Hands-On: The Clemence Photic MKII

The term “photic zone” refers to the depth of the ocean to which light penetrates, allowing for photosynthesis. It’s where you find the most prolific and diverse marine life. While the actual depth limit of the photic zone varies in the oceans around the world, it is generally considered to be within the first 200 meters of the surface. Is it any coincidence that the minimum accepted depth rating of a dive watch is the same? Probably. Still, while depth ratings on dive watches can seem like a veritable race to the bottom, there are advantages to staying shallow. Consider the second generation, or “MKII” version of the aptly named Photic from the small British brand, Clemence.

Make no mistake, 200 meters is plenty deep, and well beyond the depth scuba divers venture. Not only are there the matters of oxygen toxicity and decompression to worry about, but there’s not a whole lot to see down there (no photosynthesis after all). So a 200-meter rated dive watch is perfectly suited for reef-combing and wreck exploring, and that’s if its wearer dives at all. 

What it also means is that the watch doesn’t have to be so overbuilt and hefty to survive the deep abyss. The original Photic was actually Clemence’s first watch when founder Tom Clemence launched his namesake company. That first generation had a handsome, modern, clean design that was part of a class of micro-brand divers that included the Méraud Bonaire and the Baltic Aquascaphe. With the MKII, the Photic gets further refinement, including upgraded steel and a slimmer profile.

Micro-brands have come a long way in the past 10 to 15 years. Not to disparage the early pioneers of the micro-brand boom, but their watches were often easy to distinguish from those by bigger, more established brands by their rough crown threading, loose bezels, uneven lume, and poor timekeeping, not to mention the off-the-shelf components. 

The Clemence Photic is a great example of how far things have come. On paper, the watch impresses, with attention to details like a slightly domed dial, applied and polished markers, single-sided screws for the bracelet, and the addition of a movement shock absorber and anti-magnetic shield. And that’s just the small stuff.

Dive watches are simple creatures, and those of us who favor them judge quality by a few key elements, the bezel being perhaps the most important. The bezel on the Photic Mk II has a solid but smooth, 120-click unidirectional ratchet with a Goldilocks tension of watches of a higher price bracket. 

This is thanks to the use of a ball-bearing click mechanism, as opposed to a simpler click spring. The timing ring is sapphire and offered in an array of colors, featuring simple dots and hashes for five-minute intervals and a triangle at zero. The bezel itself is made from upgraded 904L stainless steel, a harder, more corrosion-resistant alloy that Clemence says should resist wear and stay precise for longer.

The 39-millimeter case is milled from the more common 316L steel but is coated to achieve a hardness rating of 1,000 on the Vickers scale. In talking to Tom Clemence at the Toronto Timepiece Show, where I first saw the new Photic MKII, I could tell the changes to the case were what he was most proud of, specifically its thickness. Measuring from the top of the domed sapphire crystal, it comes in at 10.5mm, but if you put your calipers at the top of the bezel instead, it’s a hair under 10mm. That’s thinner than a Tudor Pelagos 39 or an Oris Diver 65, or most other divers for that matter. 

Accentuating the svelteness is a subtle, polished bevel on the lower edges of the case flank. Polished angles across the edges of the lugs continue the light play. The thinness and attention to detail might push the Photic into dress diver territory, especially on its classic, three-link tapered bracelet, but I tried it on a NATO (naturally), and the simplicity of the dial and the ghost timing ring keep it muted and sporty.

That bracelet is worth special attention, as it is excellent. It tapers from the 20mm lugs to 16mm at the clasp, for classic proportions, with fully articulated, chamfered links. The clasp itself is of the two-button variety and features an “on-the-fly” micro-adjust that extends by pressing a button inside the clasp. Beyond these few millimeters of fine-tuning, however, there is no dive extension, so if you’re wearing it over a thick sleeve, you’ll need to put it on a different strap. A rubber strap version of the Photic is also available from Clemence.

Inside the watch ticks a Miyota 9039 automatic movement, a dedicated no-date engine with 42 hours of power reserve, which Clemence has regulated in three positions for an accuracy range of +/- 12 seconds per day. This caliber is a known quantity found in several micro-brand watches, including the Baltic Aquascaphe. The addition of a soft iron shield enhances its magnetism resistance to an impressive 25,000 A/m, while not compromising the thickness of the overall profile. Clemence assembles the Photic MKII in the United Kingdom and makes the claim that it is a “carbon positive” product, with the company offsetting twice the lifetime carbon footprint and planting a native tree in Scotland for every watch sold.

Pricing for the Clemence Photic MKII is £600 (~$790) on bracelet, £525 (~$695) on rubber during the pre-order period, which opened on November 26th, going up to £625 on bracelet, £575 on rubber after December 11th. Watches will ship in February of 2026.

While the Photic MKII impresses with its overachieving features and quality, its aesthetics might be where it shines the most. It is a beautifully designed dive watch, blending some classic elements and proportions with fresh colorways. While I spent time with the most restrained variant, the “Shoal,” with a light grey dial and ghost bezel, the watch James photographed for this article is the “Kraken,” with the pale orange/yellow bezel and grey dial. There’s also a “Moray” edition with a black dial and bezel, a “Nemo” with a striking orange dial, and the base “Photic” with a blue dial. 

I’d have a hard time choosing a favorite. Regardless, the Clemence Photic MKII is evidence of the evolution of microbrand dive watches, and makes a case for staying shallow.

For more information, visit Clemence Watches online.