Seiko Prospex: Things you would want to learn about dive watches
Do you wonder why people buy a diver's watch but don't use it? Most of the time, you find people wearing them for an Instagram post and not for diving. And that is what makes you confused if you should get one or not. Well, there doesn't have to be any specific reason why you should buy it or not. As a watch enthusiast, you can purchase anything and wear it. Another thing is these watches can be beautiful daily wear too. Many people want their timepieces to be durable and dependable.
Dive watches prove better than the non-dive ones in these contexts. So, the reason why you may want to opt for it is its class apartness and usefulness in daily life more than the non-diving watches. Here is a comprehensive insight into dive watches so that you can make a quick decision.
Exploring reasons before buying a Seiko Prospex diver watch
In the last few years, diving watches have received unprecedented love and popularity in the market. The rotating bezels, sturdy shapes, and better water resistance with sporty orientation make them the most coveted possession, especially for men with an active lifestyle and enormous fashion consciousness. Let's take a quick look at why it can draw your attention as well.
Not just a category, a genre
Earlier, a dive watch has to be committed to its core purpose. It helped divers to come up to the surface from underwater in time. In those times, we did not have diver computers. So, during that era, they didn’t have any collectible value. People would see them as purposeful. The 1950s and 1960s editions now have a vintage vibe as they have a story to tell. But these can be equally unaffordable for many. However, the modern counterparts are no less today as they also follow some of their technical principles. They still are those tool watches, which came in handy when diver computers didn’t exist.
A robust piece against damage
Watches with enhanced water resistance stand for overall strength also. These watches don’t just look rugged, but they are so in reality. If you don’t wear it for diving, it doesn’t matter. The durability and robustness of the watches lie in its higher water tolerance. They have to pass pressure tests to qualify as a diving watch. It means even if they do well under the pre-controlled lab conditions compared to abrupt hits, they still show greater resilience than any other regular dress watches and sports watches.
A better view of time, regardless of where and when
Everyone wants to track their time, especially those who believe in making its best use. Most diver watches offer excellent time readability underwater. They offer incredible readability overwater also. Even if the light conditions are not proper, you don't need to strain your eyes to read the time. Their designs allow you to get the perfect view of time at the first glimpse.
Not just sporty, versatile too
No matter what you wear, the watch will go well with it. You may wonder how a diver watch can achieve this. Well, contemporary designs are such that they do justice to a different type of style. From casual to semi-formal to formal, they can be a perfect match for any occasion. However, you may need to reconsider your choice if you are planning to wear a black suit.
Even in their sportier avatar, they are capable of doing justice to any fashion. It will not be entirely wrong to say that even if you are not a sporty person, you can slap it on your wrist to give your usual appearance a twist, a change that others would also admire.
For an experience, you can check out Seiko Prospex Marinemaster Diver Blue SLA023J1 Men’s Watch. The details of this model will come a bit later in the article.
A true waterproof timepiece
Although lots of watches show water resistance, they are not so in reality. You cannot save them even from everyday habits and occurrences, such as showering, bathing, handwashing, and rains. It is specifically about watches with 20m or 50m water resistance. As hinted above, labs check the level of water tolerance of a timepiece under stable conditions. Hence, the tests don’t guarantee how they will respond when exposed to underwater depths. However, a proper diver’s watch will never have this issue regardless of the humid condition it encounters.
In this context, it is essential to learn that any watch will lose its water-resistance capability over time due to wear and tear. So, it is better to keep an eye on the water-resistance of the watch you use.
The general properties of a diver’s watch and what to expect from Seiko Prospex category
Water resistance
When you talk about dive watches, you cannot ignore their water resistance. As per some brands, a watch with 300m or more water resistance can be used in recreational scuba diving. Others believe that even 200m is fine enough. There are other opinions also. If you look at the International Standards Organization (ISO), you will find them suggesting that a dive watch should be able to tolerate the depth of 100m of water. All these ratings are more than what a recreational diver would require. The non-professionals don’t go beyond 40 meters. For higher depths, the person needs specialized technical skills and training for diving along with other things.
Marinemaster Diver Watch SLA023J1 from Prospex collection is a 300m waterproof timepiece. Many say that a diver’s watch must have a helium escape valve too with water resistance to avoid any damage caused by the pressure. But it is more suitable for professional dive watches. This model doesn’t feature this specific characteristic because it comes with a tight seal to stop helium particles from entering the case.
Other common characteristics of divers’ watches
Almost all the diving watches come equipped with a rotating bezel to measure the elapsed time. They tend to have luminous hands and indices that are easy to read underwater. As per ISO standards, these watches need to possess a time-preselecting tool. The rotating bezels take care of this aspect. Then, you should be able to read dial from a distance of 25cm in darkness, and there should be an indicator to tell you that the watch is functioning at a glimpse. For the indicator part, the brands use a second hand. Besides, the strap in these models can be steel, titanium, rubber, nylon, or any composite material as they can offer amazing corrosion resistance.
If you take a look at SLA023J1, you will realize that the dial stands out for its gold accents applied on central second hand and markers. The indices are also large enough and set against a contrasting background for quick readability. The edition uses steel strap, one which is a common feature of a diving watch. However, what is interesting about this timepiece is its golden accent that reminds you of the Japanese tradition. Most of the premium Japanese versions boast of this color tone. In Japanese culture, people give significant importance to the colors.
The appearance
The rugged look of the dive watch has been the constant talking point. Like any other dress watch, this variety also speaks of the person's choices and lifestyle. When you wear one, it gives you the feeling of a guy who wants to get things done with sleeves rolled up, ties dangling loosely from the neck, jacket on the backrest of the chair, and so on. At the same time, it also goes with a personality that believes in warming the chair for the whole day; but once out of the workplace, he is a completely different personality. He is daring and brave. So, he needs a watch that can tolerate all the activities, from jumping to spending time in the summery afternoon.
Usually, people prefer sober dials that reflect the refined taste. But in the context of these watches, this can be secondary or almost non-existent.
When you look at Marinemaster, you get all the right kind of vibes. A recreation of SLA025 limited edition watch from Seiko Prospex 1968, the Marine Master has a thick dial with bold design. The thickness is more attributable to the design than its actual weight. Also, the bright blue dial color may appear to be a bit of diversion from the norms. Most of the dive watches tend to have black dials to impart a sense of rough attitude. But to make it equally good for a regular day, the makers gave it a blue tone, which looks stylish and premium.
So, as you can see, a diver’s watch doesn’t mean you have to be an outdoor and sporty person to enjoy its style. Whether or not you like diving, you can still adopt it in your life to create any fashionable look. The outrageous dial thickness and attractive color can no way go unnoticed. For a waterproof timepiece, it is a perfect choice. You can wear it for its practical nature or ability to elevate your fashion quotient or both.
