Watch Reviews

Watches, for some of us, become mementos of something we’ve done or somewhere we’ve been. Today it seems painfully appropriate that I am writing about this particular watch; It’s April 15th, 2019 and my afternoon was interrupted by the news that the magnificent Parisian cathedral of Notre Dame had caught fire and was burning.

< Buy the Tudor Black Bay Chrono at JomaShop

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The reason this is applicable here is that I purchased this watch while I was on vacation with my wife in Paris just a few months ago. Something that I have learned is: you can’t force something to have significance, but the time you spend, the places you go, and the people you’re with can all help imbue something with memory and importance to you. This Tudor Black Bay Chronograph will always remind me of those flying buttresses, and that giant rose window.

Now that we have that out of the way, let me introduce you to the Tudor Black Bay Chronograph, released at Baselworld 2017, this watched marked a big step for the Black Bay line that until now was comprised of just time-only watches. The Black Bay Chrono also marked an exciting partnership between Breitling and Tudor wherein the two brands exchanged some movement technologies with each other. I’ve always found this partnership to be one of the more interesting things about this particular watch—and it’s what attracted me to it. (that and my voracious appetite for chronographs)

Before we get too far into the review let’s go over some specs:

• Case Width: 41.4mm
• Case Thickness: 15.3mm
• Lug to Lug: 50.1mm
• Depth Rating: 200m (660 ft)
• Weight: 6.4oz on Bracelet
• Movement: MT5813 based on the Breitling B01
• Lug Width: 22mm

(All measurements are my personal measurements and may differ from the manufacturer’s specifications.)

Fit

I’ve always found Black Bays to wear and fit very well. My wrist is roughly 7” depending on how warm it is and if I’ve recently consumed MSG…but that’s always been a pretty versatile wrist size and I’m comfortable with watches that range from 38-44mm’s. That being said, the Black Bay Chrono is a comfortable-if-chunky watch on the wrist.

I would say the chunkiness is mainly due to its thickness. The in-house movement increased the thickness of the Black Bays slightly, but I would assume that the chronograph complication only exacerbated that. It’ll be up to you to decide if it’s too much for your arm, it isn’t for me.

Movement

As I stated in the intro Tudor was involved in a movement exchange program with Breitling. In this exchange, Tudor received the B01 movement for use in this watch. Breitling, on the other hand, took the MT5612 movement and renamed it the B20 after modifying it for use in the SuperOcean Heritage II.

It’s my understanding that the movements are modified by Tudor to include a tungsten winding rotor, variable inertia balance wheel, and a silicon balance spring. Lastly, Tudor changes the minute register to 45mins instead of Breitling’s 30 minute counter. This last modification is due to a historical reference, Tudor’s chronos have used 45mins since the Reference 7031 “Monte Carlo,” Chronograph.

My experience with this movement has been nothing but exceptional. All of Tudor’s in-house calibers come COSC certified these days, meaning that you can expect excellent performance. While I have not timed my watch to the second (I don’t own a timegrapher) I can say that it been right on the money every-time I’ve checked it. The chronograph pushers have a great action, as one would expect from a column wheel chrono like this. One other thing to note, the silicon balance spring means that this movement should resist a good deal of magnetism—this is a valuable quality to have in today’s magnetic-field-rich-climate.

Case and Crown

By this point in my watch-collecting practice I have owned four or five Black Bays, and one thing I love about them across the board is the case. Tudor, being the little brother of Rolex, benefits from their bigger brother’s case finishing capabilities. The watch is brushed on the tops of the case and polished on the slab-like sides. Tudor has also included some really lovely polished details along the bevel on each side of the case as well as the edge of the bezel where it meets the case. The effect these small details create is a subtle sparkle on the wrist as the watch moves through the light.

The Chronograph has the standard large Black Bay crown with Tudor’s rose printed on it, as well as two screw down pushers. My experience in the past with screw down chrono pushers has not always been the best, but Tudor’s nailed it with very smooth screw down action, which is easily used on wrist. One thing Tudor has stubbornly retained is the anodized aluminum collar around the crown tube, I would personally prefer a crown sitting flusher to the case, but it’s a minor gripe.

Dial and Crystal

The Tudor Black Bay Chronograph, like other Black Bays, has a boxed sapphire crystal. This is a pretty firm nod to the “heritage-yness” that Tudor is drawing from for these watches; It also looks great. The dial itself is a textured matte black that in the bright sun can almost look grey or charcoal. The hands and hour indices are a bright silver color with white lume filling the centers. I much prefer this over gilt dials used in other variations.

In terms of readability, Tudor has always excelled. The “snowflake” hour hand was designed for precisely that. It allows you too quickly too differentiate between the two hands and orient yourself on the dial at a quick glance. The choice of colors and materials also creates a helpful contrast. The Chronograph hand is a simple thin silver hand tipped with an arrow, I personally love the way it catches the light.

Not to pander to the internet forumites, but one issue that I have seen regarding the hands used on this watch is simply that the snowflake can obscure the sub-dials. That’s valid, and I suppose true; however, it’s never been something that bothered me.

The lume Tudor uses on the Black Bays is very effective, glows bright when you walk into a movie theatre and is easily seen for several hours. It’s green lume, so Tudor isn’t using Rolex’s proprietary Lumibrite.

