The Resurgence of U-Boat: Hands on Review of the Darkmoon and Capsoil
Italian brand U-Boat has seen a bit of a “Rebrand” (I use that term loosely) in the last couple of years, and what’s come of it is an almost entirely new take on U-Boat. Arguably known for their oversized military-inspired, Italian Navy dive and field watches, we’ve seen a pivot into more, er… generally wearable watches for regular enthusiasts (these are not the same U-Boat models you’ve seen Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing). While the brand still offers the much more brooding and larger timepieces, U-Boat has started releasing some modestly sized watches that are actually really unique and even feature some cool innovation. The brand founded by Italo Fontana a couple decades ago, based on designs by his grandfather, Ilvo Fontana, has blazed a new direction. We decided to take a look at 3 of their more recent releases in this category with the Capsoil Titanio, the Capsoil Doppiotempo, and the Darkmoon 40 - All featuring a unique oil filled dial and deep domed crystal. Quite a new take on a U-Boat timepiece. Best of all, they are available at reasonable prices.
U-Boat Capsoil Titanio
The concept behind the Capsoil models is that inside the sapphire crystal is a special oil that actually makes the crystal disappear. It actually is a really cool concept, and the little floating bubble against the dial felt almost soothing to watch. I found myself moving the watch a lot to get the bubble to end up in different areas. The actual dial appears to be floating in that indices, logo, and chronograph registers are set against a black dial that feels like it disappears the more you look at it.
The watch is housed in a 45 mm Titanium case making it superbly light despite its size. At 45mm, you’d expect it to wear like a dinner plate, but it actually felt a lot smaller due to the Titanium and the way the case is shaped. Interestingly, you’ll notice that the crown and pushers are on the left side of the case. Although, this doesn’t make it a left handed watch as the pushers and crown are really efficiently crafted behind the larger case. This gives a blending to the watch that almost made me forget they were there. The watch comes on a vulcanized rubber strap that was incredibly comfortable.
Inside the watch is a Swiss-Made quartz movement with a “Quick battery change” meaning there is a little window on the back of the case that can be opened with a coin or another flat object to swap the battery. This means the wearer doesn’t need to remove the entire case back to swap it out. The Capsoil comes with 100m of water resistance. The watch is limited to 150 pieces and comes with a price tag of $3,100 USD.
U-Boat Capsoil Doppiotempo
Featuring the Dual-Time functionality (for tracking a second time zone), the Capsoil Doppiotempo features the same Oil Immersion technology of the Capsoil collection, but this time with an extra hand and a compressor bezel that can be operated by a second crown on the left side of the case to determine a second timezone. Again, set against a deep black dial, the indices, hands, and bezel all appear to be floating, making it incredibly easy to determine either time.
This time, however, the Doppiotempo comes in a stainless steel case, making it a bit heavier but still really wearable. The 45mm case is definitely a little heftier but didn’t wear as large as you’d expect a 45mm watch to wear. It comes on the same vulcanized rubber strap that most of the Capsoil’s include, which, was still comfortable despite the case’s heavier nature. Inside the Doppiotempo is a similar Swiss-Made quartz movement with the Quick-Change battery and 100m of water resistance. Price for the Capsoil Doppiotempo is $2,600 USD.
U-Boat Darkmoon Green
The more colorful of the three, and my personal favorite, is the Darkmoon Green. Utilizing the same Oil Immersion technique I found the color on the dial a much more compelling aesthetic for the technology. The dial is a metal plate with a sunburst green dial (with a Soleil finish) that utilizes a fume effect that fades to black on the edges. Because of the green, the dial feels less like it’s floating, and a bit more natural in color and finish.
This case, however, comes in at a very modest 40mm in diameter, which I feel is the sweet spot for U-Boat watches. The stainless steel case features a black PVD-coating and wears incredibly well (but you can also find the Darkmoon in steel and even bronze cases). Again, inside the watch is a Swiss-Made Ronda quartz movement with the brand’s proprietary ring-lock system and the Quick-Change battery window. It also features superlumminova hands and hour markers - a nice touch. I found that the U-Boat Darkmoon 40 was my favorite of the three. It was clean, it wore really well, and it didn’t break the bank at a very modest $1,420 USD. This means the watch is a nice mixture of uniqueness and affordability.
