Watch Reviews

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.

For some time now, I’ve been eyeing a return to the world of mechanical watches. Then, a few weeks back, Editor (and apparent mind reader) Dan contacted me with a proposition: “I bought a Seiko SNZG15J1 maybe six months ago… I see the watch every time I open up my closet and thought it might be a good fit for you.”

Ah, the Seiko 5: Darling of watch hipsters and aspiring horologists everywhere. The SNZG15J1 (I’m going to call it the SNZ going forward) is a $120 piece sitting near the top of the Seiko’s iconic value line. I’d previously owned an SNK809, and the idea of testing its premium cousin was instantly appealing. Dan was kind enough to send it over, and I spent several weeks gathering my thoughts. Here are the dimensions, to start with.

• Case Width: 42mm
• Case Thickness: 12mm
• Depth Rating: 10Bar (100m)
• Movement: Seiko 7S36C
• Lug Width: 22mm

Fit

By the time the watch reached me, Dan had already swapped the stock canvas bracelet for an aftermarket leather strap. While it looks to be about a millimeter short on each side, I appreciate the added comfort. If you haven’t experienced Seiko’s stock canvas, well, it’s not great. Those planning to buy this watch should seek out a new strap as part of the package.

Equipped with a bit of cowhide, the SNZ wears quite comfortably. The 42-milimeter case sits perfectly on my medium wrist, low and secure against the skin. The lugs curve gently around the bone, creating an effortless ride. I love the way this watch fits, which makes the next few sections all the more difficult.

Movement

Get your crosses and gear oil ready, mechanical purists, because I’m about to speak a whole bunch of sacrilege.

First, some specs. The Seiko’s 7S36C is a 23-jewel automatic movement with 41 hours of power reserve. Hacking and hand winding are absent, with an operating temperature range of 14-140 degrees Fahrenheit. I’d like to supply you with an expected accuracy range, but Seiko doesn’t include it in their operating manual.

Here’s where things fall off a cliff for me. The purpose of a watch, above all, is to keep accurate time. In my few weeks with the SNZ, I was unable to establish a consistent pattern. My Orient Mako 2, for instance, reliably runs between nine and ten seconds fast per day. Its hacking movement makes this easy to correct, so it’s not a big deal. But with the Seiko 5, I encountered variances between three and thirty seconds fast and slow. This is unacceptable in a $50 watch, let alone one costing $120. I had strong opinions on this coming off the similarly equipped SNK809, and time has done little to dull the edge. This variation is completely out of bounds, especially on a watch without a hacking second hand.

Allow me to digress for a moment. Are you familiar with the difference between polychronic and monochronic societies? In short, a monochronic civilization operates on a sense of temporal propriety. If a meeting is supposed to start at 9 AM, participants are expected to show up on time. Late arrivals and interruptions are generally considered rude unless an acceptable excuse is supplied.

In a polychronic society, however, start times are considered to be more of a suggestion. Arrivals could show up to said meeting as late as 9:30, with little to no thought given to the lapse. For those of us raised in a monochronic model, this sort of cultural divide can be a source of immense frustration.

Let’s bring this back into focus: How can Japan, a monochronic culture so hell-bent on punctuality that a 25-second early train departure necessitates an official apology, put out a movement that performs this poorly? Long story short, I’m flatly unimpressed with the operation and accuracy of the Seiko 5 series.

Case and Crown

So, it’s pretty clear where I stand on the SNZ’s functional capabilities. But what about its form? This is what I consider to be the great tragedy of the 5’s, because these watches are actually pretty well finished.

Let’s start with the case. The front side is composed of brushed stainless steel, with just the slightest breath of texturing. Things get prettier out back, with polished steel surrounding a transparent plastic window. This is the most alluring part of the watch, allowing you to see the mechanical movement in action.

The crown is small, unsigned, and basic. There’s nothing particularly memorable about it, but its action and setting is easier to access than that of the SNK809. For what it is, the setup is perfectly functional.

This case/crown combo features a water resistance rating of 100-meters. Sorry, guys, but I just don’t buy it. Take a look at this fingernail cutout tucked behind the crown:

Now look at the crown shaft, visible through the case back.

