Last week I picked up a minty MM300 (SBDX017) from this forum, thought I’d share some photos alongside my other Seiko – my Grand Seiko SBGE001 which costs only £1000 to £1500 more on the used market.
Overall the MM300 feels like more of a beast and lacks the refinement of the GS but it certainly provides value for money when you compare the list prices. Love the feel of the bezel on both watches, the GS is 72 clicks per rotation - which is a bit weird - the MM300 is 120. Even for the relatively low cost, the bracelet on the MM300 is a bit of let down and the solid end links are slightly loose, the bracelet on the GS is finished to much higher standard and uses screws instead of pin and collars.
When you look closely at the watch heads, you can really notice where the money has gone in the GS, the polishing is on a completely different scale, there is no distortion in the mirror like finishes, I reckon you could shave using the side of it as mirror. The indices and hands beautifully three dimensional and the SD movement is almost hypnotic to watch, also it’s accurate to within 1 second per week. The MM300 uses essentially a GS movement, I understand the movement is now decorated , which wasn’t the case with the previous SBDX001. I’ve not worn this watch, but I have wound it and recorded the timekeeping at around +7 seconds per day, which is OK, but not great. Some owners have experienced much worse than this, makes you wonder why Seiko don’t regulate it during production, after all they are not produced in great quantities and accessing the movement is a bit of a ball ache.
Anyway, thanks to Cat7 for selling to me this great lump of Japanese horology, Seiko have stopped production of the MM300 and the replacement I hear will be 40% more expensive and the only changes being a ceramic bezel and a sapphire crystal. Maybe for the huge increase in cost, they’ll consider regulating it properly!
Lovely pair sir!
Two of my favourite I might say.
I'm half way there ;)
As for the bracelet on MM300, I don't find it that bad and it's very comfortable, even if you wear it all day. Only downside is the pin&collar system for securing links.
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Thanks for the comparison, which highlights what a beast that GS actually is!
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Having owned a few SBDX Marinemasters over the last 18 years, the SBGE001 Spring Drive is up there in my top three watches of all time. It really is in a different league.
The SBDX001 did have a decorated movement (https://thewatchbloke.co.uk/2015/03/14/seiko-mm300/). There were two 8L35 movements, an A and a B. The original A was less decorated, the B is the same as what is currently available. Both movements were used in the SBDX001.
Also, there is no '72 click' Seiko bezel. Seiko use click springs with 2 prongs under the bezel. With use they can come very slightly out of alignment and then you can sometimes hear a different number of clicks. It doesn't affect use and can easily be remedied by a watchmaker.
A movement:
B movement:
Are you sure? It's a GMT so 72 clicks would make sense to line up properly with time zones.Originally Posted by bedlam
Each click representing 20 minutes on the 24hr dial. I'd never thought of that before as 72 just sounds wrong.
72 clicks sounds crazy until you realize it is a GMT watch and 72 = 3 x 24.
Very handsome pair by the way :)
That's right. Although now I'm confused as there aren't any 20 minute time zones! There are some half hours and a very few quarter hours. So 48 or 96 clicks would make more sense...
the only reason I keep my MM300 is its one-piece case..please don't expect accuracy from that 8L movement no matter how some believe it relates to GS's..
Thanks for the correction, I misread the post.
I thought the OP was referring to the MM300 and was making the point about no 72 click Seiko dive bezels. May well be true of the GMT's though, I've never had one.
My 8L runs at -0.3 seconds a day. Much better than any mechanical GS I owned. There were all at 10 seconds fast or worse.
That's why I tend to prefer the quartz and spring drive models. They really deliver.
My mm300 runs about +4 per day, it's my daily wear 3 or 4 days a week. I like it very much and do not think it wears too large at all.
Bracelet and clasp adequate also, but then I got this at a fair used price - can't say I think RRP offered great value.
All that said it ticks my dive watch box so not complaining. Crafter blue or Zulu for the warmer weather though.
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