Case Material | Stainless steel |
Water Resistance | 666 feet (203 meters) |
Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
Dial | Matte black, red, blue, green or yellow |
Strap | FKM rubber or Italian leather with steel pin buckle |
Movement | Soprod P024, automatic |
Power Reserve | 38 hours |
Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, bidirectional timing bezel |
Availability | Available now |
Price | €599 |
Made in partnership with Electra. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.