Life is full of unnecessary upgrades, like that snorkel for your Jeep, or The Weather Channel in HD. Taking watches back to the basics: Tsovet.

Based in LA, Tsovet describes their old-school industrial wares as “a collection of cool LP records in their original sleeves in a world of otherwise formless MP3 files” (excellent work from Tsovet's Director of Metaphors). All models sport Swiss mechanics, and most feature crisply fonted numerals and aerospace-grade 316L stainless steel frames; designs take inspiration from vintage Russian dive watches and compasses, F86 Sabre Jet gauges, and control panels from Korean War-era crash boats -- which, despite their name, apparently had more than one mode of operation. Price points range widely ($350-$2000), with style options spanning from the circle-cased, calf-leather-strapped SVT-LX73 w/ orange numerals and stitching, to the square-cased, brown-leather-strapped, rose-gold-faced "AT351612" -- which after much debate won out over the less industrial-sounding "Golden Rosey Face".

Tsovet's also debuting a ltd edition SVT-AT76 model at Fred Segal, selling only 25 uniquely numbered pieces w/ contrast orange/brown band and aqua-colored numerals, which might be tough to read when you're underwater, wishing you'd installed that snorkel.