Okay, so, I’ve been getting into Seiko divers lately. They’re pretty cool, and there’s a ton of them. But man, figuring out the differences between all these models? It’s a headache! I spent a good chunk of my weekend just trying to sort it all out, and I figured I’d share what I found, save you guys some trouble.
First off, I started looking at two models that kept popping up: the SPB143 and the “Slim Turtle.” On paper, they’re really close. The Slim Turtle is like, half a millimeter wider, but it’s actually a bit thinner and shorter lug-to-lug. That got me thinking, these tiny differences, do they really matter? I guess it depends on your wrist and what you like. It’s a great starting point for me.
Then I went down the rabbit hole of serial numbers. Apparently, on newer Seikos, the first digit of the serial number is the year it was made, and the next one is the month. January to September are 1-9, then it gets weird: October is 0, November is N, and December is D. The rest of the digits are just a unique number for that watch. Good to know, I guess, if you’re trying to figure out how old a watch is. I made a note of that in my phone.
And of course, I had to compare Seiko to Grand Seiko. I mean, everyone does, right? From what I read, if you put them side-by-side, the Grand Seiko is just… better. Like, no contest. Better quality, better finish, more accurate. The only area where the regular Seiko wins is price, and maybe brand recognition if you’re not a watch nerd. I don’t have either. It’s just some interesting facts I learned from the Internet.
Next, I started digging into the whole “water resistance” thing. Some Seikos say “WR200,” which means water-resistant to 20 bar. Others say “Diver’s 200M,” and apparently, those are actually certified for diving. That’s a pretty big difference if you’re actually going to use these things underwater! I’m not a diver, but for those who are, it’s something important to keep in mind.
The more I read, the more I realized that Seiko dive watches are known for being tough, accurate, and not crazy expensive. And they’re actually made to be used for diving, which is cool. I started browsing some forums and there are many watch lovers discussing these.
I stumbled upon something about a luminous feature. It said that the diver watch should have luminous indices that can be seen underwater. Also, the bezel should be unidirectional rotating. It makes sense and seems really helpful for divers.
Seiko SKX and Seiko 5
Later, I found another comparison between Seiko SKX and Seiko 5 Sports Divers. Many people are talking about the dimensions. I spent some time reading the comments and tried to understand the differences. I have to admit that I still need to learn more about these two.
Oh, and I learned that Seiko’s Prospex line is like, the big name in their dive watch world. They’re the ones that really pushed the whole dive watch thing forward. Now I have some basic ideas about Seiko divers.
So yeah, that was my weekend. I didn’t even get to try any of these on. Maybe I should start saving up for one first. But hopefully, this rambling mess of information is helpful to someone out there. If you’re looking at Seiko divers, just know there’s a lot to learn! It’s a fun journey, though!
