Buying Guide – Deep Divers – Dive Watches that go 1000m and beyond

Dive watches are some of the most beloved timepieces. In the 1960s, the military and professional diving requirements, together with the growing popularity of scuba diving, made the importance of trustworthy subaquatic instruments paramount. The first modern dive watches were born to monitor dive time in the briny deep. The hardiest can withstand even the pressure at the bottom of the Marianas Trench (even though we talk concept watches here). Their depth rating by far exceeds your most extreme needs but there is something fascinating about their extreme engineering. And a rugged dive watch has always been a symbol of the adventurer in all of us. Here are 6 dive watches that go 1000m and beyond released in the past few years.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 5 Watches to Consider for This Summer, from Affordable to High-End

The holiday season is fast approaching and that’s the perfect time of the year when you can take the suit of… and the dress watch that goes along. Summer means seaside, boat rides, cocktails, unexpected jumps in a pool and all kinds of leisure activities. This means sports/dive watches on the wrist and for this reason, here are 5 cool pieces that will follow you from the deck of a boat to that fancy cocktail party, and always with style.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Seiko Prospex Turtle “Save The Ocean” SRPC91K1 Special Edition

The comeback of the “Seiko Turtle” was certainly one of the best moves the Japenese brand did recently. Affordable, cool-looking, solid and reliable, it is one of the best dive watches in the sub-1k category. After the inaugural versions, Seiko played on the success of this watches by launching multiple limited/special editions (PADI, Lagoon, Black…). Another one has just been presented, the ref. SRPC91K1, the result of Seiko’s partnership with Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s grandson… And once again, it’s another very cool affordable dive watch.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Seiko Prospex Diver 200m SPB077 – Half Modern, Half Vintage, Totally Cool

If you’re familiar with Seiko, then you already know the Japanese company debuted a vintage re-issue of its 1968 Automatic Diver 300m Reference 6159-7001 this year in the form of the Seiko Prospex Diver 300m Hi-Beat SLA025. That model, however, is limited to just 1,500 pieces worldwide and is priced at EUR 5,500, so not exactly a watch for everybody (Read all the details here.) This is the second highly sought-after vintage re-issue dive watch from the brand, following the Prospex Diver SLA017 last year. As with that model, the company is once again offering two modern and accessibly-priced versions for the wider market, the Prospex Diver 200m SPB077 & SPB079, which we’re getting hands-on with today.

7 years ago

Review – Seiko Prospex Diver 300m Hi-Beat SLA025 – The Ultimate Collectible Seiko Dive Watch?

While in 2017 Seiko re-issued its first professional dive watch with the SLA017, based on the 62Mas, this year the brand celebrates the 50th anniversary of another icon, the first hi-beat diving instrument ever created, the mighty 1968 Ref. 6159-7001. With this new Seiko Prospex Diver 300m Hi-Beat SLA025, the Japanese brand again brings a watch that no one can question in terms of style (it has been almost unanimously praised), yet at a price of EUR 5,500, some were doubtful about its positioning. So it’s time to go hands-on, to see it in the metal and to understand why this SLA025 is not your usual Seiko Prospex dive watch.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Seiko Presage Shippo Enamel Limited Edition (ref. SPB073 & SPB075)

A well-kept Japanese secret, Seiko’s Presage collection was not shared with the rest of the world until 2016. With its winning formula of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, resilient mechanical technology and an unbeatable price, the Presage collection is almost too good to be true. The new Presage Shippo Enamel models, with their eye-catching blue dials, seduce at first sight and are proof positive that you don’t have to shell out a fortune for a beautifully handcrafted Grand Feu enamel dial. Two mechanical references, one with a date function and the second with a calendar and power reserve indicator, stand out from the crowd of ubiquitous blue dials flooding the market with their exquisite handcrafted Shippo enamel dials.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 10 of the Best Dive Watches Introduced at Baselworld 2018

Now that Baselworld 2018 is over, it is time for the MONOCHROME team to look at the best watches of the show. One category that usually appears to be highly disputed is the dive watch and 2018 has again been a productive year. From vintage-inspired pieces to proper instruments, here are 10 of the best dive watches we have discovered at Baselworld 2018.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 6 of the Best Affordable Watches of Baselworld 2018

A good watch doesn’t have to break the bank. As Baselworld 2018 just ended, we have put together a selection of wallet-friendly watches proving that great things can come in affordable packages. Vintage-inspired, sporty, modern, complicated or just nicely designed… We have selected 6 different watches, all with a strong personality and mainly, great value for the money.

7 years ago

Baselworld 2018 – Seiko Prospex Diver 200m SPB077 & SPB079 – a Modern Recreation of the 1968 Ref. 6159-7001

Last year, Seiko re-created its first ever dive watch, the 62Mas, with a truly faithful re-edition, the Prospex Diver SLA017. Alongside this rather expensive and rare edition, the Japanese manufacture also reinterpreted the 62Mas in a more modern and more accessible way, with the Seiko Prospex Diver SPB051 and SPB053. This year, we’ll the same recipe but now applied to the 1968 Diver 300m. Alongside the rare and faithful Prospex Diver 300m Hi-Beat SLA025, Seiko is also introducing modern and accessible versions, the Prospex Diver 200m SPB077 & SPB079.

7 years ago

Baselworld 2018 – Seiko Prospex Diver 300m Hi-Beat SLA025 – The Recreation of the 1968 Ref. 6159-7001

Seiko’s reputation in terms of professionally oriented dive watches is not to demonstrated anymore – and that since 1965, with the creation of the Seiko Diving Department, and later the Prospex nomenclature. For our biggest pleasure, the brand has been opening its old grimoires and digs into its rich history to offer us some of the best vintage re-editions we’ve seen recently. Last year was about the Seiko’s first ever dive watch. This year, the brand looks at yet another icon, with the re-creation of the 1968 Automatic Diver 300m Reference 6159-7001. Meet the brand new Seiko Prospex Diver 300m Hi-Beat SLA025.

7 years ago