The Hei-Matau was a fish-hook shape carved out of ivory, bone shell, or wood. Over time, those carvings have become ornate and are used as jewelry.  To the Maori people, who are the native people of New Zealand, the Hei-Matau is a cultural treasure.  The symbol represents several ideas including strength, safe passage over water, and good luck.  It's origins come from Maori legend, which holds that the North Island of New Zealand was once a huge fish that was caught by the great mariner Maui.  He managed this amazing feat using only a woven line and a hook made from the jawbone of his grandmother.  The fish hook shows the Maori peoples deep ties to fishing and to Tangaroa, the god of the sea.  Though originally used as a tool to catch fish, it morphed into an ornamental symbol as the Maori people began trading with Europeans.

Our "water drop" logo for Aquacy Dive Watches takes inspiration from the Hei-Matau and the moment in history famed explorer James Cook first made contact with the Maori in 1769.  It is also how our 1769 series got it's name.  

It seemed only natural that this symbol representing safe passage over water would be used in our dive watches.  We were genuinely surprised that, given the prevalence of Hei-Matau inspired jewelry, it had never been used for dive watches. 

We decided to changed that with the creation of the Aquacy brand and we hope to do it justice by being the best value in dive watches.