You’re telling me that this setup is supposed to ward off 10-Bar of pressure? I’m no hydrodynamics expert, but this doesn’t seem like a terribly watertight system. I’d be comfortable with handwashing and maybe a shower, but full on immersion in a lake or pool? I’d avoid it with the Seiko 5.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

Here we come to another SNZ strong point. The dial is clean, readable, and attractive. Its standard Arabic numerals are complemented by small 24-hour digits, with wide lume strips on the raised outer ring. A black day/date window is positioned at 3 o’clock, with a sharp white border for effect. The hour and minute hands are thick and well lumed, and even the red-tipped second hand features a touch of the glowing goop. My favorite aspect of the dial may actually be the applied “Seiko 5” badge. Its raised silver and white shapes really pop against the matte black dial, creating an appropriately sporty effect.

There’s not much to say about the bezel, beyond complimenting the subtle texture of its brushing. It sits ever-so-slightly below the top of the crystal, with just enough of a gap to accumulate debris from daily wear.

Speaking of the crystal, this is another watch utilizing Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex. It’s a material generally agreed to be on par with mineral – better than plastic or acrylic, but nowhere near the hardness of sapphire. At just over $100, I have no complaints with this choice in crystal.

Strap/Bracelet

As mentioned above, the stock Seiko canvas strap isn’t good. It’s coarse, inflexible, and generally plain. Time and wear would break it in, but just about every Seiko 5 photo on social media will include a different strap.

If you’re looking for alternative options, I’d highly recommend the folks over at Cincy Strap Works. Their NATOs generally accompany my Citizen Pro Master and Orient Mako 2.

Seiko 5 Sports Review – Final Thoughts

Last time, I opened the Casio Duro review with an ode to second sight. And it’s true – Sometimes, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. But with apologies to Cinderella and their hair-metal classic, “Now I know what I got… It’s just this overpriced, unreliable watch riding on its reputation.” I think that’s how the song went, right?

Look, I understand the mechanical appeal. The idea of a watch that’s essentially living off your body’s movement is pretty compelling. But, for around $30 more, you can get an Orient Mako or Ray II, with superior construction, accuracy, and a movement that hand-winds and hacks. Or, if you’re wedded to the field watch aesthetic, Citizen makes several excellent alternatives in this price range, such as the BM8180. Sure, they’re not filled with cool spinning gears, but their

EcoDrive movements could also be said to be “alive,” feeding off the power of the sun.

This is a watch with a huge fan base, many of whom I hold in high regard. I wanted to love it, like the cool kids do. But, if I can’t trust it to keep accurate time, then why am I even wearing it?

Proselytizing aside, only you can determine whether a Seiko 5 belongs on your wrist. I’ll admit, those looking to dip a toe into the mechanical waters could certainly do worse. But, if you dig a little deeper, I think you can definitely do better.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Seiko 5 Sports SNZG15J1 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.

You know what they say about love at first sight? Well, sometimes second sight comes with the benefit of experience, once absence has worked its magic on the heart. (Re)Enter the Casio MDV106-1A “Duro,” a $44, stainless steel dive watch running on batteries and quartz. I owned and sold one of these 20bar bargains about six months ago, before purchasing a second one for the purpose of this review.

With many of the watches here on BladeReviews featuring price tags of at least three digits, the Duro’s sub-$50 cost may cause readers to overlook its incredible value and capability. This was certainly the case with me, when it left my collection after I got my hands on the Citizen Promaster Diver. But, now that I’ve handled a few higher-end pieces, the humble Casio shines all the brighter.

Enough backstory – Let’s get to the figures and review. I should note that these measurements are an amalgamation of generally-agreed-upon figures, since my tools are still packed away from my recent move. Here you go:

• Case Width: 44mm
• Case Thickness: 12mm
• Lug to Lug: 48mm
• Depth Rating: 20Bar (200m)
• Weight: 3.2oz on the rubber strap
• Movement: Casio Quartz Movement (Module 2784)
• Lug Width: 22mm

Fit

As you can see from the dimensions and comparison shots, the Duro is a rather large watch. It’s about as big as my medium-sized wrist can support without appearing to make a fashion statement. The stock rubber bracelet keeps this ticking chunk of stainless secured, and the single keeper and metal buckle operate without issue. More on the bracelet later, but it’s a solid functional design.

