The Beginners Guide to Seiko Dive Watches
The Beginners Guide to Seiko Dive Watches
Those of you who have checked out some of the pictures that accompany the cigar reviews that John and I have done may have noticed me wearing different dive watches. It was not that long ago that I would just wear whatever on my wrist, while in the military and early on in my law enforcement careers it was a cool looking Timex or G-Shock from Casio. I never really got into the whole watch thing. About six years ago, I traded my long time friend and smoking buddy Tom O'Brian some training for a Seiko Black Monster and I was hooked. Before long, I was looking to feed my new addiction. As with all things we love, part of the enjoyment is getting others into it. The idea of this article is meant to be kind of "least you need to know' guide to getting your first Seiko dive watch and having fun with it or picking up more.
These days many men just seem to use their cell phone for the time. This is quite a departure from the days when just about every man had a timepiece on his wrist or on a fob in the watch pocket of his vest or trousers.
Being a creature of habit and liking things a certain way, I am not fond of lots of change. Everything goes in and comes out of my pockets in the same order everyday and I carry the same stuff. Just about the only deviation of this is the watch on my wrist. Another aspect I personally enjoy is visiting www.time.gov while enjoying my first cup of the day and making sure my time is correct and making any adjustments. Somehow, if only for an instant, I feel I actually control time, a rarity in our hectic lifestyles.
After perusing the wide array of links at the end of this article, you will find that this hobby is as deep as they come, with much specialization and opinions. Our focus here is going to be getting you into your first Seiko diver by giving you some basic information.
Even though there are various models of Seiko divers, our focus will be what I have found to be the most common, available and affordable (depending on your definition of that word). Three of my favorite pieces that all fall into this category are the Seiko 007, Seiko Orange Monster, and the Seiko Tuna Can. As you can already see, the watch community is also fond of identifying particular watches with nicknames.
First up, and probably the easiest diver to acquire is the 007. Its actual model number is SKX779K1, has quite a ring to it huh? Now you can see why they have nicknames. The 007 uses the reliable 7S26B movement with a day/date wheel. This makes the 007 an Automatic, which basically means that it relies on your body movement to keep it wound, no batteries required. The case diameter is 43 MM and uses a 22 MM strap. Looking around the net shows that a ballpark price on a NIB 007 is around $200. Don't let that scare you away. By using some of the supplied links, you will likely do much better. Below is a factory 007 and my 007 that has been "modded" with a MK II dial and plonguer hands. In my opinion, the 007, more than any other Seiko, seems to be the most heavily "modded", which means customized in watch speak. Your options for doing so are almost limitless. You could purchase a used but in good condition 007 and add a new bezel (ring that rotates around the top of the watch which helps drivers keep track of time under water), chapter ring (ring that sits between the crystal and dial), face (self explanatory), hour hands (hour, minute, second), and day/date wheel. This is before you get into deciding to bead blast the case, PVD coat it, or have it polished. Then you are onto wearing it on a strap, bracelet, or band. So, you can see how you could get kind of lost in the pursuit of your one of a kind watch.
Next up in what some consider the gold standard in dive watches, the Orange Monster, AKA OM. There are other colored Monsters, but the most common are the Orange and Black. I have both, but my BM is at the spa right now! The OM, model number SKX787 also uses the 7S26B movement. The case is 42.5 MM and takes a 20 MM strap. It is considered a shrouded diver because of the protrusions coming up from the top of the bottom that provide protection for the bezel. This gives the Monsters a very noticeable tool look. Seiko has long been recognized, especially with the Monsters for it's bright lume, the paint on the numbers and hands that glows after being exposed to an external light source. The OM is a real departure for me since I am an earth tone, subdued type of guy. But the subtle splash of Orange really grows on you and gets noticed. Even though a search for the Monsters shows an average MSRP of around $200, you will be able score nice ones around $150 or so.
Last up is the Seiko Tuna Can, available only from the Japanese market, model SBBN007 is striking with it's 48 MM case. After you wear this beast, everything else just seems small. Somehow, the Tuna still looks good on smaller wrists. The Tuna has 22MM lugs (lugs are the arms that the spring bars fit into in order to attach bands). Unlike the two previous models, the Tuna uses a 7S467 Quartz movement which is a battery. This means that you don't need to wind it or move it to charge. One of the reasons I like having the Tuna in my rotation is that it is always ready to wear if one of my automatics stop. When and if you can find one, expect to pay around $500 for a Tuna. For many people the Tuna represents their grail (dream watch). Your grails will likely change as your addiction grows.
Stock 007
Modded 007
Orange Monster
Tuna Can
007, Orange Monster, Tuna
Now that you have some basic information and watch speak under your belt, you can continue your new addiction at these websites.
Broad ArrowThe source for Zulu bands, and a sundry of other great items. Bob is a very knowledgeable guy and has great customer service.
