Owner's Review: The Serica 5303-3 COSC Diving Chronometer Is Parisian Perfection

Picture the scene: a hectic work week ends with a quick bite at your favorite Italian trattoria, then you hustle a few blocks afterwards to a dimly lit West Village jazz club to catch a blazing first set from the house band. Glancing down at your wrist, you see you have just enough time to cab it to the airport for the redeye to Paris for a well-deserved long weekend, beachfront on the Côte d'Azur. But the watch on your wrist isn’t a vintage Rolex GMT-Master or Omega Seamaster 300, although either would be a fine choice to segue from the office to the French Riviera without missing a beat. No, your timepiece is from Serica, a microbrand based in France with enough Continental cool and midcentury charm to appear as if it just popped out of a time capsule from 1962. If ever a modern sports watch evoked the Mad Men era, this is it.

Even though it’s only been in existence since 2019, Serica doesn't feel like a typical microbrand. In fact, it has the aura of an established horological icon, one with its own storied history and visual language. And if it’s not readily apparent, I’m positively obsessed with the entire Serica aesthetic. 

Serica's French-designed, Swiss-made creations blend the refinement of classic Parisian fashion with the urbane cool of a European matinee idol. The company’s debut release was the W.W.W field watch, followed by the 5303 diver that made its bow in 2021, in both black and white-dialed variants. A new colorway was offered the following year, the 5303-3 in Bleu Cristallin (Crystal Blue). The brand has since refined its field watch, as well as released its own GMT model, the 8315. In 2023, Serica upped the ante by upgrading its movements, now all featuring COSC certification for greater accuracy, and it’s this new version of the 5303-03 that’s the subject of this review.

From the moment its watches appeared on my radar, it became clear to me that Serica had someone like myself and my personal taste in mind when it created the 5303. In fact, if it hadn’t designed this watch, science would have had to create it in a lab; that’s how perfect it is for me. With its trim 39mm diameter, 12.2mm case height, and lug-to-lug of 46.5mm, the 316L stainless steel case’s dimensions hit that vintage sweet spot dead-on. The sweeping lyre lugs are 20mm wide, and feature a blend of fine satin brushing and polishing that recalls vintage Omega and Universal Genève, but with a silhouette all its own. The clever dual-scale steel and polished ceramic bezel tracks both dive times and a second time zone, and it has a soft click that left me weak in the knees the first time I turned it. It’s rendered in the most delicate shade of blue, too, with an almost translucent appearance resembling the pale blue of chalcedony stone, and features a lumed pip at 12 o'clock. 

The 5303 also happens to be anti-magnetic, shockproof, and water resistant to 300 meters, ensuring it’s highly capable as well as utterly dashing. Other highlights include a screwed-in caseback, a superbly functional 8mm screw-down crown, and a gently double-domed sapphire crystal for that vintage-correct look. The crown deserves special mention: it appears oversized when compared to more traditional crowns, but that extra-large diameter, in conjunction with its low profile, makes for a winding and time-setting experience that’s an ergonomic masterpiece. The dimensions allow for a grip and precision lacking in other timepieces, many with far higher price tags. Additionally, in what’s sure to be a popular option with southpaws, you can order your 5303 with a destro crown at nine, if you so choose.

The deep, midnight blue dial has a countenance so dark, it appears black in lower lighting conditions, but the shade complements the bezel color perfectly. 

Bright white hands and printed dial markers pop with the graphic energy of a ‘60s jazz album cover, and the white-on-dark background offers the added benefit of being superbly legible. I happen to prefer green lume to blue, as I feel it adds to the vintage vibe with a look that more closely resembles tritium. The lollipop hour markers extend away from the outer track — an unconventional look to be sure, but one that makes complete sense once you see how they meet the broad-arrow hour hand. It’s a quirky, retro look that’s become part of Serica’s design DNA. Quarter hours are represented by rectangular plots, and in a touch that pleases me personally, none of this harmonious composition has been broken up by the interruption of a date window. Dial text is refreshingly minimal, with “CHRONOMÈTRE” atop “300 m - 1000 ft” below the center pinion, and a miniscule “SERICA - SWISS” designation above the minute track at 6 o'clock.

Serica has trumpeted the fact that since last year, all of its movements are now COSC Chronometer certified; that is, Swiss-manufactured and accurate to within -4/+6 seconds per day. Additionally, once cased, Serica further tests the completed watch heads to its own standard, known as “Grande Chronomètre”.

Further, the automatic Soprod Caliber M100 that Serica utilizes has a soft-iron inner structure that offers an antimagnetic rating of more than 50,000 A/M. The movement has a beat rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour, 25 jewels, a power reserve of 42 hours, hacking and hand-winding. In a thoughtful touch, Serica specifies a higher level of decoration for the movement, which features côtes de Genève finishing. It’s hidden behind the closed caseback, but I find it to be a declaration of the craftsmanship throughout Serica’s entire lineup.

The included tapered, stainless-steel Milanese mesh bracelet has to be on the highlight reel for this watch. It’s exceptionally well-finished, comfortable, and frankly, a sensual experience that feels truly luxurious, if a bit flashy for everyday wear. The machined clasp and fully articulated endpiece links are exquisitely finished, and although the bracelet is a bit fiddly to strap on at first, once it’s secured, few can match its comfort. Despite this, the 5303 is a total strap beast, and I find myself swapping between a tropic-style rubber and a stitched leather strap in pale gray/blue most often, but this is a watch that begs experimentation in this department.

Believe it or not, this Serica has virtually eliminated my lust for vintage divers. Now, don’t get me wrong, I would love to own a vintage Zodiac Sea Wolf, but in practical terms, that’s hardly a daily driver.  It’s mostly down to the brand's heartbreakingly beautiful designs, thoughtful touches, accented with a dash of French sophistication. The devil is in the details, details like the Wedgewood-esque blue of the ceramic outer bezel. The lyre lugs recall vintage Omega, but you’d never mistake one brand for the other. Then there’s the oversized 8mm crown, which appears a bit extra upon first glance, but reveals its genius once you wind the watch for the first time. Add in its sinuous mesh bracelet, and the watch glows up with enough panache to own just about any setting you care to put yourself in. The sum total of the 5303 deftly crafts the perfect blend of Jet Age flair in a capable, contemporary package.

When it comes down to it, the French have style on lock. The Serica 5303-3 is subtle, sure, and serene in its blue splendor. This is a tool watch I wouldn’t hesitate to pair with a Tom Ford tuxedo, up for just about anything the day (or night) throws my way. It is priced at 1490,00€ (or about $1,650) and is available at  www.serica-watches.com.