Here’s something to note, if you’re thinking about swapping out the stock strap: While most websites list the lug width at 20mm, I’ve found this to be closer to 22mm. So, if you’re eyeing up a NATO, be sure to buy accordingly.

Overall, the Duro wears pretty darn well. It was on my wrist for all but one day on my recent cross-country move, as well as the week of packing beforehand. Despite its size, at no point did it become a nuisance. Quite the opposite, in fact. There were many times, whether packing, driving, or moving in, when the weight of the watch on my wrist served as a welcome bit of reassurance. This sentiment held through four states worth of hotel gyms, showers, and pools.

Movement

Try as I might, I haven’t been able to dig up the exact specs for the Duro’s movement. I’m not alone in this, either – Folks like TGV from The Urban Gentry Youtube channel and other far more qualified reviewers have encountered a similar barricade. The general consensus seems to be that Casio employs one of their stock quartz movements, shown on the case back and manual as module number 2784. This crystal-controlled setup is powered by a three-year SR626SW battery, with an accuracy rating of +/-20 seconds per month.

Now, before you get too bent out of shape over that third of a minute, let me state that both of the Duros I’ve owned have come nowhere near that figure. At most, they’ve gained between one and two seconds per week. Accuracy here is on par with the Citizen and INOX, and significantly better than the mechanicals in my collection.

The Duro’s most striking feature is its second hand. Unlike many quartz pieces in this price range (I’m looking at you, Timex), its red-tipped ticker hits each of the indices with laser precision. There’s no waggle, stutter, or hesitation in its arc, which isn’t something I can say for my $250 INOX. This is excellent, and it’s been the case on both of my Duros.

Then there’s the date window. It’s nothing fancy, but visibility is decent and the changeover is solid. Setting is accomplished by pulling the crown to the first position and spinning counter-clockwise to advance the day.

Speaking of setting, I do have a minor nitpick here. Full disclosure – I’m a little obsessive-compulsive when it comes to my minute hand lining up with the markers. When the seconds hit zero, I want that long hand to be pointing dead-on at the desired minute. On some cheaper watches (or, again, the INOX), the minute hand has a tendency to jump a fraction of a millimeter when pressing the crown back into place. This creates a maddening misalignment, causing me to repeat the setting process over and over until everything lines up exactly. The Duro, unfortunately, suffers from a minor case of this hand-hopping. If you’re not a crazy person like me, this won’t be a big deal.

Case and Crown

If Casio is going to hit me with a “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” on their movement, then I may as well take a long, hard look at the curtain. The case housing the Duro’s internals is made of stainless steel, with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces. And while it may be rather large, it does play host to some nice details. Take the case back, for instance. Casio has clearly etched all of the relevant data (Reference number, water resistance, etc.) into the steel, with the welcome addition of their classic marlin logo. This prominent fish only appears on Casios with a rating of 20Bar or higher. It’s a pretty cool bit of badging for a timepiece costing less than $50.

The crown, like the case back, is of the screw-down variety. There are two nicely chamfered guards surrounding it, with enough slope and rounded edges to keep them from digging into the wrist. The crown itself is unbranded, with enough of a polished finish to reflect my face like a funhouse mirror. It screws into place relatively easily, though not as smoothly as my higher-priced divers. There is a bit of wiggle in its unwound state, but nothing substantial enough to cause concern.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

Speaking of wiggle, let’s talk about the Duro’s bezel. You’d expect a cheap diver to come with some play in its timekeeping ring, right? Well, that’s not the case here. The Duro’s 120-click, unidirectional bezel is rock solid, with a prominently lumed pip at the zero position. The canted coin edge is quite grippy, so long as your hands aren’t soaking wet.

Within the bezel lies the crystal, composed of hardened mineral glass. Not a favorite material among watch lovers, but I think Casio deserves some credit here. At $44, they could have cheapened out and gone with some form of plastic. The Duro’s large mineral crystal is perfectly serviceable for a basic beater watch, and mine picked up only a single scratch after several weeks’ worth of moving-related work.

