When searching for anything online many people like to read reviews to help them make the best choice.
As you read Seiko Prospex watch review, if you’re not familiar with this brand you will get an idea what it has to offer, if you already own one of these stylish watches you may find something elase that you want to add to your collection.
Seiko Prospex SBDX001 Marine Master automatic watch is created by SEIKO, it is based on the principles of all mechanical watch technology.
It contains a main spring, but uses an entirely new system for time regulation.
It delivers the equivalent of one second per day accuracy and unique features. Its glide-motion represents the continuous and even motion of time.
The Seiko SBDX Marinemaster 300M was already introduced in the early 2000s. However, the very first Seiko divers watch was already introduced in 1965 (the Seiko reference 62MAS-010).
Although Seiko decided to introduce a 50th anniversary version of the Seiko Marinemaster, the real ancestor of the Mainemaster 300M was not produced until 1967 and perhaps the reference 6159 from 1968 looks even more similar to the current Seiko Mainemaster 300 SBDX001.
50 years or a bit less, it is more history some of its Swiss or German counterparts have with their diving watches.
Approximately 50 years of developing diving watches means that you can be sure that Seiko knows how to deal with serious diving and create watches that are able to withstand the pressure divers (and their watches) experience at great depth.
Not only that, but they also know the necessary requirements on usability and readability.
Japan has always toiled with the dive watch. They certainly release a number of them, and models ranges from Swiss watch homage, to advance grade designs with limited appeal.
The Citizen Aqualand series has always been highly functional, but I am sorry to say a bit ugly in my opinion.
On the other hand Seiko has released a number of diving watches, some with names like Samurai and Monster.
Again, some good, some bad style wise, but I am sure each of them are dependable.
SBDX001 is a Perfect Japanese Automatic Dive Watch
The Japanese are known to always played around with various movements in diving watches (all of their watches for that matter).
I can think of at least 6 different types of movements I’ve seen in Japanese diving watches i.e.
- Quartz
- Eco-Drive
- Kinetic
- Kinetic DirectDrive
- SpringDrive
- Automatic
The last four of these movements is at least somewhat mechanical. However, Japan is the only other country next to Germany and Switzerland that can design and produce reliable quality mechanical movements on any mass scale.
This watch is not to be mixed up with the other Seiko Prospex Marinemaster watches that I have been talking about.
These don’t have automatic movements, but rather Kinetic Direct Drive or Spring Drive movements.
Fox example, I spoke of the similarly named Seiko SBDB001, which has a similar name, but different look and movement.
This model stands for what a really fine personal watch item should be. Seiko Prospex Marine master is actually an all in one personal gadget considering all its features and built-in functions.
Here are the key features that makes this watch so valuable and appealing.
Features of SBDX001
- Inside the Seiko Marine master pictured is one of Seiko’s best automatic movements. The 8L35 automatic with 26 jewels and a 50 hour power reserve
- Its accuracy easily matches certified chronometer levels, and often exceeds them. For example an average chronometer is accurate to within 6 seconds a day, while the Seiko 8L35 is accurate to within 10-15 seconds a month. Pretty nice for quartz crazy Japan.
- It has a 300m saturation diving waterproof, anti-magnetic, about 50 hours maximum sustained during hoisting
- It comes with an extra Urethane Band, Lumi Brite Painton Hands and indices (light for 3 to 5 hours) with an unidirectional rotating bezel and also a second hand stop function
- It is affordable because all great watches that list well below $500. When I first heard about the Seiko SBDC001, I also had a peek at it would be more expensive (less than $2000 list price)
- Value for Money
Whether this has to do with the policy of Seiko in Japan on their approach of markets outside Japan or that Seiko retailers are not ready for it (yet) is not known to me.
I definitely feel this Seiko Marine master 300 should be out there and available to anyone who is into mechanical diving watches.
This way, the consumer can see (and feel) for himself whether the Seiko Marine master 300 is an interesting alternative to the usual suspects.
I am in any case convinced this Seiko is great value for money (something long time owners and collectors of Seiko’s professional divers already knew) and can easily compete with watches made in Europe that have higher price tags on them.
The downside of Seiko SBDX001 Marinemaster 300m
The availability of this watch in US & Europe still a bit troublesome.
The Seiko Maine master 300m is officially exported to Germany and France and has a 2000 Euro list price over there.
The only real complaint which may be justified is to the bracelet. Let me start off with saying that this Seiko SBDX001 Marinemaster bracelet is really cool. It features ratcheting system for easy fitting and adjusting, which I just love.
The thing is, Japanese watch bracelets have just never equaled the refinement and quality of their European competitors.
They just aren’t as fluid or feel as solid. It is not about comfort necessarily, but expect a Swiss watch that is upwards of $5000 to typically have a pretty darn impressive bracelet.
Someday soon, Japanese will figure out how to match Swiss and German bracelets, and for less cost.
The Seiko Prospec Marinemaster is a handsome addition to any collection, especially those who love Japanese or dive watches. It is another of those perfect everyday watch that will dutifully see its owner through any occasion.
One thing this watch does communicate to me over its European cousins “rough me up”. In a good way that is, Swiss watches make me want to shield them from the elements and danger to maintain their appearance, while a good Japanese watch always appears ready for duty and willing to take whatever you can throw at it.
This is one of the reasons a high-end Japanese watch such as this calls to me, and why it ought to call to you too.
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