Hands-On With The Vintage-Inspired Wren Diver 38 Seafoam

Last December, I had a chance to go hands-on with the Diver One Snow from Wren Watches. This brand is the brainchild of Wrist Enthusiast founder Craig Karger, and the first efforts went over very well with watch fans. Labeled as a passion project, the Diver One and its success might lead to something much bigger, especially seeing what Karger came up with for the follow-up. With the new Wren Diver 38, he took all that was good about the first model, made it slightly smaller, and added some upgrades. Recently, I was lucky enough to check out the new Diver 38 Seafoam version, the first of two new models. The second is the Diver 38 Aqua, and they make for an interesting evolution of Wren’s first watch.

At first glance, besides the colors, you might not see big differences between the new Diver 38 Seafoam and the Diver One Snow. But Wren founder Craig Karger took it upon himself to create an objectively better watch. It starts with a smaller 38mm case, marking a 3mm reduction from the Diver One. It’s a change that many fans will love because it means the Diver 38 is suitable for a greater variety of wrist sizes. Second, the watch has a ceramic bezel insert featuring Super-LumiNova, so it lights up in the dark. Third, Karger switched calibers from the Sellita SW200-1 to the more premium ETA 2892-A2 with a customized rotor visible through the display case back. Last but not least, the new bracelet features a toolless extension system that lets you size it perfectly. These are more than enough reasons to take the Diver 38 for a spin.

The specs of the Wren Diver 38 Seafoam

Let’s start with some specs. The new Diver 38 has a 38mm stainless steel case with a 10.7mm thickness, a 45mm lug-to-lug, and a 200m water resistance rating. The case is matched with a three-row flat-link bracelet, and both feature a clear PVD coating for increased scratch resistance.

Topping the case is a unidirectional bezel with a gray ceramic insert featuring white markings and numerals. As mentioned, these light up in the dark due to the application Super-LumiNova. Underneath the box-style crystal, you will find a gradient dial that changes color from mint green to gray at the edges. It’s the same gray shade used for the bezel insert, creating an interesting effect that looks like the dial flows directly into the bezel.

As the dial has a sandwich construction, the upper layer features cut-out hour markers, and a luminous disc sits underneath. As you can see, the hour markers are also connected to the five-minute markers for a nice visual touch. The “Swiss Made” designation sits within the minute track and straddles the 6 o’clock index.

The Diver 38 is also available in date or non-date versions. If you prefer your Wren Diver 38 with a date window, it will be at 6 o’clock. Finishing the classic look is a set of sword-style hour and minute hands and a thin lollipop seconds hand.

Overall, the retro design feels balanced, and I think Wren did well to offer the watch with and without a date. Besides this green-dial Seafoam version, there’s also the Aqua variant, which comes with a blue gradient dial. Furthermore, it features a black bezel insert and uses cream-colored lume that immediately gives it more vintage vibes than the Seafoam model we had in for review.

A higher-grade caliber

Wren upgraded the movement inside the case from a Sellita SW200-1 to the more premium ETA 2892-A2. As most of you will know, the Sellita SW200-1 is based on the ETA 2824. The ETA 2892 is a higher-end and thinner option, allowing the Diver 38 a slender 10.7mm profile.

The caliber operates at 28,800vph, has 21 jewels, and offers 42 hours of power reserve. The movement is visible thanks to the sapphire display case back, which features a custom skeletonized rotor with a wren worked into the design. It’s a nice technical upgrade, and seeing the caliber at work is a nice bonus.

Wearing the Wren Diver 38 Seafoam

Another upgrade is the new clasp for the bracelet. The flat-link bracelet has stayed, but the fold-over clasp now features a push-button operated micro-adjuster, allowing a 12mm extension. It is a fairly straightforward system that we have seen before on the Unimatic Modello Uno Pro Divers bracelet.

While I prefer the more integrated toolless micro-adjustment systems, like the one used for the Tusenö Shellback V2, this solution offers the comfort of sizing the bracelet in seconds and is, therefore, a welcome upgrade. However, I must add that I was able to size the bracelet perfectly and easily thanks to the screw pins. By taking out two links on either side of the clasp, the Diver 38 fit my 18.5cm (7.3″) wrist perfectly.

That’s also where I noticed the biggest differences from the Diver One. I was immediately impressed by how nicely proportioned the new Diver 38 looks and feels. It is a joy to put on the wrist and wear for the day. I also love the look of the dial and bezel, which seemingly fade smoothly from one to another. Mint green and gray work incredibly well together and make the Seafoam model seem more special because this color combination isn’t very common in watches.

Final thoughts on the Wren Diver 38 Seafoam

The overall feel of the Wren Diver series is similar to the Oris Divers Date and Divers Sixty-Five. The skin-diver appeal is firmly rooted in the 1950s and ’60s, but thanks to the modern execution, the new Diver 38 is a great daily wearer.

Additionally, it is a step up from the Diver One, which was already a great debut model. With the new Diver 38, Craig Karger wants to move Wren forward and create better products every time. In a world full of affordable dive watches, brand owners need to strive for that constantly. I think Karger did a great job in achieving it with the Diver 38.

Wren will produce this upgraded Diver 38 in limited numbers, and the first 100 will be individually numbered. The upgrades have bumped the price up to US$1,595 (ex. taxes and import duties).

You can now pre-order the two Wren Diver 38 models from the Wrist Enthusiast webstore. Shipping is expected to start in September or October 2025. It will be interesting to see whether fans will jump on this new and improved version of the Wren Diver. I was more impressed by this new version than I was with the inaugural models, which makes me excited to see what is next for the brand.