Let’s gaze beneath the crystal, to the real appeal of the Duro. Each of its indices are applied, and the polished hands are distinct and well-wrought. This combination makes this an eminently readable watch from almost any angle, a trait that proved truly valuable on my long-haul trip. The branding is subtle and well done, with another marlin to match the one on the case back. The dial itself is something of a flat black, though there’s a bit of a sunburst if viewed from the proper angle. This deceptively simple combination lends a real pop to the hands and indices, along with the bright red of the second hand.

The most common complaint associate with the Duro lies in its lume. Here’s a comparison shot, with the $150 Citizen Promaster on the right, and the $250 Victorinox INOX on the left:

While it looks okay here, I can tell you from experience that this nigh-universal gripe is warranted. The lume begins fading almost immediately and will be all but invisible within a few minutes. The lone exception comes in the outdoors, on nights far away from the streetlight glow. You’ll be able to read it in the darkness of your tent, but it won’t be an easy affair.

Strap/Bracelet

So, the strap – Many of the big-name reviewers I’ve come across aren’t a fan of the rubber. And I’ll be honest: I didn’t give it much of a chance on the first Duro I owned. I had a BluShark NATO shipped to me as part of the package, and that’s the way I wore it. But, since the second watch arrived, I’ve worn it almost exclusively on the stock strap. Maybe if I’d done this the first time, I wouldn’t have needed to buy the watch twice.

Let me elaborate a bit here. The stock rubber isn’t great. I’ve heard Nick Shabazz describe it with words to the effect of “baby’s first watch.” And, with the higher-end stuff he generally reviews, he’s probably not too far off base. But, for whatever reason, this basic rubber bracelet just works for me. It’s comfortable, secure, easily adjustable, and (most importantly) low-profile.

Because the Duro is already a rather large watch, the addition of even a trimmed-down NATO makes it tower over the bones of my wrist. This becomes immediately inconvenient for a watch doing beater duty. It’ll snag, smack, and otherwise scratch against every tree, desktop, and doorknob in your path. Or, at least, that’s what happened to me. While the basic rubber didn’t keep the bezel from becoming close with bookshelves and moving boxes, the effect was greatly reduced from its nylon counterpart.

Casio MDV106-1A “Duro” Review – Final Thoughts

Look – This is a great watch. I’d go so far as to say that it’s the best under-$50 timepiece I’ve tested, and one of the three best under $100 (the Casio WVA-M640 and Citizen BM-8180 being the others). And on top of its aesthetic and functional merits, it’s also one of the most accessible divers on the market. Next time you’re at your local Walmart, make a quick stop at the jewelry counter. There, next to the cubic zirconia earrings and cheap wedding rings, you’ll probably find a Casio Duro.

Still, I’d recommend purchasing the watch online, as in-store prices always hover a bit higher than those in cyberspace. Whether you’re looking for a beater watch for yourself, or maybe a gift for someone who’s thinking about getting into timepieces, this is a splendid, budget-friendly choice. Take it from me, the guy who was dumb enough to sell his first one – This is a watch you’ll enjoy having in your collection.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Citizen Duro at Amazon and watches in general at 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 enjoyed the review follow Josh’s work on his website, JourneywindJunk and on his Instagram page, @JourneywindJunk.

I’ll never forget my first time walking into an Omega boutique and looking at all the shiny watches. A friend of mine, the one that initially introduced me to watches, took me there to admire his grail and ultimately discover a few of my own. Since that time I’ve had the privilege of owning and wearing several Omega watches and my buddy has attained (and daily wears) his grail Planet Ocean. In fact, my first ever “nice,” watch was an Omega Seamaster GMT 2534.50 that I wore for a long time, but ultimately sold for reasons that escape me now.

Buy the Omega Seamaster 300M Ceramic at Jomashop

Since then I’ve owned several versions of the classic wave dial Seamaster, numerous variations of the Speedmaster, and even a Planet Ocean but all of this to say… For some reason, I am drawn back to Omega, like a moth to the flame… That brings me to my most recent acquisition, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300 Ceramic. The most modern iteration of the Seamaster Professional series (although soon to be ousted by the new—new wave dial coming from Basel this last March). Before we get too far, let’s go over some specs:

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

• Case Width: 41.5mm
• Case Thickness: 13.1mm
• Lug to Lug: 47.3mm
• Depth Rating: 30Bar (300m)
• Weight: 5.9oz on the bracelet
• Movement: Omega 2500D Co-Axial Movement
• Lug Width: 20mm

Fit

There are some watches that really feel like the manufacture nailed some sort of “golden-mean-symmetry” balance and created a watch that just works on the wrist. Other’s work fine, but have some minor comfort issues that you have to overlook like, the crown digging into your hand, or the lugs being overly long and overhanging your wrist… but the SMPc hits those special measurements.