Lastly the date window sits at six o’clock. It’s a rather stark contrast a from the textured black dial to the white back date wheel, but I generally prefer to have a date than not.

Bracelet

The Tudor Black Bay Chronograph comes on the standard steel bracelet available to most of the Black Bay collection. You can also purchase the watch on a leather or nylon strap, but honestly, I wouldn’t suggest that. Tudor, like its parent Rolex, has a reputation for making excellent bracelets and this is no exception.

The bracelet is an exceptionally well-executed steel bracelet with a fold-over clasp. It has been stylized to some extent with faux rivets on the links to emulate old-timey bracelets that were actually riveted together. These links, on the other hand, are screw together making adjustments simple and quickly done by the end user. The clasp features three micro adjustments to really dial in the fit.

I think in a perfect world there are several great strap options for the Black Bay Chrono. The first being, obviously the OEM bracelet, the second would be an Everest Rubber Strap, and the third would be either the OEM NATO strap or Crown and Buckle’s adjustable Chevron Strap.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Review Review – Final Thoughts

Well, what can I say? I bought it…This is one of the few watches that I walked into an Authorized Dealer and left with it new. I think these are healthy options for those that like the Tudor Aesthetic or are interested in the movement exchange from Breitling. It’s a little weird to talk about a $5,100 sticker price to be a good value but considering AD discounts (and in my case VAT refunds) they can pan out nicely. You get a lot for the money.

I think these are also solid options for those that are looking for a chronograph but don’t really want to go down the Speedmaster route—the Black Bay Chronograph has a lot of ties to some nice watch heritage but is also not super expected. I think it would be rare for you to run into someone else with one.

Editor: If you would like to buy a Tudor Black Bay Chrono, I recommend purchasing it at Amazon or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

After years of choosing timepieces based on their durability, it’s finally happened – I find myself in need of a dress watch. While 200-meter monsters like the Casio Duro and Victorinox INOX still rule my days, there’s now the occasional evening which calls for something a bit more refined.

I’d previously owned an Orient Bambino, a $130 mechanical bought and sold long before the need arose for tucked shirts and nice shoes. Fond memories of that watch brought me to the Orient Esteem Gen. 2, an open-heart automatic with a classic look and pedigree. Here’s how it fared after several months of testing.

Fit

Let’s grab a few stats before we dive into the details of the watch:

• Case Width: 41mm
• Case Thickness: 12.3mm
• Lug to Lug: 47mm
• Depth Rating: 5Bar (50m)
• Lug Width: 22mm

As someone with medium-sized wrists, the numbers that jump out most are the case width and distance lug to lug. These dimensions make for a dress watch that’s slightly on the larger side, both in wear and visual signature. We’ll get to the Esteem’s dial later, but there’s no denying the amount of white space in that 40-plus millimeter circle. If you’re planning to wear this watch to a fancy dinner party, be prepared to pick a suit that matches.

That being said, the watch does wear quite comfortably. It’s relatively thin for a budget-minded mechanical, sliding easily under the cuff of a shirt or jacket. I enjoyed the tactile sensation of the Esteem against my wrist, so long as my hand was on the table or at my side.

Movement

The Gen 2 Esteem is powered by Orient’s in-house Caliber F6T22 movement, a 22-jewel automatic assembly featuring the ability to hack and hand-wind. These are must-have features for me, no matter how loud the Seiko fans protest (I’m looking at you, 5 Series and SKX apologists). One of the main selling points of this watch is the open-heart design, which gives you a glimpse of the F6T22 in action.

We’ll talk more about appearances later, though. For now, I’d to say a few words about the movement’s performance. “Inaccurate, inconsistent, and scratchy.” Yeah, those just about cover it. Look, I’m not expecting masterful performance from an entry-level mechanical. My other Orients (the Mako 2 and Bambino 2nd Gen) both ran about 10 seconds fast per day. But the Esteem ticks ahead to the tune of 15 seconds on the wrist, and as much as 20 in my watch drawer. The movement can be regulated for increased accuracy, as demonstrated by the “+” and “-“ symbols visible through the clear case back. But out of the box, this was something of a bummer.

My frustration with the Caliber F6T22 is exacerbated by the roughness of its winding. Turning the crown produces some rather harsh feedback, even more so than the Bambino. The rotor has a similar problem. Every swing of your arm sends the scratch of its arc into the bones of your wrist. At no point will you forget you’re wearing an automatic. That being said, I don’t think there’s anything mechanically unsound about the movement’s construction. It’s just the nature of lower-end autos.

I also find myself missing the date window. As someone who needs to know the date more or less constantly for work, I pine for the Bambino’s simple 1-31 display. The idea that people spend thousands of dollars on date-free watches boggles my mind. Maybe when I’m rich enough to afford one, I’ll understand. But until I reach that point, I need to know my days of the month.

Case and Crown

The Esteem’s case is nicely beveled, polished, and finished. Sure, it’s a bit large for my liking, but that doesn’t detract from the quality of its construction. There’s no brushing to be found anywhere. Every metallic surface reflects my face like a funhouse mirror.
The crown is simple, unsigned, and easy to use. The ridged grip is perfect, and the push/pull feel is solid. I have no reason to doubt its claimed 5-bar (50m) water resistance, though the leather band will probably keep this particular piece out of swimming pools.

