Damasko Three-hand Models watches

Damasko's three-hand models sit in the German brand's current collection alongside its chronographs and diver watches. Damasko works from Regensburg and entered the market in 1994; Konrad Damasko's background was in fine metal components for the aeronautical industry.

The difference is in the case steel. Damasko uses its own patented, nickel-free alloy and ice-hardens it all the way through, to about 760 HV, rather than hardening only the surface. The crown screws directly into the case, is hardened to the same standard and decouples from the movement when it is screwed down. Crystals are flat sapphire, anti-reflective on both sides. BLACK versions have all their steel parts finished in Damasko's DAMEST coating.

The DA series is the pilot's watch of the group. The DA36 sets the tone: a flieger triangle at 12, a neon-yellow seconds hand as the one splash of colour, and an ETA 2836-2 with day and date in a 40 mm case that takes a 20 mm strap and is water resistant to 100 m. The DA20 to DA38 share that 40 mm size; the three-digit DA343 to DA373 move up to 42 mm, and the DA42 to DA47 add a rotating bezel on a 41.9 mm case, with either a 12-hour scale or a 0–60 dive scale. The DK10, DK11, DK14 and DK15 are bigger again, 42.8 mm across and 14.2 mm thick with a 12-hour bezel. Damasko's current DK models, such as the DK36, run its in-house A26 calibres; the A26-3 has a silicon escape wheel, bidirectional pawl winding and a 42-hour power reserve.

The DS30 is the slim one: 39 mm and 9.95 mm thick, in bead-blasted, surface-hardened submarine steel rather than ice-hardened steel, with an SW200 fitted with a silicon escape wheel (38-hour power reserve) and 200 m water resistance. Damasko builds it with a matte black dial and the pointer in blue, yellow or green; the DS30 Ocean and DS30.obo have blue dials. The DH models come at 40 mm (DH1.0, DH2.0) and 42 mm (DH3.0), the DH1.0 with a dive bezel.