This watch is a dream to wear, with lugs that gently drape over your wrist and a thickness that keeps the watch from getting in the way of your day to day life. I think this is what keeps pulling me back to the SMP series—they really are a joy on the wrist.

Movement

The Omega 2500 Co-Axial movement has been around since 1999 and was Omega’s first wide-scale implementation of using Co-Axial movements in their watches. The 2500 is also not without its flaws and issues. There are five generations of the 2500 starting with the 2500 itself and then progressing to the 2500A, B, C, and finally D.

Some of these earlier movements suffered from some rather serious performance issues. Instead of chronicling all the reporting that has been done on the generations of the 2500 movement, and opinions that have been spread around about whether the C generation is reliable, or if the D is the only one to buy, I’ll say this: I’ve owned a couple watches with movements that were derived from the same 2-level coaxial technology. One of them was an early on Co-Axial Speedmaster that DID have issues and needed to be serviced. All of the rest have been perfectly fine.

In addition to this, the SMPc’s were released after the 2500D movements were released, and they all feature the new, reliable design of this Co-Axial movement. So strictly speaking if you buy the newest ceramic bezeled version of the Co-Axial Seamaster, you’re getting the latest version of the movement, and there’s nothing to worry about. In addition to that, I can say that my watch is keeping phenomenal time, gaining roughly 1.5s/day. Hard to beat that.

Case and Crown

The SMPc’s case is pretty straightforward with nice brushing along the sides, and polished twisted bevels on the lugs. The thinness of this case is pretty remarkable, and as I said in the fit section above, really makes this watch a joy to wear. The case-back is also pretty good lookin’ featuring Omega’s trademark Hippocampus and the laser etched Omega logo along the side.

As for the crown, the Seamaster has two, one primary crown at 3 o’clock that you’d expect, and the one for the Helium Escape Valve at 10 o’clock. The crown is signed with an Omega logo and nicely textured to good grip when loosening it screwing down. The crown guards on these Omegas have always struck me as pretty interesting. They almost appear to rise off the side of the watch and gently hug the crown. There’s not much to say about the HEV crown at 10, except that you’ll never use it unless you want to fidget with something, and some people get some real heartburn over it being there at all. I’ll let you decide for yourself.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

As always, top-down: The domed sapphire crystal is very well executed on this watch. Omega does a great job with the AR coatings, and in the right light, it can look almost as if the crystal isn’t there. Also, while it is domed, it doesn’t stick up so much that it will be a “snag-hazard,” there’s nothing that’s gonna protrude on this watch.

The bezel is where the modernity of the new SMPc’s starts to show itself. As the “c” would suggest in the name, these bezels are ceramic with a sort of matte grey numeral all the way around. There is also a lume pip at the 60-min mark that generally sits at noon. This bezel looks gooooood. The ceramic matches the deep blue (or black if that’s your style) of the dial perfectly and shows a ton of complexity as the light plays across it. It’s also a 120-click rotating bezel that’s a joy to actuate, snapping into each half-minute position with positive authority. While I would have loved to see some additional lume on the bezel like the Pelagos has, it would largely be vestigial and I am pleased as-is.

And the dial; as you look at the watch you’ll begin to see some subtle changes from the older non-ceramic Seamasters, and really, you should as there are nearly 20-years that separate the designs. The hour indices are applied with beautifully polished (I assume) steel surrounds, filled to the brim with lume. The Omega logo just under the noon-double-indices is applied and polished, as is the “Omega” beneath that. The depth of the dial’s color is also quite something to behold as well. I’ve always liked the wave dials, but the deep glossy blue dial is superb.

The lume itself is worth remarking on, Omega always does a good job on lume. On the SMPc they’ve mixed lume colors, with the primary color being blue on the hour hand, and indices, but the minute hand and diving bezel pip’s lume is green. A cool touch if you ask me.

