Diving watches

[Rayk]

I love my SKX, but I don't think I'd recommend someone try to buy one now unless they got a massive deal on it. The prices have skyrocketed, and it's no longer worth it. The 7s26 movement isn't really all the great, although it will certainly take a beating and keep running for many years. For the money that SKX's are going for now, I'd just suggest someone get a tuna, turtle, or a monster instead.

You're spot on about the 5KX crap though. I don't understand why Seiko did that. All they had to do was put the 4r36 movement inside the SKX case (which I think are the same as the 5KX ones) and drill out the lug holes. Presto - new, updated SKX. Instead they give us a diver-looking watch with less water resistance and a higher price.

In my opinion, one of the best bang-for-the-buck values in dive watches come from Mido. Yeah, they cost about twice what an entry-level Seiko costs, but you get Swiss made watch with a fantastic Powermatic 80 movement. I have the Mido Ocean Star Tribute and the thing consistently runs +1-2spd. And it has the most comfortable bracelet I've ever worn, with a ratcheting extension that is perfect for the warmer months when my wrist swells during the day.

Midos are stellar watches. Squale and Marathon also huge value for money. (Price of Marathons recently increased however still possible to find them 1-1.2k range)

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I bought a beautiful Seiko Tuna from Japan a couple of years ago. I love the style and look but then realized I could pay for an entire dive trip with the money I could sell it for. No more Tuna.

 

[DAJ]

I'm wondering how your friend lost a watch in Lake Poway - must have been fishing, not diving?

Sorry for the late reply, I missed the question. No, it was diving. I have made dozens of dives in that lake. Our dive unit was there to do some work on the dock and film some stuff by the intakes. He has no idea where it might have come off. Guy would come out of a dive and dump wet gear on top of his Ferrari but always had the cheapest dive gear made. Never made sense to me but to each their own, I guess.

 

[Outbound]

Midos are stellar watches. Squale and Marathon also huge value for money. (Price of Marathons recently increased however still possible to find them 1-1.2k range)

Yup, love my Squale 1521 Onda too! It’s a poor-man’s Yachtmaster. Lol.

 

[brsnow]

About every 20 yrs I pick up another tag classic 200, anything in the 2500 range that is better or worth looking at? My previous ones have been great, functional, stylish, and durable.

 

[El Diablo]

I love my SKX, but I don't think I'd recommend someone try to buy one now unless they got a massive deal on it. The prices have skyrocketed, and it's no longer worth it. The 7s26 movement isn't really all the great, although it will certainly take a beating and keep running for many years. For the money that SKX's are going for now, I'd just suggest someone get a tuna, turtle, or a monster instead.

You're spot on about the 5KX crap though. I don't understand why Seiko did that. All they had to do was put the 4r36 movement inside the SKX case (which I think are the same as the 5KX ones) and drill out the lug holes. Presto - new, updated SKX. Instead they give us a diver-looking watch with less water resistance and a higher price.

In my opinion, one of the best bang-for-the-buck values in dive watches come from Mido. Yeah, they cost about twice what an entry-level Seiko costs, but you get Swiss made watch with a fantastic Powermatic 80 movement. I have the Mido Ocean Star Tribute and the thing consistently runs +1-2spd. And it has the most comfortable bracelet I've ever worn, with a ratcheting extension that is perfect for the warmer months when my wrist swells during the day.

You are totally right.

There are a few brands I forgot, Mido being one of them. I also forgot to mention Hamilton or Christopher Ward... sorry for the fans of the brands

 

[El Diablo]

Very true. I'll never tell other people how to spend their money, and if folks like and want to wear expensive watches that's absolutely fine with me. I have plenty of dive watches, although none of them approaching that level of luxury. And, if people want to wear dive watches for diving, that's fine with me too. But I do find it a little humorous when people say that they wear their expensive dive watches as a backup in case of a dive computer failure. For the price of even an entry-level automatic dive watch you can just buy an inexpensive backup computer and can forgo having to work dive tables if your main computer fails. I wear dive watches (on land) because I tend to like the styling and find the timing bezel convenient for a lot of tasks. And I occasionally wear one for a day of diving so I can easily tell the time and can plan when I need to get out of the water and start to head back home before the missus gets mad that I've been gone all day. But I definitely don't justify it as a backup device. To each his/her/their own though.

They can't use any watch as a backup unless they planned their dive using the dive tables prior to hitting the water

In addition, for the average person, wearing a 10K watch over a wetsuit is one more distraction and they will spend half of the dive trying not to bang it or scratch it just to show it off for a few minutes on the boat.
Of course, there are some folks that simply don't care and 'wear their scratches with pride' until they realize that every time they polish their watch it gets 'smaller' Lol.

I use a Suunto D5 wirelessly connected and because the dial is small and my eyes getting older, a Cressi Digi 2 as a backup that still calculates remaining air (just in case). Besides telling me the current time / dive time, without proper planning, a simple dive watch would do nothing for me.

 

[El Diablo]

DAYNIGHT SCUBA TRITIUM T-100 SWISS AUTOMATIC DIVER - Archives

www.deepbluewatches.com

I don't want to spoil any party BUT those watches are made in Honk Kong and they use low level Miota & Seiko movements. They are based in NY it seems but obviously outsource the whole thing.
You are basically paying the same money for using a lower grade movement just because the case looks nice...

My main issue with this kind of microbrands is Customer Service and Service in general (the 2nd shouldn't be an issue as parts for those movements are easy to find).

I would definitely opt for a Seiko or Citizen in the 500€ segment. Many good watches in that price segment and better made definitely.

 

[El Diablo]

To be fair tho if your computer failed I am 100% willing to bet you use it as a back up tho….

How would you do that exactly?

Do you plan your dive using the Navy dive tables before each dive in addition to wearing a DC?
Probably not

 

[Outbound]

How would you do that exactly?

Do you plan your dive using the Navy dive tables before each dive in addition to wearing a DC?
Probably not

And how many people with computers wear dive watches and a depth gauge as backups? If my Teric fails, I have my Peregrine on my other wrist.