Seiko Prospex Auto 44mm “Samurai” – $300 – $395 ($525)
Note: As is often the case with Seikos, this thing is available in a variety of colors and strap options. Amazon has plenty, but it’s also worth keeping an eye on Macy’s, being that it’ll go on sale there for the mid $300s with some regularity.
This is not the Timex Marlin.
Great links. Mainly matte and well proportioned.
At 44mm in diameter with thick, matte links, this is a beast of a diver through and through. The closest thing to an Omega Planet Ocean that you’ll find for under $400. In fact, it seems like Seiko is doing a bit of an homage to the Planet Ocean with many of its details. Maybe. Just a little.
Screw down crown. Automatic movement. Tough and dependable.
Like the Planet Ocean, the Samurai has thicker, easy to read hands (taken from the Monster), a subtle, color dipped seconds hand, and slight texture to the crown and bezel. Also, that dash of grey for the first 15 minutes of said bezel seems real reminiscent of the Omega’s all matte grey bezel.
You can have the one on the left for 10% of the cost of the one on the right.
Build quality on the Seiko feels great. Hardlex crystal, 200m in water resistance, a screw down crown, and it’s powered by Seiko’s hacking and hand-winding 23 jewel automatic (4R35) movement. Lume is pretty good too.
Lugs don’t curve as much as they sharply drop off. Maybe the only drawback? If you could even call it that?
Dial has this nice, subtle waffle texture to it. Links avoid the “jewelry” look by being mainly matte and well proportioned (read: not delicate looking). The lugs do abruptly angle off and down to the spring bars, like a steeply pitched roof, but some might like those extra lines.
Waffle textured to the dial and a red tipped seconds hand.
Yes, watches on average are getting smaller. And many guys are happy about that. But if you’re a bigger and/or broader dude, who wants a classic looking dive watch that looks proportional to the rest of your arm/torso/body, then the Samurai is absolutely worth a good strong look. Especially if you like the look of Omega’s Planet Ocean series, but think spending that kind of money on a wrist watch is ludicrous.
