Best Diver ,Tool Watch. Tudor Pelagos or Omega Seamaster

After getting my first Seamaster today and putting it side by side with the Pelagos it got me thinking which is the best Diver, tool watch of the two or is there nothing in them?

I know people will say it's down to personal preference but honestly I could not pick one over the other (so both will be keepers)
Both have plus and minus points but I always thought that my Pelagos would take some beating and i have always classed it as my favourite watch but I must say the Omega, especially this blue white combo is just amazing and I cannot stop looking at it.
I had a PO in the past and it didn't do anything for me at all but this Seamaster is something else.
I suppose blue being my favourite colour helps.
Some tough days ahead deciding which one to wear especially once the newness of the Omega wears off.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...992386bfeb.jpg

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Do you dive?

OP: Criteria for “best” would be useful in this context. What are yours?

I have been known to have the odd paddle now and again.
I suppose it's as what both of these are classed as are they not?

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Originally Posted by seadog1408

Do you dive?

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I would use the Tudor more than the omega, never liked the seamaster with wet hands/gloves.

Comfort, looks, quality/build.
The one thing about the Pelagos unless you know a bit about watches it sits under the radar as the Omega with the white dial stands out like a sore thumb.
Suppose I could have titled it a little better but let's face it, are any of the Diver/ Tool watches used in the original context of what the were ment for?
I have a SD4K and it's never seen a drop of water!

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Originally Posted by MartynJC (UK)

OP: Criteria for “best” would be useful in this context. What are yours?

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Omega is a finer watch. Both are pretty rubbish as dive watches compared to dedicated divers from Suunto etc. Let's not kid ourselves that mechanical watches are standard diver kit. They hark back to an earlier age of adventure but are largely redundant in today's world from a diving perspective.

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You think it's tough deciding between 2, just waiting until you get to 10+ ! Nice choice of blues - and that Tokyo model is lovely. [Although I do struggle with the price point, I last owned one in 2010 which I bought for £1.2k.]

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Originally Posted by ryanb741

Omega is a finer watch. Both are pretty rubbish as dive watches compared to dedicated divers from Suunto etc. Let's not kid ourselves that mechanical watches are standard diver kit. They hark back to an earlier age of adventure but are largely redundant in today's world from a diving perspective.

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Not true.

Going on to what a Diver/Tool watch was actually designed for (I gather you are into diving) would you actually wear, use one of these in the real world.
Or are these just bought for looks more than real use now days.
I suppose I was more thinking as desk diving as what the majority are used for but I would like to also know the opinions of people who would use one in the ocean.

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Originally Posted by seadog1408

I would use the Tudor more than the omega, never liked the seamaster with wet hands/gloves.

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I know the feeling [emoji849] and some don't see light of day now days!!
The trouble is my preference is these kind of watchs so it gets tougher!
I just make it so some are more trouble than others to get to so it makes my decisions a little easier.

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Originally Posted by jukeboxs

You think it's tough deciding between 2, just waiting until you get to 10+ ! Nice choice of blues - and that Tokyo model is lovely. [Although I do struggle with the price point, I last owned one in 2010 which I bought for £1.2k.]

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Are they really "tool watches"?

So opening qualifier - I’m a diver, I’ve dived with a Seamaster, I now dive with a Submariner.

In terms of their specification, either would be fine. The numbers stack up and the feature are fine. The build quality of both is going to be fine.

However... where I think the Pelagos is a better tool is that the Seamaster’s scalloped bezel is very, very difficult to turn with neoprene gloves of any thickness. This, to me, renders is almost useless as a genuine tool.

Diving on an SMP, to set the bezel before descending, I had to take my glove off, in the water, which is no good because water that needs gloves is cold, even the. It wasn’t that easy. I then had to don the glove again which meant the bezel setting wasn’t spot on anymore.

Long story short - if you dive in warm water and can set it with bare hands it should be fine. If you dive in the cold and wear thicker neoprene gloves, the scalloped bezel is very difficult to drip and all but impossible to adjust without breaking your gear’s integrity on the surface.

I’d suggest the Pelagos because it can be gripped by a gloved hand when wet.

Simple as that.

Got to agree to some extent Ryan but as the companies to class them and market them as such I suppose they have to be built as ?
You are totally right, in regards to being a hell of a lot better kit out there for proper diving.
I suppose the most these see are swimming pools at most.

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Originally Posted by ryanb741

Omega is a finer watch. Both are pretty rubbish as dive watches compared to dedicated divers from Suunto etc. Let's not kid ourselves that mechanical watches are standard diver kit. They hark back to an earlier age of adventure but are largely redundant in today's world from a diving perspective.

