Coming in at about the same cost as a Rolex Submariner but in a very limited number Grand Seiko’s new chronograph is quite the eyebrow raising watch.

The dial is almost as complex as a Citizen radio wave eco drive. For a mechanical watch that is an incredible amount of sub dials and hands to utilize!

It is almost the perfect watch.

What I like.
-titanium case and bracelet
-drilled lugs
-beautiful case shape
-Mechanical masterpiece movement with display caseback
-Rotating 24hr dial & GMT hand allowing you to track 2 time zones at once.
-Chronograph
-Enough WR to handle swimming, surfing and boating

What would have made it perfect?

-Easy to read Flieger style dial
-minute track incorporated into the chapter ring
-A day/date complication. If you’re gonna have a somewhat cluttered dial why not swing for the fences and toss in a day complication too?
-200m WR

Maybe the perfect watch doesn’t exist but if they make a spring drive variant with the enhancements listed above I’d sell my watch collection to get one.

While I'm not a total fan of the styling, this one technically ticks all the boxes for my ideal field diver. (Though currently sold out.)

-45mm
-Seiko NH35 auto
-Sapphire crystal
-Dive bezel
-Flieger-B dial
-Date window
-$220


VanBanner LEA
https://vanbannerwatches.com/c...lea/products/vble112

The VBLE152 would be my choice, but I'm a sucker for blue

The VBAO171 is nice too, for a dressier option

Blue is my favorite color, and I agree that the gray/blue color combo looks much better than the olive/black.

But I dislike the faux distressed case and bezel on that model.

Plus it lacks any minute numerals, either on the dial or the bezel. I'm after the "hour dial within a minute dial" look of the Flieger-B-style watches:

Just a bit out of my price range at ~$700 (and also currently sold out) is the Nth Mack:

https://nthwatches.com/product..._sid=2dbfa2594&_ss=r

$534

Pretty close.

But that one's quartz, not an auto.

They do offer a similar auto, for a bit more $$$:
https://elliotbrownwatches.com...e-black-rubber-strap
or
https://elliotbrownwatches.com..._sid=cb426520f&_ss=r

I do like how uncluttered the dial is, and how the minute hash marks carry over from the bezel to the dial. But could do with 8 more numerals.

Looks like some of their watches are apparently UK military-issue.

https://www.vaerwatches.com/co...-black-usa-automatic

I have been wearing the quartz version since thanksgiving at work.

Yeah, that's somewhat close to what I am wanting, just without a dive bezel.

As mentioned on the previous page, I really like Vaer's stuff. Even if they don't have exactly what I am looking for. So I do plan to grab a Vaer D5 in 42mm at some point anyway...

Unfortunately, $2,650.

OK, I was in Vegas last week and scored two SWATCH MoonSwatches.

A Mission to Jupiter and a Mission to the Moon.

I lucked up and got them just after the UPS delivery was made as they sell out within minutes. I got the Jupiter as the last one of the day before the delivery and was walking back from dinner at the Seizure's Palace and cut back through the SWATCH store and the sales guy said he hoped I's come back through add pulled out the last Moon after the UPS had came by after I left. Yep, I bought it on the spot. I had seen people with SWATCH bags on my way back, but figured they had bought the ugly ones.

Jackpot. Wanna sell one for a modest profit?

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Unfortunately, $2,650.

Actually, that's not totally unreasonable, in the watch world. I just personally have no desire to own a $1k+ watch.

Also, that Weiss is lacking a date display. Starting to see how hard it is to find one that hits every single one of those points?

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
OK, I was in Vegas last week and scored two SWATCH MoonSwatches.

Nice. I'm not a fan of chronometer watches, but I can appreciate why those Moonswatches are cool. Especially with the historical connection between the moon and the Speedmaster.

You could email Vaer and see if they would put a pilot dial in a dive case. They do assemble their higher end watches in the states.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

Also, that Weiss is lacking a date display. Starting to see how hard it is to find one that hits every single one of those points?

I get it. I tried to find a dive watch I liked better than the $175 Seiko Orange Knight I bought from Sam’s Club. I picked up a second one off EBay for $140 to keep as a backup. Unfortunately, I broke both of them twice now. There’s just so many options and none of them are just right.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
I tried to find a dive watch I liked better than the $175 Seiko Orange Knight I bought from Sam’s Club. I picked up a second one off EBay for $140 to keep as a backup. Unfortunately, I broke both of them twice now.

If you want to try again, there are several on eBay currently. But they're now $300+.

Or for a cheaper route, there are various companies with SKX clones in similar colors (and even some upgrades over the older Seiko, like sapphire glass).

For example, take this $175 Heimdallr SKX007:
https://www.amazon.com/Heimdal...t/dp/B0B56LPBY8?th=1


Then swap in the brushed stainless bezel from one of your broken SKXs. You can find Youtube videos describing how to pop a bezel ring off and reinstall that one or a different one.

So for another ~$175, you could have a watch that is very similar to your Orange Knight, with a brand new working Seiko movement and upgraded crystal. Call it the Orange Squire.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
OK, I was in Vegas last week and scored two SWATCH MoonSwatches.

A Mission to Jupiter and a Mission to the Moon.

I lucked up and got them just after the UPS delivery was made as they sell out within minutes. I got the Jupiter as the last one of the day before the delivery and was walking back from dinner at the Seizure's Palace and cut back through the SWATCH store and the sales guy said he hoped I's come back through add pulled out the last Moon after the UPS had came by after I left. Yep, I bought it on the spot. I had seen people with SWATCH bags on my way back, but figured they had bought the ugly ones.

Call me nuts or foolish but, I will get a Mission to the Moon and a Mission to Mercury. I think the Swatch/Omega combo is pretty cool.

quote:

Originally posted by 357fuzz:
Call me nuts or foolish but, I will get a Mission to the Moon and a Mission to Mercury. I think the Swatch/Omega combo is pretty cool.

Of all the 11 options, those are the only two that would appeal to me too: black Moon and gray Mercury.

Even the blues and greens, which I normally like on watches, are too pastel for me.

A better shot of my Citizen watches with Flieger-B dials.

Now, if only they came with dive bezels and shiny bracelets...

Hmm... This one's very, very close to exactly what I'm wanting. So close that I'm considering hunting one down.

The only things on which it is missing the mark slightly are size and price, and both are perhaps close enough. It's a 40mm watch, which is slightly smaller than I'm wanting, and about as small as I can go and have it look right. And retail price is $600, so I should be able to find it for under $500 used with patience.

https://www.boldrsupply.co/col...ns/odyssey-freediver