I wanted to specifically address the hands on this watch. The skeleton hands have been a hang-up for me, and probably been the biggest reason I’ve avoided buying this watch for years. I still do not like the skeleton hands from the older wave dialed versions of the SMP, but the newly updated handset on the SMPc are excellent. Polished, with amply applied lume they catch the light in the same way as the applied indices and Omega script/logo. All this to say, the SMPc has converted me to the skele-hands, at least somewhat.

Strap/Bracelet

Omega’s bracelets have always been excellent. They articulate nicely and drape well over the wrist. This bracelet is no different. It’s slightly dressier than the “Speedy Bracelet” the Speedmaster or 2254.50 comes on, but the varying brushed and polished surfaces are nice. Omega has also moved away from pin/collar construction for screw links. That’s always good. This watch will also be amazing with a NATO strap if you want to trend a bit more on the casual. side.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Ceramic Review – Final Thoughts

So, all of this to say, I am extremely impressed by the Omega Seamster 300M in Ceramic. Omega always does a good job, but it’s easy to see here why this model has remained a classic and has also remained largely unchanged in design for years. Omega has made some small improvements with each iteration, but no drastic changes. That being said, it’s worth looking into the newer version coming out later this year (2018) to see if perhaps you want to wait for that instead of grabbing one of these right now. Either way, you’re going to wind up with a watch that will serve you for years to come.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Casio GW-M5610BC 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.

If you don’t have a Casio G-Shock, you don’t have a complete watch collection. I sincerely believe that. Some people would tell you that you need an Omega Speedmaster or a Rolex Submariner, but let’s realistic about this – those are great watches, but I think one of the foundational cornerstones to any watch collection is a solar, atomic, G-Shock.

In 1981 Kikuo Ibe set out to design a resilient watch after experiencing an unfortunate incident with a mechanical timepiece. Ibe wanted his watch to be thin, able to withstand impacts, and water resistant to a respectable depth. The first model of Casio G-Shock to come out was the DW-5000, and the watch we’re looking at today is roughly based on that watch. The GW-M5610BC-1JF is one of the classic “square G’s” with a couple special tweaks that we’ll get into later… First some specs:

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

• Case Width: 43.2mm
• Case Thickness: 12.7mm
• Lug to Lug: 47.7mm
• Depth Rating: 20Bar (200m)
• Weight: 4.2oz on the Combi-Bracelet
• Movement: Casio 3159 Module
• Lug Width: N/A — I know some folks swap out the straps/bracelets on their G’s, I don’t and it looks hard to do.

Fit

I have previously reviewed one of Casio’s Master’s of G, which while very cool in terms of functionality and robustness, can often times require a compromise when it comes to comfort. That is not the case with the 5600 Series watches. They are very trim at 12.7mm thick, and all of the band options that Casio offers are quite comfortable.

These watches likely are some of the most worn timepieces in existence with their entry-level brethren being available from places like Target and Walmart for sub-$50 (See the DW-5600E-1V). I feel like a good amount of this success has to be due to their unobtrusiveness on the wrist. They really are the put-on-and-forget type watches.

Movement

The GW-5610BC has Casio’s module 3159 inside of it. As with all of the Casio modules, there is an enormous amount of functionality packed into this watch including but not limited to a world time view, 4-alarms, chronograph (stopwatch), and a countdown timer. All of these functions are powered by G-Shock’s solar technology meaning that the watch’s face acts like a solar cell and can charge the battery when exposed to light.

Lastly, my favorite feature of this particular watch, the atomic-syncing functionality. The 3159 receives time calibration radio signals syncing the time with the atomic clock once a day. Effectively making the timekeeping accuracy of the movement a moot point when you factor that any deviation would be corrected every 24-hours.

Case and Crown

If you’ve ever handled a G-shock you are probably familiar with their rubber/resin coated bodies, buttons on either side to use the features, and recessed flat dial. The 5610BC is no different, and has a result it retains of the biggest flaws present on the smaller G-Shocks; there are four buttons on either side of the watch that activate the features, cycle through modes, and turn on the backlight. On the 5610BC the buttons are fairly small and recessed, this keeps them safe from damage or accidental actuation, but it also makes them difficult to use. I generally have to press them with my fingernail, not a deal breaker but worth pointing out.