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Originally Posted by Gee252

Going on to what a Diver/Tool watch was actually designed for (I gather you are into diving) would you actually wear, use one of these in the real world.
Or are these just bought for looks more than real use now days.
I suppose I was more thinking as desk diving as what the majority are used for but I would like to also know the opinions of people who would use one in the ocean.

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I have worked offshore since 2000 as a commercial diver, used the smp for a number of years, didn't get on with the slippery bezel, then wore my sea dweller for years until the lume for too low for chamber work (28 day runs), moved into a cheap g shock that did the job fine, did 295m no bother.

I'd say the seamaster bezel will have poor grip when immersed during diving or swimming.

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Originally Posted by Bry1975

I'd say the seamaster bezel will have poor grip when immersed during diving or swimming.

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I had a 'clomage' of the Seamaster and found the bezel really awkward to grip dry, so I suspect you are right.

The Seamaster is a nice dressy diver that can walk-the-walk WR wise, but I think the Pelagos is far more 'tooly'.

Sadly, I've never really been able to warm to the Pelagos - I've tried one on a few times, but somehow it doesn't look or feel like a watch that matches its price (even when first released), to me.

M

There is a technique to turning the SMP bezel with wet hands: Place palm of hand over watch face and you can turn the bezel that way. Hope that helps your decision.

I prefer the 300m Omega myself and hope to have the Tokyo 2020/21/22 Edn in my mits very soon!

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Originally Posted by MartynJC (UK)

There is a technique to turning the SMP bezel with wet hands: Place palm of hand over watch face and you can turn the bezel that way. Hope that helps your decision.

I prefer the 300m Omega myself and hope to have the Tokyo 2020/21/22 Edn in my mits very soon!

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So you pretty much guess where to align the bezel...how cool is that [emoji848]

Which one has the greater depth rating, is made of titanium, innovative micro adjustment on the clasp, comes with a rubber dive strap and has snowflake hands? The Seamaster is nice but the Pelagos is hard to beat.

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Originally Posted by number2

So you pretty much guess where to align the bezel...how cool is that [emoji848]

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Darn - I knew there was a flaw there somewhere! Saying that - with practice, with the positive 120 clicks it can be done - or a couple of twists anyway. The PO is better fit for purpose but I still prefer the slimmer 300m

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Originally Posted by ryanb741

Omega is a finer watch. Both are pretty rubbish as dive watches compared to dedicated divers from Suunto etc. Let's not kid ourselves that mechanical watches are standard diver kit. They hark back to an earlier age of adventure but are largely redundant in today's world from a diving perspective.

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That’s not at all accurate.

For many dive profiles, the diver will take a primary computer plus a backup computer. The prudent diver then takes a backup timer or bottom timer, which is where the watch comes in. The dive will be planned to the computers with a backup plan on a slate to be run to the watch in the event the computer/s fail or there’s a change of plan on the fly.

Few of my contemporaries dive without a watch.

I know it seems counterintuitive, but diving is a game of redundancies and the watch is just that.

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Originally Posted by seadog1408

I have worked offshore since 2000 as a commercial diver, used the smp for a number of years, didn't get on with the slippery bezel, then wore my sea dweller for years until the lume for too low for chamber work (28 day runs), moved into a cheap g shock that did the job fine, did 295m no bother.

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Just the thought of diving that deep sends a shudder down my spine!

As for the two watches, I prefer the legibility of the Pelagos. When I used to take part in recreational diving in 80s and early 90s I used my 1976 blue-faced snowflake sub - sadly now sold - which I believe is the inspiration for the Pelagos. Whenever I am tempted by a Tudor BB I can't see beyond the snowflake hand paired with round lume plots - doesn't work for me.

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Originally Posted by PSTW

Long story short - if you dive in warm water and can set it with bare hands it should be fine. If you dive in the cold and wear thicker neoprene gloves, the scalloped bezel is very difficult to drip and all but impossible to adjust without breaking your gear’s integrity on the surface.

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Not being a diver I hadn’t considered the difference between cold and warm water. I’m a bit surprised that dive watch manufacturers haven’t made more of this distinction.

We have the Caribbean, but is there an Atlantic? How about the Omega Irish 300?! (Murky dial, very strong tritium lume)

I'd guess that seadog has some interesting stories, as for me dives at Withernsea and Ladybower reservoir stand out for being shallow and grim, one due to silt and the other due to the peat in the water, on both occasions a watch was totally pointless.

