Looking for a new diver’s watch

[admin]

I am beginning to search for a new diver style watch and wanted to seek out some help. I currently have a Deep Blue Ocean Diver 500. I love it and am not trying to replace it but want another (somewhat similar) watch to have on a NATO/Zulu band.
I have some things I’m definitely looking for and some other things that would be nice
Requirements

44-46mm​

Automatic​

Bright lume or tritium​

Sapphire crystal​

Would be nice

4’oclock crown position​

Sapphire bezel​

AR coating on the inside​

flat crystal​

Date window​

I’ve done some research and I’ve been looking at the following watches.

• Sinn U1
• Armida A1
• Helson Shark Diver 45
• Hexa K500
• Aquadive Bathyscape 100
• H20 Kalamar
• Tempest Viking or Commodore
• Bombfrog BT25
• Marathon JSAR
• Doxa 4000T

The U1 is the closest to what I am looking for but I wanted to see what else is out there. I’d also probably not want to spend more than the U1 would cost.

[admin]

Can’t go wrong with the U1 😉

[admin]

+1 for the Sinn. If you could live without the sapphire crystal, the Seiko Marinemaster is a really nice watch.
Another nice watches are the Mühle Glashütte Marinus which should be more expensive than the U1, or the Steinhart Triton 30 ATM or 100 ATM. The last ones are much cheaper than the U1, of course without the prestige of a real Sinn watch 😉

[admin]

+1 on the Sinn!!
#4TKC, Apr 5, 2015

[admin]

Something a little different but meets your requirements would be the now defunct Artego model 300m designed by Robert Lex. Not sure why he stopped producing the line as they were wildly popular and I’m thankful I got my first edition run. Cushion Case 44mm, Miyota 8215, fantastic SL application and it glows like a torch. Second hand market has them pop up routinely. Bracelet is a heavy hunk of metal but the cushion case rides nice on Zulu/NATO’s. Cases were in brush and bead blasted finishes with black or stainless bezel.
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[admin]

How about a Stienhart Ocean ?? Come in 42 and 44mm with a verity of bezel colors and configurations. ETA 2824-2 heart, very high quality for the price point 400-600 direct from them in germany (GMT is about 550 ) …. Pays Homage the rolex Sub

Here is a coke bezel Ocean 1 GMT (not in stock until june though) but you can get non GMT’s almost any time, Pic barrowed from flickr, I ordering a all black or this one in june

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Here is another from flickr, Seiko marine master 300 on the left Stinehart Ocean 1 in the middle and Vintage rollie 1545 (I think ) on the right
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[admin]

Out of your list, I would choose the Sinn U1, but …

… might want to check out the Orient Pro Sat Diver “OS300” 🙂

The Orient is an amazing value, especially at current exchange rates.

[admin]

Here is another from flickr, Seiko marine master 300 on the left Stinehart Ocean 1 in the middle and Vintage rollie 1545 (I think ) on the right
I would take them all :inlove:

[admin]

That Seiko MM is one of my all time favorite dive watches!

[admin]

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Dagaz Typhoon

[admin]

Out of your list, I would choose the Sinn U1, but …

… might want to check out the Orient Pro Sat Diver “OS300” 🙂

The Orient is an amazing value, especially at current exchange rates.
The Orient is definitely underrated. The U1 is likely the overall best bet. Bit surprised at the Steinhart recommendations. The watches are perfectly fine. But last I checked, Gunther was having big customer service issues. Mainly due to very long wait times. I recall one order he apparently placed to ETA for completed movements. Around 500. But they only sent him around 40 instead. Not good.

Then again, really not surprising. If you’re not a Swatch group brand, count yourself lucky to get anything from ETA at all nowadays.

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