The case itself is very nice. Thin, not super big, wears much smaller than the numbers would suggest. The size, as I discussed in the fit section, is probably what makes this model so popular. The dial is nicely recessed and protected by a resin bezel. As with other G’s Casio has used a steel case-back as well. I would imagine this helps to ensure the water resistance (20Bar).

Dial, Bezel, & Crystal

Unlike most other watches this portion of a 5600 series G-Shock is pretty straightforward. The bezel is integrated into the case and really only serves to protect the crystal/display. On the display you have two primary pieces of information being communicated: In the top right you’ll see the day, month, and date. Then filling the lower half of the display is the time, or if you’re in another mode whatever salient piece of information you would expect at that point. At the very bottom you have a couple small indicators for the charge level of the solar battery, and then a notification of the alarm status (so you can see if an alarm is activated before heading into a movie or something).

The crystal is called “inorganic-glass,” which leads me to believe that it is likely a mineral glass crystal. This is fairly unremarkable, and I feel pretty confidently that if the crystal encountered anything with any real force it would mark or break. That being said, the G-Shock’s design excels at diverting damage away from the face of the watch, I’ve never had a problem with it.

Strap/Bracelet

Most G-Shock’s come on a perfectly acceptable rubber style bracelet that’s built more-or-less integrally into the case. The particular variant we are discussing today comes on Casio’s rather brilliantly designed Combi-Bracelet. As the name suggests, the bracelet is a combination of polymer and steel, the outer links being for former and the center links being the latter. Each link is held together by a set of small spring bars.

I haven’t seen a bracelet constructed in this manner before. I’m not positive on the strength of this construction, but the bracelet is comfortable to wear and easy to adjust. The biggest difference in my experience with this bracelet is, it really makes the G-Shock feel like a “real” watch. I’m not really sure how else to describe this sort of intangible, but there’s a different feeling with the bracelet compared to one without.

Casio GW-M5610BC Review – Final Thoughts

So, what’s the deal with the 5610BC? I think when it’s all said and done you’re getting one of Casio’s most capable G-Shock models, that includes their solar and atomic technology while also including a bracelet. This is my favorite iteration of the classic G-Shocks, and while they may be difficult to find, they are generally available on amazon.com or eBay. Everyone needs a G in their collection. I suggest this one.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Casio GW-M5610BC 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.

Something that comes up surprisingly infrequently when it comes to watches is the question, “What role does this item play in my life?” Timekeeping is the answer less often than I would anticipate. For me however, accuracy and reliability really are paramount. The advent of the quartz movement exemplified that accuracy did not always have to come at a great expense. Quartz watches primarily were coming out of Japan and the Swiss suffered as a result.

Buy the Longines Conqeust VHP at JomaShop

During the panic of the Quartz Crisis during the 1970’s and 80’s Swiss watchmakers struggled to find a solution to the dwindling revenue and customer base. One of the most notable attempts came from Longines in 1984 in the form of the VHP movement (Very High Precision). This movement emphasized accuracy, shaving down the time keeping variation to fractions of a second per month. Ultimately, as mechanical watches rebounded, the Longines VHP’s were discontinued and the mantle of HAQ (High Accuracy Quartz) fell to others. But now they have returned. Longines announced the reintroduction of the VHP series in 2017 at Basel, and that’s what we’re looking at today, the Longines Conquest V.H.P.. First off some specs:

• Case Width: 41.45mm
• Case Thickness: 12.19mm
• Lug to Lug: 49.79mm
• Lug Width: 20mm
• Weight: 5.3oz (on bracelet)

Fit

The VHP is a fairly low-impact watch in your daily life. In a way, I suppose on the wrist the VHP is relatively unremarkable. When we’re discussing how a watch fits on the wrist; “unremarkable” is a good thing. The VHP is available in a 41mm case and a 43mm case. The 41 is pretty much perfect on my 7.25” wrist. You want a watch to fold itself into your day-to-day activities and wardrobe, not stick out and be conspicuous… at least not in respect to comfort. The VHP excels at this.

