There is no doubt that dive watches hold a special place in the hearts of many collectors, ourselves included. 

In fact, Analog:Shift was founded over ten years ago with its eyes set squarely on vintage divers. With their simple designs and robust movements, the tool watches of the 1960s and 1970s were built to accompany the adventurer across the globe and to keep time at its greatest heights, as well as within its darkest depths. Yet for every Rolex Submariner, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, or Omega Seamaster, there were scores of other lesser-known names that ooze charm and merit consideration from the vintage watch enthusiast.

So many interesting watch brands have been lost to time. From the well-known to the completely unrecognizable, any number of Swiss brands failed to survive the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s, folding completely and disappearing or being rolled up into conglomerates that pillaged their stores of parts.

Nautilus is one such example. A German brand once based in Munich, Nautilus sold dive serious automatic and quartz dive watches in the 1970s and 1980s, among which was the robust Atlantic. 

This particular Atlantic is housed in a 43mm stainless steel ‘cushion’ case with pointed crown guards and a sapphire crystal, it features a unidirectional yellow gold capped bezel with a black 'gilt' aluminum insert, a beautiful glossy black 'gilt' Tritium dial with a matching modified gold-tone handset, and a date window at 3:00. Powered by an automatic movement, it comes paired to a black Tropic rubber strap with a stainless steel pin buckle.

If you’re on the hunt for a cool, vintage tool watch that takes cues from the best in classic models, then consider that hunt over…