Gagà Laboratorio Deconstructs Tradition with the Aqualab, a Fresh Take on Modern Dive Watches

Renowned for breaking boundaries, Italian brand Gagà Laboratorio is making waves with its latest offering, the Aqualab dive watch. Shunning traditional tool-watch conventions, the Aqualab embodies the tenets of design-driven sportswear. A unique combination of technical acumen and lifestyle appeal, it is marketed as a hybrid object ’engineered for the sea, designed for life’. Rather than focusing purely on functionality and building from there, the brand starts with form in developing their watches. The Aqualab’s case architecture exudes the brand’s identity with its rounded volumes, fluid transitions, and a tangible sculptural presence on the wrist. Although not a typical angular dive watch, the Aqualab incorporates softer forms that mirror contemporary industrial design rather than conventional underwater tools. Despite its unconventional design, the watch ensures functionality. An innovative dual-crown configuration allows wearers to control an internal rotating bezel, ensuring functionality within a streamlined case silhouette. This integrates technical features in a way that harmonizes with, rather than dominates, the overall design. Notably, the Aqualab showcases a distinctive display format. In place of a traditional handset, the watch pairs a digital-style hour display with an analog minute indication and a central seconds disc. The layered design is visually engaging while remaining legible, with significant use of Super-LumiNova for low-light visibility. Powered by the La Joux-Perret G100 automatic movement, the Aqualab offers a 68-hour power reserve and operates at 4 Hz. Its well-respected modern calibre aligns with the watch’s positioning as an everyday sports utility rather than a solely experimental design piece. Constructed with a 44mm stainless steel case and a thickness of 15mm, the Aqualab is water-resistant to 200 meters, making it an optimal accessory for recreational diving. Equipped with a double-curved sapphire crystal feature for enhanced legibility and a screw-down caseback, the Aqualab also boasts a robust construction. The timepiece’s use of an HNBR rubber strap underscores its aquatic focus while offering flexibility and resilience. The Aqualab comes in three variations, each embodying a unique personality. Whether it’s the lively Aquamarine version drawing inspiration from coastal sceneries, or the Anthracite model with its darker tones that emphasize the instrumental qualities of the watch, there is an Aqualab for every explorer.