Movement

The caliber L288 Longines VHP Quartz movement was developed in partnership with Longines and ETA under the Swatch umbrella. This movement is what really sets the VHP apart in my eyes. Previous to this watch I have owned both a Breitling Aerospace (actually a couple of them) and an Omega X-33 both HAQ (high accuracy quartz) watches with a ton of value and functionality. Both the Omega and the Breitling movements are spec-ed to get +/- 10s variance per year. While this is already remarkable, Longines wanted to make the most accurate non-radio controlled watch available on the market. In their attempt, they achieved a movement that cut the previous annual variance in half. The Longines VHP’s average +/- 5s a year. That may seem like splitting hairs, but to my knowledge, they only have one other peer in the Citizen Chronomaster.

In addition to the timekeeping of the L288, Longines developed a couple other really great features. Firstly, the watch has a power saving mode. To access it you pull out the crown and leave it. After 1-2 minutes the hands will all snap to noon and remain there. While in this mode the watch continues to keep time, but the hands do not move, saving power. To exit power saving mode simply push the crown in and the second hand will snap to time, the minute/hour hands rotate and resume timekeeping, and the date window will also tick over to the correct date if it’s been longer than 24 hours since you last wore it.

The L288 also features an anti-magnetic/anti-shock protection system called GPD or “Gear Position Detection.” To, I’m sure, vastly over simplify how it works; the GPD remembers the position of the hands at all times. When the watch encounters a magnetic field or a shock from a drop the hands freeze till the interruption passes, then snap back to the correct position and resume timekeeping.

Lastly, setting the VHP is a unique experience unto itself. Longines makes use of what they call a “magic crown,” which allows you to adjust the minute’s hand in tiny increments, or with a fast turn, it will advance one entire hour at a time. When you pull the crown out and turn it, the second hand snaps to noon to allow you to easily sync the watch with atomic time when you’re setting it.

Case

The case on the VHP is pretty low key. You can tell that Longines really wanted to focus on the other elements of the watch and kept the case low key so as not to distract. I think if there’s one area I could critique this watch it would be the case. It seems unnecessarily thick. A friend of mine whom also bought a VHP said that it seemed as if Longines simply shoe-horned the VHP movement into the regular Conquest line’s case. I can agree with that, it seems overly large for a quartz watch.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

The bezel on the VHP is a polished steel bezel reminiscent of the Tudor Oysterdate’s or a Rolex Datejust. This is an element that I feel classes the watch up, but could also result in an area that could exhibit heavy wear. I generally prefer brushed finishes over polished.

The dial has a concentric circle pattern radiating out from the middle, making the black dial look almost grey-ish in certain light. I really like this touch. I think it classes up the watch a lot. It reminds me a bit of the wave dial on Omega SMPs. All of the hour markers and the Longines logo are applied with the noon and six o’clock marker being large polished numerals. The hands are polished sword hands with generous amounts of lume applied to them. The second hand is red tipped and lines up with the second markers on the dial perfectly with each tick.

Lume is also applied to the hour markers with the exception of the large numerals. All-in-all the lume is sufficient for practical use (telling the time during a movie) but not exceptional. Last little detail to pick out is the date window at 3. It has a small white outline, but the date wheel itself is black. (One cool detail on the date is after 31 and before 1 there is a Longines symbol that rolls passed.)

Lastly, let’s talk about the crystal. Flat sapphire with really, really nicely done AR making you think you can almost reach in and touch the dial itself. Not much else to say there. Well done Longines.

Strap/Bracelet

Okay, the VHP comes on a really nice steel bracelet that has a butterfly clasp and uses split pin construction for the links. On my wrist, the bracelet is nicely done, with a brushed finish and polished sides. The catch with this bracelet is, to my knowledge, Longines does not have half links available. My wrist fits fine with two links removed. However, my buddy’s wrist the bracelet is too big with two removed and too small with three, so he’s been exiled to NATOs only. That may be an issue for some of you. Apart from this potential issue, I love the bracelet.

Longines Conquest V.H.P. Review – Final Thoughts

To put a bow on this watch… I love it. I was extremely interested in the technology that Longines and ETA pioneered in this piece, but then I stayed for the aesthetic. It’s a sharp looking watch that would be equally at home in a dresser environment as it would with jeans and a t-shirt. The Longines VHP’s are available for around $1000 and come in two different sizes 41 and 43mm. There is also a VHP Chronograph available if that’s your bag.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Longines Conquest VHP 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.