Satin Apeks ATX200?

[Scubamedicjoe]

I seen one of the black pearl .
they look great !!!!
I wish I had one to go with my original black atx 200.
hum wonder what they will charge for this one, its very pretty !!!!!!!!!!!
anyone have any idea what the cost will be for the black pearl .

 

[Zaphod]

My understanding is that the Black Pearl is not considered a "limited edition" item, but just another option in buying an ATX-200. That said, I think the price is just about the same as the satin finish; there might be a $20 or $30 premium on it, but not significant. The shop I'm with is outfitting the instructors and DMs with the Black Pearl and the only hardhat diver I've seen is on the first stage.

 

[ScubaRon]

Zaphod once bubbled...
My understanding is that the Black Pearl is not considered a "limited edition" item, but just another option in buying an ATX-200.

That is not what Apeks states: according to their announcement (in German) the Black Pearl is a limited edition and only 5,000 will be made.
ScubaRon

 

[rescuediver009]

The "premium" on the black pearl is a little more than $20. Expect to pay anywhere from $50-75 extra for the tagging. It does not however have any performance characteristics different than those found on the conventional ATX200.

 

[Zaphod]

Odd.... Our Aqualung sales rep., who apparently has laid his hands on a Black Pearl claims (a) it's not a limited edition, and (b) it's finished in Black Chrome. Then again, he sells in the U.S., not Germany.... Of course, he's been wrong before.

Also, our price is $10 more. Since everything is marked up 100%, I'm assuming that means $20 to the rest of the world (at least around here).

 

[SeaJay]

I have a LDS where I go and hang out every once in a while.

I got funny looks when they saw me coming in with a new Apeks ATX200 that I bought online. I got my usual ration of crap from them about purchasing online, but then... They decided to show me the Black Pearl.

"You coulda had this instead if you'd talked to me about it first." (I have in the past, and it's been a complete waste of time on every purchase, so I didn't bother this time.)

Frankly, I'm not a fan of the Black Pearl. The metal is darker - more like a pewter color - it definitely isn't black. The one I got is satin and relatively light in color, like the stainless steel that it is.

The hardhat diver on the front of the first stage is interesting... But it's not "etched." The entire "mural" is raised, not etched. I got a long spiel about the "unbelievable" process that it takes to make the mural. Yawn.

To me, it looks rather art-like. Not in the sort of art that's funtional, though. We're not talking The Sharper Image or Bang and Olefson or Lexus here... Not the sort of beauty in form and function... We're talking Cartier; design with no inherent purpose. It might be flattering to jewlery or to modern artisits - but it's not flattering to a piece of life support equipment. Instead of making it appear better machined or more ruggedly built, it makes it appear that the designers had everything but your safety in mind. The design actually detracts from the beauty of the unit, in my humble opinion. I can see how some people might like it, but I think it's gaudy, and I'd have paid $20 more for the plain one.

Curious, I asked how much it would cost.

"Well, they're in limited production, and so this one retails for around $800."

The Aqualung rep, who happened to be there working that day, chimed in with, "I've sold one, but it'll never see the water. This guy just wants it as a collector's item, to put next to his Mark 5 helmet."

I spent less than half of that online for my ATX200. I think the whole scuba industry is so far out of touch with reality that it makes me ill.

 

[rescuediver009]

Of course I am probably thinking in Canadian dollars. And there may even be a difference in the prodcut from US to CAN, but have you seen the new 2004 apeks catalogue? That is where it is depicted in thee satin finish instead of the black chrome... Even there it is really not satin but something called a PVD finish. Don't ask what it stands for...