The 1970 is perhaps Dan Henry’s most sought after and revered time piece. Inspired by dual-crown dive watches (often referred to as “super compressors” though that’s not technically always correct), the 1970 perfectly captures an often overlooked style of dive watch with pitch perfect detailing, and an exceptionally reasonable price. Sporting a 200m water resistance, domed sapphire-coated mineral crystal and an automatic Seiko NH35A movement, with a sub $300 price tag, the 1970 was pretty much impossible to argue against. Originally available in 44 or 40mm and two colors, the majority of the 1970's are gone, with the 40mm versions being long sold out - well, until today.

Introducing the Dan Henry x Worn & Wound 1970 Limited Edition Collaboration

Since we first wrote about Dan Henry a few years ago, we’ve been wanting to create a collaboration with the man and the brand. Dan Henry’s mix of vintage source material, attention to detail, finishing quality and value made them a perfect candidate to work with, so we began the process almost two years ago. We were immediately drawn to the 1970 since it was the only mechanical watch in their catalog, a type of watch we hadn’t based a limited edition on before, and, simply put, we really liked it. Fun, comfortable, sporty, stylish, it checked every box.

But what to do with it? After the usual spin through some fun color variations, an idea popped into our heads. Dan Henry’s watches tend not to be based on a singular source, rather they mix a few to create homage-chimeras. In doing this, they are always strongly familiar and reminiscent of iconic watches, but never too on the nose either. So, we dug through our archive of watch inspiration images (yes, of course we have one) and came upon an incredibly cool, unique and under-appreciated watch to extract some DNA from for this project, the Enicar Sherpa-Ops.

One of those “collector’s choice” brands like Universal Geneve, Enicars are rare, eccentric and utterly gorgeous. Of all we’ve seen over the years, the Sherpa-Ops is the coolest. A dual-crown diver as well, it featured a unique crown guard that spanned between the two crowns, extending the case in width, giving it a very aggressive and rugged look. The dial then featured an appealing mix of gray and orange for high legibility and a sporty attitude. Lastly, and perhaps most exceptionally for the time period, it was available with a black PVD case.

So, with the Sherpa-Ops in mind, we started to play with the 1970 dial. The inner chapter ring has been turned dark gray, save the first 15 minutes, which is a white/fully lumed arc with orange numerals and black lines, speaking to the internal bezel of the Sherpa-Ops. The internal bezel of the 1970 has then been turned concrete gray with alternating white and orange markers. We also removed the date for a cleaner look, and made the hands full lume for improved low-light visibility.

Lastly, in keeping with the slick, mil-inspired attitude of the Ops, the Dan Henry x Worn & Wound 1970 Limited Edition is available with a PVD black case and a gray “tropical” rubber strap, as well as in standard brushed steel with a black “tropical” rubber. Another new addition, the gray rubber is out of control, really making the black version pop.

Needless to say, we’re extremely happy and excited with the result. It stays true to the 1970 that Dan Henry made so popular, subtly mixing the gray and orange of the originals, with a new attitude that we love. The finishing is remarkable, the lume seems more potent than ever, and the style is exceptional.

Limited to 300 watches with case-backs that have been inscribed “Limited Edition for W&W” and their serial, there are 150 per version. Priced at $290, the Dan Henry x Worn & Wound 1970 Limited Edition Collaboration is a great value. Get one while they last!