MICRO MONDAYS: The Circula Supersport delivers a reimagined Super Compressor diver at a great price
Fergus NashThere are plenty of watch brands that have been resurrected from the past. But Circula set themselves apart with their authentic German heritage and the benefit of original family ownership. Focusing mostly on high-quality mechanical watches at an attainable price, their latest release is a neat blend of modern functionality and vintage quirkiness in the Circula Supersport. Here, the Super Compressor style meets a stylish cushion case in a variety of sweet colours.
The case
The steel case of the Circula Supersport is two concepts executed at once, with the impression of regular straight lugs being extruded from within a familiar 1970s cushion shape. The chunky width that the cushion imparts really suits the sporty vision for the watch, as well as integrating those dual crowns nicely. While all of the case surfaces are brushed, the architecture creates an appealing sense of depth that’s mirrored within the dial.
Given the complexity of depth, you may be surprised to learn that the Circula Supersport is only 13.3mm tall — an eminently wearable thickness for a diver with 300m of water resistance. What’s more impressive, the water resistance is achieved through genuine Super Compressor technology that increases along with the pressure exerted on the case. It may be a rather obsolete approach with modern technology, however the same argument could be made for mechanical wristwatches in general. The overall diameter is a neat 40mm, with a 46.5mm lug-to-lug that should be quite comfortable on most wrists.
The dial
With a sandwich construction, sloped internal diving bezel, and a slightly domed sapphire crystal, there’s not many more ways the Circula Supersport could have created depth within this relatively flat watch. Even the inner sector ring has tiny cutouts as second counters that let a little bit of luminous paint shine through. There are four colour options available, with two production variants in a dark charcoal fumé and a salacious petrol green. The two others are limited editions of 99 pieces each, with one Bordeaux red sunburst and the other a more refined matte silver without the date complication. Each of these versions have their own highlight colour for the seconds hand and bezel markings, ensuring a distinctive pop no matter your choice.
The numerals on the internal diving bezel have a slight lime hue to them as they’re actually luminous as well as the hour markers and hands, with an impressively strong glow. It’s also quite an untraditional bezel system for a Super Compressor, with 120 clicks that help it stay in position as opposed to the free-spinning bezels we’re more used to.
The strap
The Circula Supersport comes with two strap options that are fairly unsurprising yet well made. The first is a standard rubber tropic strap that has a nice balance between supple flex and rigidity, while the second is a solid stainless-steel bracelet. The bracelet is an H-link design with polished centre links that add a touch of glamour to the overall look, something that’s missing from a lot of other 1970s style sports watches. It has no sharp edges, quick-release spring bars, screws for easy adjustment, and no less than six micro adjust holes on the milled clasp.
The movement
Keeping costs down and reliability high is the ever faithful Sellita SW200-1, hidden behind the solid caseback that depicts a lovely polished diving helmet. All of the watches use the Elaboré grade movement that has a stated accuracy within -5/+7 seconds per day, with the exception of the Grey Limited Edition that uses a standard grade (quoted between -5/+10). The beat rate is a Swiss standard 28,800 vibrations per hour and you can expect a typical power reserve of 38-41 hours.
The Circula Supersport pricing and availability:
The Circula Supersport is now available from Circula’s website here. Price: €699 (Grey Limited Edition) / €749 (Elaboré-grade models)
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm x 46.5mm x 13.3mm |
| Water-Resistance | 300m |
| Dial | Black fumé, green, silver LE, red LE |
| Straps | Black rubber tropic, stainless steel bracelet |
| Movement | Sellita SW200-1 |
| Power Reserve | 38-41 hours |
| Complications | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Price | €699 (Grey Limited Edition) / €749 (Elaboré-grade models) |