Having owned what feels like countless divers over the years, and never dived with any apart from holiday swimming etc, the only one that stands out for having a totally useless bezel - which I couldn’t even turn with damp hands - was the SMP which I had shortly after they were first released. It was my only watch for about 5 years and I thought the bracelet and bezel were a bit fussy looking and the watch looked a bit dated even then. The HEV also had a habit of unscrewing by itself so I sold it. I do think the white dialled version looks fantastic though, and they may well have improved upon the failings of the original. Mine cost £1250 new though, so I can’t justify the new one at all at the current price point!


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Seamaster is the perfect everyday watch for me. I have owned a Pelagius in the past but I failed to bond with it.

I am neither a diver nor a tool but while I think it is a very close call, my vote would go to Pelagos ( or Pelagius as some people call it).

Tudor think they are the new Omega but they are not there yet... So I'd say Omega.

What’s the price difference between the two? Isn’t the Seamaster quite a lot more expensive?


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For me the it's Pelagos. Looks like a tool watch, built like one and feels like one. The Seamaster probably is just as capable and well made, but I just don't like the way it looks, just like the modern day Rolex 'tool' watches, way too blingy.

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RRP difference is around 1.5k so I suppose the Tudor wins on the value front to start with.

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Originally Posted by RobDad

What’s the price difference between the two? Isn’t the Seamaster quite a lot more expensive?


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Well, you can buy a whole collection of watches for £1500 - so not really a fair comparison imho. Nothing over a couple of hundred quid is a ‘tool watch really is it?!?. If £1500 is meaningless I’d suggest you can afford to employ someone else to wield the tools whilst you sit at your veranda sipping cocktails!
Of course I’m being deliberately provocative/silly but at this price these are man jewellery - and that’s not a criticism - not tool watches. I just washed the car wearing a Scurfa diver, titanium, 500m WR, easily gripped bezel, gas escape valve and it cost me £268 delivered. I used various snow foams on the car, soaps etc and I wouldn’t risk the seals on a watch costing thousands as a car washing tool tbh.


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Originally Posted by RobDad

Well, you can buy a whole collection of watches for £1500 - so not really a fair comparison imho. Nothing over a couple of hundred quid is a ‘tool watch really is it?!?. If £1500 is meaningless I’d suggest you can afford to employ someone else to wield the tools whilst you sit at your veranda sipping cocktails!
Of course I’m being deliberately provocative/silly but at this price these are man jewellery - and that’s not a criticism - not tool watches. I just washed the car wearing a Scurfa diver, titanium, 500m WR, easily gripped bezel, gas escape valve and it cost me £268 delivered. I used various snow foams on the car, soaps etc and I wouldn’t risk the seals on a watch costing thousands as a car washing tool tbh.


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To be honest this is the best value tool watch I've ever had, gave £70 for it in 2015, never missed a beat, gets worn 70% of the time and in some of the harshest work environments you could imagine.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4c39b6a721.jpg

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Pelagos all day long. The Seamaster is a lovely watch but more of a dress desk Diver IMO.

Pelagos owner here. Both watches are going to serve 99% of people equally well in most situations. The Pelagos is more purpose built for diving but the Omega is more dressy. I am not a fan of the handset , He valve or bracelet on the Omega but that just comes down to personal taste. I like the Pelagos because it is super legible, great bezel, great bracelet and clasp and its no fuss all business design.

https://i.postimg.cc/7ZCPNnd4/origin...-041510927.jpg

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Originally Posted by PSTW

That’s not at all accurate.

For many dive profiles, the diver will take a primary computer plus a backup computer. The prudent diver then takes a backup timer or bottom timer, which is where the watch comes in. The dive will be planned to the computers with a backup plan on a slate to be run to the watch in the event the computer/s fail or there’s a change of plan on the fly.

Few of my contemporaries dive without a watch.

I know it seems counterintuitive, but diving is a game of redundancies and the watch is just that.

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Being myself a certified Trimix Diver, I can confirm the details above. Only difference is that I have never seen anyone taking a ‘watch’ with them. I use 2 Shearwater computers and a bottom timer next to the diveplan. This is what me and my dive buddies use:

https://i.ibb.co/PN1BLVq/CB35-EBE7-3...-A4-A060-F.jpg


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Originally Posted by pacchi

Being myself a certified Trimix Diver, I can confirm the details above. Only difference is that I have never seen anyone taking a ‘watch’ with them. I use 2 Shearwater computers and a bottom timer next to the diveplan. This is what me and my dive buddies use:

https://i.ibb.co/PN1BLVq/CB35-EBE7-3...-A4-A060-F.jpg


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The Shearwaters are nice!! Expensive but nice.