Speaking of the water resistance, let’s flip to the back of watch. That’s where you’ll find it printed, along with data on the movement’s origins and manufacturing details. But why take the printer’s word for it? Orient has included a clear case back, allowing you to see the action for yourself. I especially appreciate the etching on the rotor, with its interesting angles surrounding some additional branding. The visual interest of the movement almost makes up for its relatively poor accuracy. Almost.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

Let’s turn the watch back over and examine the face. Wait, what are those hollow rectangles above the hour markers? And why are the hands hollowed out? As it turns out, the Orient Esteem is part of a rare breed: A dress watch with lume. While certainly no Super-LumiNova, the applied compound will make for a smooth transition from the brightly-lit ballroom to the more intimate glow of the balcony.

Speaking of applied things, take a look at the logo. The twin lions are in fine form here, mimicking the look of the Orient Mako, Ray, and Bambino. Unfortunately, that’s where the Esteem begins to dress down. While the Bambino features applied indices and a date window, this watch is left with painted numerals and a massive amount of white, empty space. It’s more off-putting in person than the photos perhaps convey, which is why I didn’t notice before pulling the trigger on the purchase.

“Hold on,” you might say. “You’re missing the entire point of the Esteem’s ethos. Just look at that beautiful open-heart movement.” And you’re right – The window into the watch’s inner workings is really a sight to behold. The nicely polished components spin and click behind the sweeping seconds hand, showing the complexity to be found even in a basic, dateless movement.

Too bad about the 9 o’clock marker, though. The numeral is partially cut away, creating this awkward reminder that the indices are simply painted onto the watch’s face. It’s a visual bummer, nagging at me every time I stop to enjoy the movement window.

Let’s round out this segment with a few words on the crystal. It’s Orient’s standard mineral glass, which served admirably on my Bambino. Here, however, the dome effect has been flattened considerably. There’s still a bit of rounding above the polished steel bezel, but nothing near the lens-like quality of its cousin. I actually prefer this approach. It’s easier to read at an angle, and the flatter surface will probably avoid scratches more than the Bambino’s bubble.

Strap/Bracelet

The Esteem’s leather band addresses another of my biggest annoyances with my previous Orient dress watch. While the Bambino features an oddball 21mm size, the Esteem has bumped things up to the much more common 22mm. This greatly widens the pool of potential replacement straps.

That is, if you feel the need to make a switch. The black “Genuine Leather” seems nice enough for a watch in this price point, and the signed buckle makes for a nice touch. I found this to be a thoroughly comfortable wearer. Additional break-in time would further improve the experience, softening the crocodile-patterned canvas.

Orient Esteem Review – Final Thoughts

After more than two months, I still haven’t warmed to the Esteem. It addresses several of my main complaints with the Bambino (hidden movement, no lume, and weird band size), but adds several nitpicks of its own. The spotty accuracy, plain face, and absent date window stick in my craw more than expected. Add in the slightly larger size and scratchy movement, and I find myself pining for the old days.

That’s not to say that this is a bad watch. It’s light years ahead of the Seiko 5’s of the world, whatever my complaints may be. But as the unnumbered days roll on, I’ve come to the conclusion that this isn’t the watch for me. My search for the perfect budgetary dress piece will continue.

However, none of this means that the Gen. 2 Esteem is a terrible timepiece. If you see what you like here, then I can still vouch for its comfort and construction. The accuracy isn’t great, but overall quality I expect from Orient is still here.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Orient Esteem at Amazon or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.

Although this particular Seiko wasn’t on my radar, I knew I always wanted to check out one of their divers, or maybe an Alpinist, so when Dan ‘Jackson’ came by my place for a visit and offered one up as a trade it kind of went like this: https://youtu.be/uvqazhJJ01A?t=2

My everyday watch is an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean ref 2201.50.00. I was guessing that this wouldn’t be kicking my PO off my wrist permanently, but also thought hey, why not. Life isn’t a practice run so I have to pull the trigger when it feels right. Right? It’s a nice watch at an apparently reasonable value. It’s also both blue and shiny which can be strong qualifiers for a guy like me. YOLO, just not in a frat boy kind of way. That might catch you a case. Kidding aside, with such a devout group of brand enthusiasts I had to give one of these a shake to see if Prospex Divers live up to the fanboy hype and deserve our money.

Now that it’s been a couple of weeks of wearing this every day I feel like I can share some opinions, but lets get the details out of the way first.

Specs (From the Seiko website)

Case:

• Stainless steel (Duralex coating) with a stainless steel bezel
• Thickness: 13.8 mm
• Diameter: 42.6mm
• Lug width: 20mm

Crystal:

• Curved sapphire
• Anti-reflective coating on inner surface

Movement:

• Caliber 6R15
• Automatic with manual winding
• Hacking seconds hand function
• Calendar (date)
• 23 jewels

Reserve:

• Approx. 50 hours

Accuracy:

• +25 to -15 seconds per day

Stock Strap:

• Silicon/Stainless buckle and keeper

Features:

• Screw down crown
• Unidirectional rotating bezel
• LumiBrite on hands and indexes
• Water Resistance 200m / 660ft

Just a note, while this watch was released as a “modern interpretation” of the 1965 62MAS. I’m not really feeling a strong connection as seen in the closely reproduced SLA017 Limited edition. The similarities could be compared to Battlefield V repping WWII so for the purpose of this review I won’t be making many comparisons. Following the design lineage of the Prospex line can, and should be its own article.

