WATCH REVIEW: Dievas Maya Mk III

Road-testing the newest edition of the diver watch, we find there’s plenty to like.

The term ‘tool watch’ refers to timepieces that are designed and used for a specific purpose. This term became popular in the 1950s when the ultimate tool watch – the diving watch – was born.

Today, mechanical dive watches are more style than utility as diving computers have replaced them. However, brands like Dievas have adapted the functional design of tool watches for other purposes, such as customisation, as shown by its Maya Mk III.

Dievas is a German watch brand founded in 2006 by a Singaporean entrepreneur, and it focuses on producing accessible tool and aviation watches powered by Swiss movements. Its Maya dive watch, which has a depth rating of 1,000m, was first released in 2013, and it was subsequently improved upon with the Mk II in 2017. The Mk III is a further refinement of its predecessors, with an added creative element. Here’s what we discovered in our review of the watch.

Light, Yet Solid

The Maya Mk III is a 41mm diver housed in the brand’s 6Steel – 316L stainless steel treated with a hardening process – and just a little smaller than the Mk II. However, because of the Mk II’s large bezel and dial design, the Mk III looks significantly smaller with a slimmer bezel and uncluttered display. It has also added a transparent DLC coating on the case and bracelet of the Mk III to further protect the material from external elements.

The watches have a bead-blasted finish, giving them a strongly utilitarian look. Bracelet links are easily removed with a screwdriver – it took just a couple of minutes to remove the links to fit my wrist. For convenience, there’s also a quick adjustor on the folding clasp, which extends the bracelet by 5mm or so. Although it’s a thick watch, it feels surprisingly light.

The Maya Mk III’s bezel has a ceramic insert with a typical 15-minute diving track. The dial has Super-LumiNova-coated applied and sandwich hour markers to create a multi-layer effect, and the sandwich markers are sort of ‘bottle-shaped’. They match the design of the seconds hand, lining up perfectly when the seconds hand passes over the markers. The black dial has a blue-green lume, while the other two use a vintage lume. A small date window is positioned between the 4 and 5 o’clock markers.

Mixing and Matching

There are three versions of the watch, though we only tried two. The third, the Sealab Green, has a gradient green sunray-finish dial with dot-and-bar sandwich markers and a green-yellow bezel. The two regular models are in black and gradient blue. All are water-resistant to 1,000m. A helium escape valve is integrated into the case, just above the crown.

The bezel is where the Maya Mk III stands out. Four screws located over the lugs secure the bezel and can be removed with a hex key or screwdriver, and swapped out for another bezel. So, it’s possible to put the Sealab Green’s two-tone bezel on the blue or black model and create your own unique watch. The screws are easy to remove and reinsert; just make sure you don’t lose them in the process. Additional bezels are available for purchase separately at just S$221.49, and more colours will be released over time. In an era where everyone wants to own their unique look, this is a rather creative move by Dievas. 

The movement driving the watch is a Sellita SW200-1 with 38 hours of power reserve, ample if this is your daily beater. At S$1,831.84, this watch has plenty of value. We recommend adding a bezel or two to your purchase to get even more out of this diver.  

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