Elite Deal SeekerReal time birds eye view of watches for sale on the forums
MKII WatchesSeiko building legend Bill Yao
10 WatchesNoah is the man when it comes to parts to mod your diver
Military Watch Resource
Poor Mans Watch Forum
Seiko Citizen Watch Forum
Watchuseek.com
Those of you who have checked out some of the pictures that accompany the cigar reviews that John and I have done may have noticed me wearing different dive watches. It was not that long ago that I would just wear whatever on my wrist, while in the military and early on in my law enforcement careers it was a cool looking Timex or G-Shock from Casio. I never really got into the whole watch thing. About six years ago, I traded my long time friend and smoking buddy Tom O'Brian some training for a Seiko Black Monster and I was hooked. Before long, I was looking to feed my new addiction. As with all things we love, part of the enjoyment is getting others into it. The idea of this article is meant to be kind of "least you need to know' guide to getting your first Seiko dive watch and having fun with it or picking up more.
These days many men just seem to use their cell phone for the time. This is quite a departure from the days when just about every man had a timepiece on his wrist or on a fob in the watch pocket of his vest or trousers.
Being a creature of habit and liking things a certain way, I am not fond of lots of change. Everything goes in and comes out of my pockets in the same order everyday and I carry the same stuff. Just about the only deviation of this is the watch on my wrist. Another aspect I personally enjoy is visiting www.time.gov while enjoying my first cup of the day and making sure my time is correct and making any adjustments. Somehow, if only for an instant, I feel I actually control time, a rarity in our hectic lifestyles.
After perusing the wide array of links at the end of this article, you will find that this hobby is as deep as they come, with much specialization and opinions. Our focus here is going to be getting you into your first Seiko diver by giving you some basic information.
Even though there are various models of Seiko divers, our focus will be what I have found to be the most common, available and affordable (depending on your definition of that word). Three of my favorite pieces that all fall into this category are the Seiko 007, Seiko Orange Monster, and the Seiko Tuna Can. As you can already see, the watch community is also fond of identifying particular watches with nicknames.
First up, and probably the easiest diver to acquire is the 007. Its actual model number is SKX779K1, has quite a ring to it huh? Now you can see why they have nicknames. The 007 uses the reliable 7S26B movement with a day/date wheel. This makes the 007 an Automatic, which basically means that it relies on your body movement to keep it wound, no batteries required. The case diameter is 43 MM and uses a 22 MM strap. Looking around the net shows that a ballpark price on a NIB 007 is around $200. Don't let that scare you away. By using some of the supplied links, you will likely do much better. Below is a factory 007 and my 007 that has been "modded" with a MK II dial and plonguer hands. In my opinion, the 007, more than any other Seiko, seems to be the most heavily "modded", which means customized in watch speak. Your options for doing so are almost limitless. You could purchase a used but in good condition 007 and add a new bezel (ring that rotates around the top of the watch which helps drivers keep track of time under water), chapter ring (ring that sits between the crystal and dial), face (self explanatory), hour hands (hour, minute, second), and day/date wheel. This is before you get into deciding to bead blast the case, PVD coat it, or have it polished. Then you are onto wearing it on a strap, bracelet, or band. So, you can see how you could get kind of lost in the pursuit of your one of a kind watch.
Next up in what some consider the gold standard in dive watches, the Orange Monster, AKA OM. There are other colored Monsters, but the most common are the Orange and Black. I have both, but my BM is at the spa right now! The OM, model number SKX787 also uses the 7S26B movement. The case is 42.5 MM and takes a 20 MM strap. It is considered a shrouded diver because of the protrusions coming up from the top of the bottom that provide protection for the bezel. This gives the Monsters a very noticeable tool look. Seiko has long been recognized, especially with the Monsters for it's bright lume, the paint on the numbers and hands that glows after being exposed to an external light source. The OM is a real departure for me since I am an earth tone, subdued type of guy. But the subtle splash of Orange really grows on you and gets noticed. Even though a search for the Monsters shows an average MSRP of around $200, you will be able score nice ones around $150 or so.
Last up is the Seiko Tuna Can, available only from the Japanese market, model SBBN007 is striking with it's 48 MM case. After you wear this beast, everything else just seems small. Somehow, the Tuna still looks good on smaller wrists. The Tuna has 22MM lugs (lugs are the arms that the spring bars fit into in order to attach bands). Unlike the two previous models, the Tuna uses a 7S467 Quartz movement which is a battery. This means that you don't need to wind it or move it to charge. One of the reasons I like having the Tuna in my rotation is that it is always ready to wear if one of my automatics stop. When and if you can find one, expect to pay around $500 for a Tuna. For many people the Tuna represents their grail (dream watch). Your grails will likely change as your addiction grows.
Stock 007
Modded 007
Orange Monster
Tuna Can
007, Orange Monster, Tuna
Now that you have some basic information and watch speak under your belt, you can continue your new addiction at these websites.
Broad ArrowThe source for Zulu bands, and a sundry of other great items. Bob is a very knowledgeable guy and has great customer service.
Elite Deal SeekerReal time birds eye view of watches for sale on the forums
MKII WatchesSeiko building legend Bill Yao
10 WatchesNoah is the man when it comes to parts to mod your diver
Military Watch Resource
Poor Mans Watch Forum
Seiko Citizen Watch Forum
Watchuseek.com
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