If you truly want a 62MAS though, the real deal, in reasonable vintage condition can still be found. Limited to 2000 units, a new SLA017 might be impossible to find brand new but I’ve seen lightly used ones pop up on Watch Recon for a little less that $3500 USD.

Fit

As a medium to large sized diver this doesn’t exactly melt into your wrist although its relative thickness at 13.8 mm keeps it from feeling like you are wearing a teetering brick. Its proportions help it stay put which is nice for people who prefer a looser fit like myself. In fact, it is surprisingly comfortable with the exception of the somewhat stabby crown which at the 3:00 position, occasionally reminds you that you are alive and didn’t actually drown in 1984.

It would be an improvement if the crown was slightly shrouded like on my PO, with a guard, or at 4:00 like on the SPB079J1. Sometimes referred to as a “retro” or “heritage” kind of crown position/look, I may refer to it as “mildly uncomfortable” but I digress. It will make you a man like they used to make men. Your dad’s, dad. Barefoot to school at 6:00 am in the freezing cold on broken glass kind of stuff. It’s not actually that bad. Mild is the key word here.

In retrospect I remember finding the PO’s crown noticeable as well, so it’s something I can easily say everyday users will forget about. Traveling forward in time, I have. Otherwise, all of the edges are flowing and well rendered which translates to a comfortable wear.

With my modest 7.25” wrist this fits well without looking ridiculous on the bracelet or (I’m guessing) stock strap. For you sneaker wearing low-brows this is comfy and looks sharp on a NATO too. If you are a bit weedy though, it may look more like a Pip-Boy 3000 than a watch, so something a bit more demure may suit your delicate wrist better. In these modern times, something > 40 mm would be my recommendation for you.

Movement

The movement is a calibre 6R15 (23 Jewels) which is a mid-range, in-house design that operates at 21,600 vph. It’s a step up from the Seiko 7S26 that’s found in the likes of the venerable SX007’s and other entry level mechanical Seikos.

I’ve heard of this movement referred to as both “tried and true” and “just a 7S26 with hacking and winding” hastily tacked on. On the other hand I’ve read that the movement’s support has been re-engineered enough that it deserves a distinction far beyond that of a modified 7S26. Honestly I’m just getting started with these Seikos so I still have some things to uncover over time but hey, that’s what the hobby (and comment section) is all about.

Personally I like the performance I’ve been getting out of this movement. I’m not hooking this thing up to my Timegrapher or anything. I just like to be on time and this gets me there without a daily check against my iPhone. Well not entirely true, during the time of this review I had periodically checked it against my phone and it seems close enough to me. I would say it safely sits well inside Seiko’s advertised tolerance of +25 to -15 seconds per day. Much tighter would be my guess but again, I haven’t any kind of real measure. Maybe when I get my mildly abused PO serviced I’ll have this watch regulated and share some more info on the movement when it is looked at by a proper watchmaker. In the meantime I’ll let the heritage boot guys banter about the faults or virtues of the 6R15 over a craft brew. You know who you are.

My only beef with this movement is how the date turns over. It starts to slowly creep just before 11:00 pm and finally, snaps into place at about 11:59. I’d like this to just snap over at 12:00 ish like my Omega. I’m a night owl so I’m always seeing this half turned over date. Maybe I’m just spoiled.

Circling back; movements without hand winding, a screw-down crown and to a lesser extent hacking are a deal breaker for me so this fits the bill. Having the date is also a big plus. As far as reliability, only time will tell. I tend to be pretty rough on my watch so if anyone will awaken the gremlins, I’m your man and will duly report.

A bit of trivia; Seiko is one of the few companies that makes their own mainsprings. They use their proprietary Spron 510 alloy which is also found in the balance spring. Spron helps gives this watch a 50-ish h power reserve which I seem to be getting most of. The alloy is similar to its Swiss counterpart Nivarox but not as high tech as newer alloys or the Silicon mixtures in the most current Rolexes, Omegas and their ilk.

Along with the aforementioned features the 6R15 includes Diashock which in this watch is basically a flat spring that cradles the balance wheel end stone and jewel helping to protect the balance against shock. I’m pretty sure most mechanical movements worth their salt have a decent one of these.

Case and Crown

The screw-down crown is a pleasure to use on this watch. Setting the time or “quick set” date is a smooth procedure. I’m also liking the wind which feels satisfying with its slightly audible ratcheting. A crisp, coin edge and fair size gives you a good grip for easy operation. If I could change one thing, I’d probably add some detailing to the cap of the crown which is “sterile”. Maybe the PX logo a “S” or “Seiko” like on some other models?

The case has a flowing shape with drilled, tapered lugs at 20mm apart. The face has a brushed finish that follows the circumference of the bezel. Moving toward the edge there is a highly polished bevel followed again by brushing on the outmost sides. The back is largely mirror polished, with the exception of a ring around the screw-down case-back that frames the embossed Prospex, Tsunami logo. I’m not crazy about the Tsunami Embossing. Maybe it will grow on me but it doesn’t capture my imagination at the moment. I prefer the dolphin logo which shouldn’t be cooler but kind of is. I personally like a more traditional depiction of the tsunami. There’s more info and the serial number, logo’s etc on the case back. All things you don’t really see but may admire when off your wrist in full nerd mode.

