Scurfa M.S. 25

Oscar from IG: Tracked_by_Time           

Like many of you, I have been trying to score the elusive Scurfa Diver One for approximately two years and somehow have always come up empty handed. With much patience and after two years of trying coupled with the assistance from my wife I was able to finally get a hold of not one, not two, but THREE Scurfa M.S. 25’s. As of late, Scurfa has made it a bit easier by announcing when they’ll be having their drops but the question always seems to be…what time? I’ve seen drops appear at 5:30am (EST) and I’ve seen drops go online at 10am (EST). Honestly, if you really want one just be prepared to be refreshing your browser all day on drop day. A helpful hint is to follow the Scurfa Owners Group on Facebook. There is always someone who posts when the drops have gone live.

 D-Day: Drop Day

I had missed the drop on the normal Diver One and Bell Diver just a week or two prior and didn’t have high hopes that I’d score an M.S. 25. I’ve suffered all the usual moments of false hopes many have suffered. The last time with my attempt at a Diver One, I placed the watch in my cart and was loading my Paypal info, hitting submit, only to learn the watch was no longer available. This time, I recruited my wife who works from home and with our combined efforts of refreshing our browsers every few seconds, she was successful in scoring me the Stainless Steel M.S. 25. The following Sunday, 8/24/25, I just happened to go on the Scurfa website and saw the PVD had dropped. I immediately took to Paypal and tried to purchase it. As my usual luck would have it, Paypal glitched and gave me a notice it had timed out. In a frenzy, I got back on the Scurfa site and luckily placed the order. It was only several hours later that I learned my first attempt didn’t time out, it actually went through. So not only was I getting one PVD, I was getting two.

Shipping: FAST

Scurfa charged me $25 to ship my package overseas with DHL. My PVD was ordered on Sunday and arrived on Thursday. It traveled from England to Florida so that in itself was impressive. I very much appreciated how quick they got it processed and into my hands.

Now what?

I now purchased not one, not two, but accidentally three M.S. 25 watches. The question would be, is the hype real or did I just go all in on a watch I’ve never seen or held before. I again, bought not one but three. I thought to myself there couldn’t be any way that the hype would live up to my expectations. What was so special about these watches? Were people buying into the story of the owner Paul Scurfield, a commercial diver of 30 years, who designed and is selling a watch that he has actually put through the real pressures during his professional diving career? What is it? Wherein lies the magic? Wherein lies the hype?

Let’s address it. Sure, the story of Paul Scurfield definitely has something to do with why these watches are so popular. This is a guy who is in fact a commercial diver and who has in fact taken these watches on his dives. That in itself is cool enough. So we have a dive watch that is designed by an actual commercial diver who actually uses these watches in these cold, dark, and unforgiving underwater environments. He has actually tested these helium escape valves. Who else can say that?

Is it the specs for the price? Shipped to me in South Florida, I paid $428.16 for just the M.S. 25. We’ll get to these specs later as they are listed below.

 

The watch: Upon receiving the M.S. 25 and having it in my hands, it just felt right.

Here are the specs directly from the Scurfa website (see Scurfa Specs). 

What did I notice first?

I immediately felt what I like to feel in a dive watch, the bit of weight from the stainless steel case. It felt right not too heavy and not too light at 100g. I then started what many of us go to next on a dive watch, the bezel. It has a very distinct click which is very tactile and dare I say it, feels far better than that of the new Omega Seamaster 300 no date. The new Seamaster 300 no date was a watch I had been closely eyeing as a future purchase until I turned its bezel…sigh (disappointing). What did I explore next you ask? I went straight to my next favorite feature of a watch. The lume. The lume did not disappoint. Not only did it not disappoint, it actually impressed! I will say that when the specs on the M.S. 25 were first published, I was saddened they moved away from the BGW9 as it has become a favorite of mine. There’s something about the bluish hue from my Pelagos and Raven Endeavour that I love and find cool to look at so the thought of green lume did not excite me and that was just a personal preference. Well, I was wrong to question the decision. The lume on the M.S. 25 models is fantastic.

As a law enforcement diver who often is called to enter the murky South Florida canals and lakes where I can always guarantee zero visibility, I like a legible dial and bezel. I tested the watch as I normally do and gave it a quick flash with my flashlight and it was an instant torch. The lume on this M.S. 25 upon receiving a quick flash from my light is comparatively responsive as that of my Tudor Pelagos. This thing is bright and good because I love lume. Did I mention that already? The M.S. 25 comes on a 5-stripe nylon strap which pairs well. You’ll find the same strap on both the stainless and the PVD M.S. 25. The only difference will be the hardware. The hardware on the straps match the case of the watch they came with. Scurfa also includes a rubber strap with your purchase. The hardware on the rubber straps also matches each respective watch. I opted to purchase a bracelet for the stainless-steel model. The bracelet is a pin and collar system which compared to my Seikos, this bracelet was a breeze to resize. I can confirm the talks and what I’ve seen reported that the bracelet and spring bars are very tight and precise. Despite that, I had no issues with removing spring bars or installing the bracelet. It’s all machined very nicely for that nice tight fit. I came to really like these spring bars supplied by Scurfa. It should also be noted that each strap or bracelet package comes with a set of spring bars.

Let’s go back to the hype. Did the hype meet my expectations? Absolutely. You’re getting a well-built quality watch with loads of great features for $375.83 not counting taxes or shipping. My favorite features aside from the obvious movement and aesthetic appeal is the bezel and lume. The fully graduated bezel is very legible and the C3 Swiss SuperLumiNova is incredibly bright. This is a tool watch and there is no mistaking it. It’s about functionality. You’re getting a watch with 500m of water resistance, domed sapphire crystal, helium escape valve, C3 Swiss SuperLumiNova, and drilled lugs for $375. It’s hard to top this. This, combined with the fact that you’re interacting with the actual family behind the brand, makes this extra special for me. I’m sold.

I’d like to say that I hope the hype dies down, but I only say this because I’d like more people to get access to this watch. I imagine the frenzy is great for the brand. It also makes the purchasing process much more special. Good things are worth the wait. It’s been very challenging to get my hands on a Scurfa and the excitement that came with it once I received the email my order was processing was a relief. To finally get it in my hands was another and well, to accidentally order two PVD models was special in itself. I was able to supply the extra watch to someone who had also missed countless drops. As I typed this final line, I rolled my wrist and saw the Scurfa logo on the clasp of my watch. It’s very cool to finally have it. Yes, it’s worth the wait and yes it lives up to the hype. A solid diver for a phenomenal price. This watch will definitely satisfy any customer who gives it a shot.