Linde Werdelin Hard Black III Big Date

The fabulous Hard Black III Big Date by Linde Werdelin is one of their rarest pieces and an early day classic from a dynamic young company whose bold designs and robust construction were destined to stamp their unique style of watchmaking upon the ranks of contemporary luxury sports watches.

Founded in 2002 by friends and designer/watchmaker duo Morten Linde and Jorn Werdelin, the watches manufactured by their eponymous independent watch company, Linde Werdelin are inspired by their shared passions for pushing their own personal limits, whether rock climbing or skiing in the Swiss Alps, or exploring the carcass of a long sunk shipwreck on the sea floor.

Designed to couple with Linde Werdelin’s dedicated wrist-borne computers, the Reef or the Rock provide instant electronic location-based information at the touch of a button when undertaking those serious outdoor activities, and so the brand philosophy has always meant watches which have been manufactured to the same exacting standards they themselves demanded from their own professional precision sports instruments.

Hewn from a black DLC treated ingot of 316L stainless steel the Hard Black III Big Date is an imposing multi-faceted structure with a smooth microbillé finish, sharp pronounced angles, sheer flat surfaces and hex bolt heads, In what has become known as a First Generation Linde Werdelin, its brand-defining dramatic chiselled good looks provided an introduction to their futuristic, rugged and superbly engineered vision of watchmaking, and at 46mm it packs huge presence on the wrist.

 A thick sapphire crystal covers a plunging dial flange and matte black dial with light blue accents below. With legibility a key factor, the applied hour indices and numerals and tapering brushed steel hands are filled with Super LumiNova, punctuating the black circular pave effect dial with a vivid cool blue glow in low light environs.

The crown screws down safely out of harm’s way between the shoulders of the LW Instrument coupling ports, and with its crisp clear lumed markings, tactile uni-directional rotating bezel and a diving range of up to 300m, the Hard Black III Big Date is a serious sports diver’s timepiece.

Within, the tried and trusted ETA automatic self winding movement beats reliably and out of sight, as the caseback is a solid steel screw-down piece with the LW logo etched. The Hard Black III Big Date is presented on a blue interchangeable rubber strap with a sturdy pin buckle.