Overall, the case is attractive, with good attention to detail and thoughtfulness in its design. The workmanship is protected with a Seiko’s Diasheild which I’ve read is some type of PVD coating similar to what you would find on black-bladed knives or those gold-titanium coated drill bits. I have no reference as to how long this will last but so far so good. The bracelet must not be coated with the same stuff as it’s showing a fair bit of scuffing already, but nothing unexpected.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

The Dial is blue with a sunburst pattern. It presents a dark, near black color in low/artificial light and a vivid, bright royal blue in strong daylight. The indexes are oversized, made up of wide, applied, flat stainless borders and filled with Seiko’s LumiBrite. The signature consists of the Seiko logo on the top half with the Prospex logo, “Automatic” and “Diver’s 200m” on the bottom half.

There’s a chapter ring with a flange meeting the bezel with the hour and minute indexes. The primary lumed indexes are straight at 6 and 9 with a double width at 12:00. The others taper toward the dial’s centre. A chamfered date aperture is found at 3:00 which has a small white border giving it a tightly finished look. The Lume works great and keeps its glow for a long time.

I’ve read that some of these watches have alignment issues with the bezel and or chapter ring. I’m not seeing anything like that on this particular watch which looks to me, as expected. To be critical, It would have been nice if there was another applied element. Either the Seiko logo or Prospex logo would do and I’ve seen it done on Seiko models at a less than half the price. A little more detail would have me totally sold on this dial but I’m still about 85% there.

The handset is shared with the Seiko Tunas and includes a portly arrow for the hour and a slender rectangular minute hand that terminates at a blunted point. While not as elegant as some of the other Seiko diver hand sets, you can’t argue with the legibility. You could argue that the steel bordering on the hands could be polished to match the index borders and I wouldn’t disagree. I think it would help tie things together.

Back to legibility, the dial might be be better with more contrasting indexes like the bubbly ones found on the Tuna that these were borrowed from (I get that it’s supposed to reference the 62MAS). Either way it’s a pretty moot, enthusiast issue in my opinion. If you can’t read your watch you have other problems to address. The second hand is narrow with a lumed tail. The lume here is used to show that the watch is working, as per ISO 6425 (diver’s watch) standards.

The bezel is a 120 click, unidirectional that rotates counter-clockwise. As on the crown, a tight crisp coin edge makes it easy to get a hold of. That’s a good thing since the rotation is pretty firm, albeit smooth with a dampened feel. The insert is super polished, blue and with matte indexes and numbers. Like the dial, In low light the bezel almost appears black but presents a bright blue in daylight. While the bezel and dial aren’t exact in color, they compliment each other perfectly. There’s a lume pearl so the bezel position can be easily read in the depths.

The crystal is slightly domed with an antireflective coating on the inside. There’s not much to say here other than it looks great and it should stay that way since it’s a sapphire crystal, not Seikos cheaper Hardlex Mineral. If it’s anywhere near as hard as the one on my Omega, it will take more of beating than it will ever deserve. Before the crystal meets the bezel, there’s a generous bevel that is large enough to refract elements of the dial below. Since the dial is pretty simple, I feel that this adds a necessary detail. On a busier watch I appreciate it if the crystal flows into the bezel seamlessly.

Bracelet

This watch came with the Seiko M01X331H0 bracelet which is normally purchased separately.

It’s an attractive Oyster copy with a pinch button deployment clasp with a safety. There’s also a Diver’s extension. For the price the fit and finish is excellent. The links are brushed and have polished inner and outer edges. The inner edge polishing in particular, adds some luxe appeal without the associated premium.

If I were to adjust the bracelet aesthetically, I might give the clasp a little more love but to reiterate, at this price I have no legitimate complaints. Mechanically, the detent on the safety could be stronger. While it’s staying put now, I’m not sure if that will always be the case. Functionally it’s not a big concern since the main clasp is sturdy.

Speculating from photos, the stock silicone bracelet looks to have some inner texture so it should breath a little for comfort. The ends flow fluidly with the case, more so than the bracelet or a nato does. Not surprising though, since this strap is made for the watch. The pin buckle is polished while the keeper is brushed with an embossed Seiko logo.

The silicone strap’s accordion shape won’t be for everyone but it serves the practical purpose of working as a diver’s extension with the added function of maintaining a comfortable tension under variable pressures/wet and dry. If I was actually diving with this watch (which I won’t be), this would be the strap I’d use because its purpose built. At the desk I like the look of a Nato or the bracelet and I’ve read that these silicone straps are lint magnets.

Seiko SPB053 / SPB051 Watch Review – Final Thoughts

The Seiko ref. SPB053 is a sharp looking watch that has a sophisticated balance of conservative detailing and good functionality that references decades of Seiko diver designs. The stand out for me has to be the dynamic combination of dial and bezel that shows different personas depending on the lighting. This has been the most enjoyable aspect and I may have found it a touch too minimal otherwise.

