![]() However, while this will certainly play a role in the brand’s (and other’s) dive watch program, the Seiko focus continued to be two-pronged during the decade, with the development of its much-mythologized Professional Diver series on the one hand, and the furtherance of their 150m divers by way of several iconic designs. The 1970s were a tumultuous time for the watch industry as a result of another Seiko development, the quartz movement. ![]() It is now available in slightly more accessible formats, like the SBDX and SBDC series-also called the Baby Marine Master. Seiko 6159-7001 ( Source)Īs such, the watch is highly collectible today, and like the 62MAS, received its own limited edition re-issue in 2018, with the SLA021/23/25-lovingly dubbed the Marine Master. Production of this watch was limited to a single year between 1968-1969. The bezel was available both as a countdown and an elapsed time variant. The monobloc case remained and it featured a screwed-down crown. Based on the manually wound Grand Seiko calibre 6159A, the 36 000bph-movement meant increased accuracy for the Diver’s 300m. Shortly after the release of the 6215-010, Seiko introduced its first hi-beat movement (10 vibrations per second). The monobloc construction eliminated the need for a caseback and played a large role in the increased water resistance. But, of equal note, the new watch used a monobloc case and an upgraded 35-jewel, hackable movement with a fifteen-minute elapsed time bezel scale. Other than the doubling of its water resistance, the new watch would establish the emblematic placement of the crown in the 4 o’clock position. Seiko pushed its own envelope two years later with the release of their first 300m diver. While large for a watch of its era, the silhouette of the 62MAS would become the seminal shape for skin divers of its generation. ![]() The 6217 automatic movement used in the watch, vibrated at a frequency of 18 000bph. It also had a distinctly large, unprotected crown. It sported a bi-directional bezel for calculating dive times, drilled lugs, easily legible luminous hours markers, and similarly lumed hands. The original came in a 37mm tonneau-shaped case with squared off lugs and was water resistant to 150m. The 62MAS moniker is assumed to have originated from the first two digits of its reference number (6217-8000/1) and the term “autoMAtic Selfdater.” Nonetheless, it established, or reinforced, a number of the elements which would become touchstones of dive watch design. Seiko’s official name for the watch was the 62 Seikomatic Calendar (Diver’s Watch). Much of what came after has simply been variations on a theme. That’s how important the Diver’s 150M was to the development of dive watches. There are exceptions, and there are examples on this list that are rated for significantly deeper, but watch out for products that are styled like dive watches but don't offer decent water resistance.Ask an untutored layman to draw you a dive watch and he will probably reproduce-to alarming similarity-the 62MAS. ![]() What about water resistance? Just about anything that calls itself a dive watch will be rated to at least 200m. Even if you don't plan on actually diving with your watch, avoiding unnecessarily decorative or otherwise less-than-hyper-legible dials will make sure you get a dive watch that feels genuine. If it's easy to read the time underwater, it'll be more so above water. But for dive watches, specifically, there are a couple of points to consider.Įvery watch should prioritize legibility, but it's especially important for a legit dive watch. Those include the likes of a respectable movement (be it mechanical or quartz, Swiss or Japanese), legibility, sapphire crystal, a solid build and comfortable fit. Many of the features to look for in any watch under $1,000 also apply to dive watches. What to Look for in an Affordable Dive Watch Some are classy and understated, others are big and brash, but there are options to appease pretty much any watch lover with a $1,000 budget. These watches mostly have a depth rating of 200m or more, though claim to be able to go to depths well beyond human limits. There are divers here from watchmaking powerhouses in Japan and even Switzerland, though there are a few micro-brands thrown in for good measure. Want proof? For under $1,000 there’s a myriad of great divers, so much so that we had to narrow down this list to 16. We love dive watches because, in the horological hierarchy of tool watches and complications, dive watches are actually really approachable. We love dive watches because our favorite world-saving lush wears one. They make great daily wearers because if they can handle 20 or 30 atmospheres of pressure, they can probably handle your day-to-day life. We love dive watches because they’re overkill. To stand firmly by that argument, though, would be missing the point.
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