The Entry-level Marine Master
The Marinemaster line has always been in Seiko’s upper echelon of divers. With prices for the fully speced and sized Marinemaster 300 starting at well over $6000, they’re certainly asking for big money for what is, to the untrained eye, a mere ‘Japanese tool watch’. But the Marinemaster 300 is a true beast of a watch, both on the spec sheet and in person.
Over the years however, Seiko has released multiple variations of the Marinemaster: the limited-edition diver’s 55th anniversary MM300 with an unconventional monobloc case and a whacking great 8L55 Hi-beat automatic caliber; the 1968 diver’s recreation; A Baby Marinemaster AKA the MM200, and of course, another baby MM200 version of the 55th anniversary with a modest 6r35 movement instead of the Hi-beat. Which is what we’ll be looking at today: The SPB187J1.
The Design
In terms of styling, this Baby MM200 certainly shares more in common with its MM300 bigger brother than its previous MM200 siblings. Sharing not just a similar case shape, but similar hand sets and indexes as well. If you didn’t know anything about these watches, you’d probably think they’re the same side by side.
Now, right off the bat, the first impressions from this watch are great, as with most of Seiko’s offerings these days. Everything about this watch screams “professional tool watch” from the stunning gradient brushed blue dial, bright, highly legible applied luminescent markers and hands, as well as the glossy black diving bezel painted with large bold numerals and markers as well.
The round markers and the distinctive indices at 12 o’clock along with the hand sets (that broad arrow shaped seconds hand especially) are decidedly more lifted compared to the MM200’s predecessors. The overall case diameter of the SPB0187J1 sits at a relatively large 44mm with a 20mm lug width. It’s protected by an anti-reflective scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and its case is treated with Seiko’s Diashield coating, ensuring improved scratch and corrosion resistance. The case is attached to a nicely finished and slightly more angular oyster style bracelet which, as is often the case with most Seiko divers these days; Equipped with a dive lock extension in the clasp.
The Movement
Power comes from Seiko’s trusty and relatively higher end 6R35 automatic caliber; a step up from the entry level 4r, but well below the 8L. And as expected, the movement comes with hacking, hand winding and an incredibly beefy 70 hours of power reserve and a respectable 21,600 VPH (3HZ) frequency. So, it really does sounds like this watch is all things to all men doesn’t it? Great looks, immaculate finishing, a lovely in-house movement, and of course, sharing the looks of a watch significantly more expensive, for significantly less. But there’s a couple of difference, of course, in the finishing and the movement too. But the most prominent of which, will be the difference in the case construction. It’s a 2-piece case, with a conventional caseback rather than a monobloc like its bigger brother; The MM300. Is this difference a deal breaker for this timepiece? Well no. Its still a fantastically built and styled daily diver that will more than add to your outfit. And, being a mid-range Seiko of course, it exudes a certain inexplicable cool factor as well.
The Verdict
Being a Seiko, once again also means that when it comes to reliability and build quality, you’re getting nothing but the best for your money. In fact, as is often the case with Seiko, you’re certainly getting a lot more than what you’re paying for with the new MM200. All in all, if you’re in the market for a historic diver, one that pays homage to its genuinely intriguing inception and can also be worn daily without compromise, then the MM200 is certainly the perfect watch for you.
