The Seiko Vortex
- Why buy a Rolex for $10,000 when you can get a Grand Seiko for $5,000?
- Why buy a Grand Seiko for $5,000 when you can get a Prospex for under $1,000?
- Why buy a Prospex when you can get the SKX007 or SKX173 (pictured above) for $200?
Worn and Wound: Seiko SKX007 review - (link)
The 10 Best Affordable Dive Watches of 2017 - (link)
posted by The Other Front at 10:05 PM
2 Comments:
Allow me to explain:
You buy the Rolex to tell people you're 1) rich, 2) don't care if people think you're an asshole, 3) don't care if people think your watch may be a fake.
You buy the Grand Seiko if you 1) want the highest quality watch that costs less than a car, 2) don't care if (most) people don't recognize how awesome your watch is.
You buy the Prospex if you 1) care about quality, price, and specs, but 2) don't have to have the best, just better than most people's stuff.
You buy the SKX if you 1) must have a mechanical dive watch, but 2) don't care if that mechanical movement is pretty bad -- the one they put in Seiko 5's that cost under $100.
My rule is: a cheap mechanical watch isn't worth it, particularly not worth the cost to maintain and regulate so it doesn't gain or lose > 20 seconds a day. I think you're better off with the $40 Casio Marlin than the $200 SKX. I also think you're better off with the $40 Casio G-Shock than the $40 Casio Marlin.
I think a really solid value at > $500 is the Precista PRS-18 quartz dive watch at TimeFactors: http://timefactors.com/precistaprs18cosc.htm
Yes. I think basic qualifying question is "tool or jewelry?" For me it's the former. I have "presentable" watches: the TimeFactors Speedbird 2 and a Fortis Flieger. And I have an old Time Factors Broadarrow as a beater watch, and it has served admirably.
But I don't have watches I'd comfortably wear while - say - demining the Straits of Hormuz, or changing a tire in the rain. And I do think that is a deficiency that needs to be addressed. In these tasks the watch could get banged around a bit, and certainly would get wet. As near as I can tell this lets out most of the automatics, and particularly the popular cheap Seiko ones, which seem to have fewer hit points than most, potentially creating issues:
- "The mine fuze must be removed in seven seconds. On my mark:"
- "Oh, wait...my watch got banged and doesn't seem to be working anymore...or is the battery out? These darn Seik..."
- BOOM
What's left are superior automatics, and good quartz watches, with quartz probably preferable.
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