A ProfessionalWatches.com reader has shared a few images of his U-Boat Flightdeck Ref 6119. Powering the Flightdeck chronograph is a Valjoux 7750 movement. The stainless steel case is 50 mm in diameter. Oversized canteen style crown. Flat sapphire crystal. Clear caseback. Water-resistance 100 meters (328 ft). Black leather strap. Retail $3,400

(Thanks to Winston Loh)

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U-Boat watches are an ode to professional instruments and instrumentation. In a meeting with Italo Fontana, founder and designer of U-Boat watches, I learned that much of his inspiration comes from extraordinary machines like racing cars, or jet fighters and the instrumentation found inside them. The successful Flightdeck collection and the lesser known Thousands of Feet series are examples of U-Boat watches that spawned from this passion. A second important source of inspiration for Italo's watchmaking career is a concept that his grandfather had proposed to the Italian Navy in 1942. The numerals and left handed configuration of U-Boat watches spurred from these drawings and were originally revived in 2009 by the giant, 65mm, U-1942. The limited edition U-42, unveiled in March 2010, is based on the U-1942 but scaled down to a 53mm size and to a more accessible price range.

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This is a preview of one of the three new watches that will be presented by U-Boat at Baselworld next month.

The 1001, before its unusual features are unveiled, will be presented to the public in an aluminium technological casket, visible only through a riveted port hole, reminiscent of a deep abyss.

On opening the box, the unusual nature of the 1001 will be immediately apparent, starting with the 55-millimetre diameter grade 2 natural titanium box, with the distinctive position of the rim protection on the left, helium valve and titanium plate bearing the serial number.

The face is easy to read because it has hours, minutes, seconds and the date at 4 o'clock. There are supernova pigments with beige, orange or blue, which make the white U1001 writing in relief stand out.

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Titanium offers many extraordinary characteristics. Its colour, its strength, and mainly its light-weight are the material's main advantages. The low density of the metal makes it particularly useful when manufacturing large watches. It is therefore not surprising that U-Boat, a company very familiar with large watches, is accustomed to using titanium. Thanks to the metal's structural properties, and to U-Boat's advanced Italian manufacturing capabilities, the Classico Titanium is as robust as it is stylish.

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