As to be expected with all the Prospex line up, it meets the diver specifications outlined in ISO 6425, making it a viable mechanical alternative to a dive computer if you are feeling old school or want to look medium-fancy in your Y-40 swimming pool.

Value wise, there’s a lot of watch for your money here but the pricing/feature is still carefully measured. Seiko has amassed a following that they are clearly aware of by releasing such models, so while easily worth the ask, you aren’t getting an absurd amount of extra value – just what the brand is typically known for. That said, the fit, finish and function will satisfy.

As for me personally, the SPB053 has ticked enough boxes to put it in the recommend column, so long as you aren’t actually looking for a 62MAS and can pull off the larger 42.6 mm case.

An applied signature, polished hands and some detail on the crown would have made this even more competitive and memorable at a price point where there are some other tempting offers. Regardless, I’m understanding why people love the Prospex line. They have a compelling value proposition and wear well, dressed up (maybe not black tie) or down while maintaining that tool watch pedigree. There aren’t many divers around this price with a similar build quality and fewer with such a long and clearly documented design history.

The addition of a couple of Natos and the excellent bracelet will makes this considerably more enjoyable. The drilled lugs make for easy strap changes to get more life out of this beautiful watch.

If blue isn’t to your taste the model also comes in black as ref. SPB051. There’s also the SPB079J1, a similar type vintage inspired ‘re-issue’ that was previously mentioned and has worked its way onto my wish list.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Seiko SPB053 at Amazon or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.

Formed in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Hamilton Watch Company was one of the more notable American watch manufacturing companies, cutting their teeth on pocket watches designed and targeted at the railroad industry they developed a well known and respected business.

When World War 2 started Hamilton retooled and began creating wrist watches, effectively paving the way for the watch company we know today—That is until 1966 when Hamilton acquired Buren Watch Company which ultimately led to them moving their entire watchmaking operation overseas to Switzerland. In 1984 Hamilton was acquired by Swatch Brand, leaving us where we are today.

Hamilton still produces a wide range of high quality, Swiss made, timepieces and in this review, we are focusing on the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical (ref H69429931). This particular piece is modeled after their original 1969 field watch, however, the brand has modernized it to appeal to a more contemporary customer—more on that later, for now, let’s go over some specs:

• Case Width: 38.26mm
• Case Thickness: 9.95mm
• Lug to Lug: 47.21mm
• Depth Rating: 5Bar (50m)
• Weight: 2.2oz on one of my NATO straps
• Movement: ETA 2801-2
• Lug Width: 20mm

(All Measurements are my personal measurements and may differ from manufacturers specs)

Fit

There are two primary factors that I believe contribute directly to comfort when you’re looking for a watch to wear. The first is case thickness and the second is the lug-to-lug length. The Hamilton really excels in both of these areas, measuring in at less than 10mm thick (handily the thinnest watch in my collection) and around 47mm lug-to-lug it’s easy to simply forget that you’re wearing the watch at all.

One of the real benefits to having such a thin case is that when you pair the watch with a nato it still keeps the whole package incredibly thin. In terms of appearance some folks might turn their nose up at a sub-40mm cased watch, but I would challenge you to try one on if you get the chance—my wrist is around 7” and I find it very proportionate.

Movement

Ticking away inside the Field Khaki Mechanical is the ETA 2801-2. This is a hacking, manual wind, 17 jewels, movement that operates at 4Hz. In my time with the Hamilton, I’ve seen it keep really excellent time, for the price associated with the watch. This isn’t COSC certified movement, nor should it be for the $450 price tag, but it’s generally keeping within 10s/day. With its 46hr power reserve, it leaves you some margin to alternate it with another watch.

I will also point out, that while entirely subjective and not really applicable to performance; the winding action is very smooth and pleasant to use, for what its worth.

Case and Crown

I’ve already talked about its size, but I think the finishes are important on this watch, in particular. The Hamilton “GG-W-113” was originally a military field watch, issued to be worn by soldiers during the Vietnam era. The last thing that you wanted was for a shiny object on your wrist to catch the light and draw attention to you. So Hamilton solved this problem by finishing the steel case with a matte/beadblasted type finish. It looks good and accomplishes what it was meant to on this vintage reissue.

The crown is roughly a 6.5mm crown with very effective jimping around the exterior (for hand-winding). The crown does not screw down, and only have one position when you pull it out for hacking the seconds and setting the time.

Mentioning the non-screw-down crown brings up one important point to be made about this watch. The Hamilton Field Khaki mechanical is rated to 50m depth resistance, there are endless debates about how much depth resistance is “needed” for a daily wearer, I’ll let you decide that for yourself.

Dial and Crystal

In my opinion, the two things that make this watch in particular an excellent value is a. The movement and b. The sapphire crystal. There are a lot of competitive options at this price, but it will be difficult (not impossible) to find one that’s running a respected Swiss movement with a sapphire dome over it, just my .02.

Crystal aside, getting to the dial we start to really see the callbacks to the vintage Hamilton watches that inspired this one. Large Arabic numerals circle the dial in two distinct circles. The larger exterior being in the 12-hour scale, and the inner small circle being in the last half of the 24-hour scale. This allows you easily to see what time it would be in “military time,” if you will instead of having to add/subtract 12. This is all assuming you can separate AM from PM yourself.

