As almost every weekend, I received a newsletter from OrologioChePassione last weekend as well. Normally, I just skim through it, but this time, the Hoffman Diver 40 watch caught my attention. I was already familiar with the Hoffman brand thanks to this store, as they’ve been selling Hoffman watches for quite some time. However, until now, I hadn't found anything from Hoffman particularly appealing. Their flagship collection is undoubtedly the Racing 40 line, which consists of chronograph watches powered by the Seiko VK64 mechaquartz movement. I believe there are currently 16 different models in this collection, and I recently read that — for the first time in a long while — all versions are in stock.
Although the mechaquartz concept is intriguing, offering a quartz watch with a mechanical chronograph module, I rarely go for quartz watches in general — and the Hoffman Racing 40 was no exception.
A few years ago, Hoffman also launched their first attempt at a diver’s watch with an automatic movement, named simply Diver 40. While that earlier Diver 40 had an attractive design with a nice sandwich dial, it was still quite "green" in other respects. With only 100 meters of water resistance — quite low for a diver — and powered by the basic Miyota 82xx automatic movement (an older version without hacking), it didn’t really stand out. I mention this earlier model only because it shares the same name as the watch we’re looking at today — the new Diver 40 — but the watch in front of us is an entirely different story.
The first thing that grabbed my attention about the new Diver 40 was the blue dial (the black version didn’t really appeal to me). What stood out most was the sunburst effect and the transition of colors from light blue to dark blue, as shown in the rendered images.
This was enough to lead me to the Hoffman website to check out more details about the watch. To be honest, the first thing I did was read the “About Us” section to learn more about the brand itself. I was surprised to discover that the company is actually based in and operates out of the USA.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the watch’s description: sapphire crystal with AR coating in a stainless steel case, SuperLuminova, an integrated FKM rubber strap, Seiko NH35 movement, and 200 meters of water resistance. I was slightly less enthusiastic about the 399 USD price tag, which includes shipping and import duties for the EU. The price at OrologioChePassione is €350 (plus shipping), so the prices are almost the same. But there’s good news — if you register on the Hoffman website, you get a 15% discount on your first purchase, and they also offer another 15% off your next order if you leave a review on their site. With this discount, the watch ends up being much cheaper on the official site than at OrologioChePassione, and the price starts to look much more reasonable.
Everything I saw and read convinced me to purchase the watch. However, before buying, I sent an email to check whether they actually ship the watch from the USA to the EU or if they have an EU-based warehouse. Although Hoffman charges all import duties upfront, customs clearance is still required if the watch is shipped from the USA. If it’s shipped from within the EU, this process can be avoided. So I asked this question simply to be prepared with all the necessary documentation for the import, if needed.
Even though I sent the question on a Sunday, I received a response the same day — they ship worldwide from the USA. I made the payment on Monday, and by Wednesday, the watch was already on my wrist, despite the customs procedures (and without any additional costs for me, of course). Their helpfulness and responsiveness are something you don’t often experience, even with the most renowned retailers.
Let’s now focus on the watch itself. The packaging is quite simple, but by no means bad. Inside the cardboard box is a leather travel case, and inside that — the watch.
Then I took a closer look at what attracted me the most: the color of the dial. I have to admit, I like it even more in person. The color transitions beautifully from almost grey to dark blue. The AR coating enhances the depth and intensity of the darker tones.
I’m slightly less impressed with the design of the dial. The applied hour markers consist of dots, lines, and a triangle at 12 o’clock. Sound familiar? Seen it before? Yes, of course. Many top diver’s watches have this exact same design — with the most iconic example being Rolex (Sea-Dweller or Submariner).
The second hand with a dot and the minute hand are also quite similar to the Sea-Dweller’s. Fortunately, the hour hand is straight and not the “Mercedes” style. Still, the conclusion is clear: Hoffman is clearly relying on proven concepts.