The hands are bright white, and sort of a hybrid between sword hands and syringe hands. The bright white of the hands and hour/minute indicators really pop off of the black dial. Both hands, as well as the tip of the second hand, and triangular hour indicators are all lumed with Superluminova that’s been aged to look like an older tritium or radium dial.

Strap

The Hamilton Field Khaki Mechanical ships with a type of NATO strap that is accented with some leather embellishments. I’ll be the first to say that it looks to be a nice enough strap but didn’t fit my wrist well. I removed the OEM strap almost immediately and swapped it for a traditional camo nato I bought from natostrapco.

That’s the beauty of this watch, in particular, versatility, as I’m writing this the watch is on a Shell Cordovan Strap and looks just as at home there as it did on the NATO. It’s a common lug width, and due to the thinness of the overall package, it can wear many different straps very very well. I’ve even seen some folks source vintage styled straight end link bracelets for these watches. The options are endless, and those endless options are made easily accessible for swapping by the drilled lugs.

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Review – Final Thoughts

When it’s all said and done what we’re looking at from Hamilton is their attempt to honor one of their OG models that have been a source of inspiration for watches for decades now. I believe they’ve done this successfully, primarily by modernizing it—increasing the case size to 38mm (from the original 34) and adding the sapphire over acrylic.

Field Khakis have always been good “starter watches,” and I don’t believe this one is any different, the price is a little higher than some of the other models in the line, but I believe you get what you pay for in this model even if just in terms of aesthetic. It’s easy albeit casual piece to wear, that’s at home in most normal situations. I like this watch, and it’ll be on my wrist for days to come.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical at Amazon or Jomashop. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

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It has been a good while since I last updated my personal watch journey. Some may remember that it all began with the humble Seiko SKX173. That continues to be a great dive watch that can be had for under $250. I also bought a Casio G-Shock, another excellent watch that I still own and use to this day.

Those are inexpensive watches. Nothing wrong with that, but after graduating from school and finally entering the working world, a little money began to build up. The money began to smoulder and eventually burn a huge hole in my pocket. Around that time I got the itch for a high end dive watch. After a little research, and the decision not to spend $5k+ on a Rolex, I ended up with an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean in the older 2500 caliber movement. This was a great watch, but inexplicably after 6 months of ownership my eye began to wander.

On an impulse I picked up the Sinn U1. I bought this watch used on the forums. Frankly I should have held out for a better deal as the watch I bought was pretty beat up. But that was ultimately alright, because it turned into a daily wear for me and I have used my U1 mercilessly over the past 3 years. The first scratches are always the hardest anyways. The Planet Ocean was traded to a good friend, and the U1 hasn’t left my wrist since.

Specifications

• Case Diameter: 44m
• Lug to Lug: 22mm
• Case Thickness: 14.3mm
• Weight: 113 grams (head only)
• Movement: Sellita SW 200-1

Fit

The U1 is substantial. You will notice it on the wrist. While it’s great that this is an overbuilt watch with 1000M of water resistance, I would much prefer to see less water resistance and a thinner case. I haven’t taken the watch 1000 centimeters underwater, let 1000 alone meters, and while I’m sure some folks dive with these watches, just as many don’t.

Maybe Sinn could offer a stripped down version, in the same way Rolex has the chunky Sea Dweller Deep Sea, and then the more practical Submariner. Give it 200M of water resistance and shave a couple millimeters off the height and I’d be even happier with the U1 as a daily wearer.

As an aside, some might say I’m a poser for wearing an over built dive watch in the first place. Do you need you fly an airplane to wear a pilot’s watch? Join the infantry to wear a field watch? Straddle multiple zones to justify a GMT? Summit mount Everest to wear a Rolex Explorer? Wear a dress to wear a dress watch? Give me a break, and feel free to wear whatever watch you like.

As it stands I don’t think the watch is comically thick. It actually seems pretty balanced on my 7.25″ wrist, and it hides beneath a standard shirt cuff easily. But still, it’s a thick watch and I’d like to see a couple millimeters shaved off here. The extra bulk was never a feature for me, but I like the rest of the watch so much that I’m OK with it.

Movement

The Sinn U1 features a Sellita SW 200-1 movement. This is a competitor of the ETA 2824-2 movement. It’s a 26 jewel movement, with hours, minutes, seconds, and date, hacking, and a 38 hour power reserve.

Personally, I’ve never gotten anything close to 38 hours of power reserve out of this watch, but it keeps decent time. I end up updating the time every month or so when I notice it has gone a couple minutes fast. I haven’t bothered with testing how many seconds a day it is off. Just not something I’m interested in doing.

This is a robust movement that is shock resistant per DIN ISO 1414, and anti-magnetic per DIN 8309. Good to know.

Practically speaking I’ve put this watch through a good deal of use. Plenty of weight lifting, swimming, yard work, and whatever else for a few years now (desk riding? cheese pizza eating?). I’ll take the watch off if I’m going to dig a hole or use a hammer, but beyond that the U1 watch has been my daily watch for years. It’s taken a few hard knocks, and has plenty of dings to show for it. But it keeps on ticking.

Case and Crown

The case is a chunk of bead blasted German submarine steel. It’s simple, but crisply machined with long tapered lugs protruding out from beneath the oversized bezel. The case itself is designed to look a little thinner than it actually is, giving it a more balanced look on the wrist, but there is a lot of case here and a domed steel case back adds to the bulk.

Sinn placed the crown at 4 o’clock. This makes the watch comfortable to wear on the left hand and decreases the footprint of the watch. There are no crown guards and the signed 7mm crown is large and easy to grasp. The threading on the crown is excellent. It’s easy to unscrew the crown, wind the watch or make whatever adjustments you need to the date or time, and screw it back in place. I’m paranoid about cross threading my watch crowns, so I’m glad to report this isn’t an issue.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

The dial and hands of the U1 are probably the most polarizing features of the watch. You will either love or hate the “lego” hour markers and hands. I happen to love this unique look. It’s one of the reasons why I bought the watch. I must admit it was something of an acquired taste, much like Spyderco knives with their distinct thumb holes. If you absolutely can’t get over the lego hands, but otherwise like the look of this watch, then the Sinn U2 may be the way to go.

Regardless of your personal feelings towards the aesthetics of the U1’s dial, I don’t think anyone can argue how legible this layout is. The crisp red and white hands and white hour markers jump out from the jet black dial. It is a relatively simple painted dial, but in that simplicity lies an elegance all unto its own.

And of course the markers and hands have been applied with luminescent green paint. The lume is good stuff. It’s not quite Seiko caliber, but it’s pretty good and the time is easily visible at night.

Of interest is the 60 click uni-directonal bezel. It is oversized and easy to grasp. Rotating the bezel is somewhat satisfying. The clicks aren’t the crispest, but it gets the job done.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the bezel is that it is made from tegimented stainless steel. TEGIMENT is a special surface hardening technology Sinn employs to make the steel more scratch resistant. That’s a good thing as I’ve whacked this protruding bezel into all sorts of things. Everything from door frames to kitchen faucets. I’ve managed to introduce some small scratches to the bezel, but by and large it has held up well over the years.

Strap and Bracelet

The U1 comes with a rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet. I like the bracelet and have not worn my U1 on a strap. Part of that is because the strap I got was already cut too small for my wrist. The lugs are drilled, so if you want to swap out the bracelet for a strap, theoretically it wouldn’t be too hard to do.

The bracelet is offered in regular steel or Sinn’s tegimented steel and features the same bead blasted finish of the case. My bracelet is the regular steel, and it shows plenty of wear, but has also developed a cool worn patina at this point. It’s very difficult to see in the pictures, but up close and in person the bracelet is covered in a fine pattern of scratches and rub marks.

The edge of the clasp is worn so much it appears polished at this point. You can kind of see it in this picture (on the left side of the clasp):

Doesn’t bother me a bit.

This is a chunky H-link style bracelet with solid end links. It is easy to adjust the bracelet as the extra links are held in place with small allen bolts. While these allen bolts make it easy to add and remove links, one of the bolts wiggled loose over time and fell out. So you will want to watch the bracelet closely and periodically tighten any loose bolts or perhaps apply a little thread locker. Replacement hardware can apparently be purchased from WatchBuys.

The deployment clasp is also solid and robust. You have 3 micro adjust points on the clasp that is held in place with a pin as well as a dive suit extension. All pretty standard stuff.

I have found that the clasp itself has a tenancy to pop loose. That is probably because I wear the watch tight on my wrist. If I do something like push myself up off the floor or out of a swimming pool, the force from the contracting muscles in my forearms will be enough to pop this clasp loose. This is my biggest gripe with the watch besides the thickness of it. I’d like to see the clasp lock more securely.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the bracelet. It looks great, and I find this watch wears comfortably.

Sinn U1 Review – Final Thoughts

I love this watch. The fact that it has been my daily wear for almost 3 years and that it kicked a watch twice as expensive off my wrist should speak volumes about it. I wouldn’t call myself a true watch aficionado by any means, but I appreciate watches and could justify buying a more expensive one if I wanted to. Yet every time I stare down at my U1 it makes me wonder why I would want anything else.

My favorite part of the U1 is how it is different from everything else on the market. It seems like in the world of dive watches all roads lead back to the Rolex Submariner. That is for good reason as the Submariner is the quintessential dive watch, but what I enjoy about the U1 is that it is not trying to be a Submariner. The unique design and solid execution allow me to appreciate it for what it is. Some might want something a little sleeker and more refined, but I like it. I would like to see the case be couple millimeters thinner, and the clasp be a little more secure, but beyond that I have no complaints.

I recommend the U1 it without hesitation. In a moment of weakness, I recently purchased another dive watch (the Seiko SBDC0053). The SBDC053 is an amazing watch, and I will review it, but I have to tell you I keep coming back to this U1.

I have had a lot of fun wearing this Sinn U1, and appreciate its unique take on the otherwise ubiquitous dive watch.

Sinn has only one dealer in the states, and that’s WatchBuys. So if you want to buy one new, that’s your only option here in the USA. I don’t have an affiliate relationship with WatchBuys. I do have affiliate relationships with Amazon and Jomashop, and really appreciate the people who have used my links to buy watches and gear through those sites. When you do that BladeReviews earns a small commission that keeps the website independent, mostly ad free, and pays for our excellent writers. Thank you very much.

Also, if you like the watch reviews, here is a link to all our watch reviews.