Interestingly, despite the fact that the movement offers a date complication, Hoffman chose not to include one, so the watch has no date (Submariner no-date, anyone?). Personally, I like this decision, as it makes the dial much cleaner and more readable. Though I admit I’m somewhat biased when it comes to date complications — I’ve reached the age where I can’t read the date without glasses, so I’d rather not have it at all.
The unidirectional steel bezel is also free of any extravagance — simple and effective, with 120 clicks. The grip is very good. A small empty space can be noticed between the clicks.
As you can see, the sapphire glass protrudes slightly above the bezel, which I personally don’t like. I prefer watches where the glass is perfectly aligned with the bezel.
The stainless steel case is lightly brushed — well executed, with no issues here. Everything looks very good.
The case back is simple, somewhat boring. It provides only basic information, with the most important being the serial number. This reveals that the watch is a limited edition of 200 pieces. It’s not entirely clear whether this number refers to all Diver 40 watches combined, or to each individual model. As I mentioned earlier, there are currently two models available (blue and black), and it has been announced that there will be five in total.
The crown is screwed in and signed with the H logo. Since the movement supports a date complication, the watch has an empty first crown position — which can be a bit confusing for users unfamiliar with the functions of this type of movement when setting the time.
I really like the integrated rubber strap. It’s very well and precisely fitted to the case, and there’s enough space behind the lugs for easy access, which makes swapping straps much simpler if needed. The strap is signed on the pin buckle, on the inside, and even on the strap holder — which is quite unusual but a nice touch.
The only thing that slightly bothers me is the taper: the strap narrows quickly from 20 mm at the lugs to just 16 mm at the buckle. For my slightly larger wrist, it took some time to get used to such a narrow end.
That said, the strap is extremely comfortable. Despite being quite thick, it’s soft. The thickness also adds a sense of quality and security, as it holds the watch firmly on the wrist.
The Luminova is absolutely impressive. It lasts a very long time, glows brightly, and is distributed across the watch in such a way that it remains perfectly readable even in the middle of the night — even for slightly older eyes. Truly, all praise is deserved.
And there’s something else worth mentioning. Incredible but true — the watch is remarkably accurate. For a Seiko NH3x movement, it's exceptionally precise. While the positional error is noticeable (which is normal for this type of movement), the regulation is excellent. After three days of continuous wear, the watch had gained only +3 seconds, averaging +1 second per day. To be fair, it was slightly behind on the first day, then +5 on the second, and after three days it settled at +3. Once again, for this type of movement — impressive.
Of course, I owe you a few wrist shots. The watch measures 40 mm in diameter, with a lug-to-lug of 48 mm and a height of just under 14 mm. These dimensions hit the sweet spot for most users, though personally, I find it a bit small for my wrist. An extra millimeter or two wouldn’t hurt — especially considering that the strap tapers quickly to just 16 mm (I would prefer 20/18 instead of 20/16).
That said, the size only bothered me on the very first day, particularly since I had been wearing the Sinn U212 with its impressive 47 mm diameter just before switching to the Hoffman. After that, I quickly got used to the size, and it no longer felt too small.
Final verdict: Hoffman has created a quite appealing watch that falls into the grab-and-go category. It’s an easy-going, versatile everyday watch. With the available discounts, it’s positioned in a very reasonable price range. If you’re looking for a watch of this type, you definitely won’t go wrong with the Hoffman Diver 40.
The quick response to all my questions and the fast shipping give the impression that they have excellent customer service, which I assume also extends to after-sales support. Overall, a clear thumbs up.
P.S.: Since I was already making a purchase, I also took the opportunity to get a Racing 40 with a blue panda dial. Only later did I find out that this particular model is actually being discontinued. I don’t plan to expand this review to cover the Racing 40 as well, but just to give you a better sense of what Hoffman offers, I’ve included a few pictures.
And by the way, Hoffman also released several models of a fully mechanical Racing 40 chronograph this year, apparently equipped with the Seagull ST19 movement (a Chinese clone of the Russian 3013 or the Venus 150). However, the price for those models doesn’t excite me — starting at 700 USD, which seems quite high for a watch with this type of movement. Well, I must be wrong, as apparently all of them are already sold out.
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