Reply With QuoteJust looking at the strile dial Willard clone, is it 20mm lug to lug? They do look like great beater watches!
I am in to the 3rd week now on my Sumo clone, it is around 12 seconds fast in all that time, the last Sumo I owned was a genuine one with 6R movement and it would be out by that much in a day, given the fact this has a lesser movement and is a fraction of the cost, it is pretty remarkable in my opinion.
Just looking at the strile dial Willard clone, is it 20mm lug to lug? They do look like great beater watches!
It is, and they areOriginally Posted by SPiK3
The 'Willard' reference always amuses me when some will ridicule people as 'wannabe astronauts' for buying Speedmasters - what would they make of people buying a watch associated with a fictional character in a film?
Nothing wrong, of course, with either watch in its own right, just seems a little ironic.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Dirk Pitt.?
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Isn't the Willard and the Turtle identical or are there differences?The 'Willard' reference always amuses me when some will ridicule people as 'wannabe astronauts' for buying Speedmasters - what would they make of people buying a watch associated with a fictional character in a film?
Nothing wrong, of course, with either watch in its own right, just seems a little ironic.
M
It might be ironic if you wore a "Willard" to demonstrate your love for the movie "Platoon", otherwise it's just boys being boys - most of us have imagined ourselves as the hero in the action movie of our choice at some time, so owning a tribute watch is satisfying in that sort of context.The 'Willard' reference always amuses me when some will ridicule people as 'wannabe astronauts' for buying Speedmasters - what would they make of people buying a watch associated with a fictional character in a film?
Nothing wrong, of course, with either watch in its own right, just seems a little ironic.
Of course.
I have no problem wearing either watch (although not such a fan of the Seiko design now I've tried one), I just wonder if some of those decrying 'wannabe Astronauts' or 'wannabe divers' think of their watch as a "Willard".
I'd fee it would be ironic if the expectation of them not doing so was contradicted.
Possibly not, but maybe so...
M
Last edited by snowman; 25th August 2020 at 16:51.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
It might be ironic if you wore a "Willard" to demonstrate your love for the movie "Platoon"
Just for completeness,
The film is “Apocalypse Now” actually a much more iconic film.
(I’ve already got my coat......)
Right. For Platoon you need a "Baby Willard".
What watch would you need for Hot Shots Part Deux?Right. For Platoon you need a "Baby Willard".
There are several publicity pics for 'Hot Shots Part Deux' which show Charlie's watch.
I'm a klutz when it comes to enlarging photos etc., but it looks like a Lume-Tec or a Citizen Orca-type.
Anyone confirm/refute?
______
Jim.
This thread is suffering from Irony Deficiency... :facepalm:
Best pics I can find in the googleverse :
https://editorial01.shutterstock.com...l-5884064g.jpg
https://scdn.nflximg.net/ipl/53465/5...aa72d5099f.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c6/38/e2/c...39d2853b9a.jpg
Looks like it could be a Marathon/Traser/Luminox ????
Cheers
Simon
Ralph Waldo Emerson: We ask for long life, but 'tis deep life, or noble moments that signify. Let the measure of time be spiritual, not mechanical.
Has anyone got or owned one of the Steeldive Tunas, thinking about the black ones compared to the Seiko prices I’m seeing...
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Brilliant movie.
https://youtu.be/zxKJ-REbUlI
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Is there supposed to be a bloke wearing a watch in this photo? Cant see him for the life of me!
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I have had the steeldive Tuna black dial .
Awesome watch for the money .
Spot on accuracy and great lume .
The super engineer ain't too shabby also.
Great wrist presence.
Pull the trigger you won't be disappointed as I am because I sold mine to a mate .
Every time I see it on him I regret selling it to him
# toooo many watches.
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I have the Steeldive 6105 and a Black Tuna will be next.
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Well seeing as I’d have to pay around £700 plus to get another Seiko SBBN035 I’ve pulled the trigger on a Steeldive Black Tuna...
Hopefully here Friday so fingers crossed it’s as nice as everyone is making out...
Thanks for the comments
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This arrived today, from a dealer on Aliexpress:
I like it, and I'm happy with it for what it cost. The brand logo is not as annoying as it seems on the photos, perhaps because the bold numerals and the triangle at 12 overpower it. On the negative side: the crown feels a little rough to screw down and the brushed finish is a little bit uneven around the bezel, if you hold it to the light. Possibly it suffers from being an homage to IWC rather than Seiko and I bought it as a sort of very tenuous personal homage to the old blue dial, platinum Mk XII. The dial on the Steeldive is a subtle sunburst which wasn't obvious from the photos. I would have preferred a plain blue but that's personal taste.
I really like the strap, but I may try it on a dark blue leather strap if I can find a suitable one. Perhaps even a blue NATO.
To be honest although I do like the Steeldive, my Pagani Design sub homage is a bit more impressive for a similar price.
I have just received my Great Wave Tuna from them.
Whilst I know it will be a marmite watch here, it is one off my favourite art pieces and I wanted something that wasn't all black or all blue.
For £145 delivered the next day with a spare rubber strap and strap changing tools, that's great value for money in my opinion.
Cheers,
Adam.
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I bloody well knew I recognized that design that I’ve seen on a few watches now from somewhere
Lol,
It's a painting called The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai
Cheers,
Adam.
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I didn't realise the whole face was lumed when I ordered it....
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This arrived today, from a dealer on Aliexpress:
I like it, and I'm happy with it for what it cost. The brand logo is not as annoying as it seems on the photos, perhaps because the bold numerals and the triangle at 12 overpower it. On the negative side: the crown feels a little rough to screw down and the brushed finish is a little bit uneven around the bezel, if you hold it to the light. Possibly it suffers from being an homage to IWC rather than Seiko and I bought it as a sort of very tenuous personal homage to the old blue dial, platinum Mk XII. The dial on the Steeldive is a subtle sunburst which wasn't obvious from the photos. I would have preferred a plain blue but that's personal taste.
I really like the strap, but I may try it on a dark blue leather strap if I can find a suitable one. Perhaps even a blue NATO.
To be honest although I do like the Steeldive, my Pagani Design sub homage is a bit more impressive for a similar price.
This one has gained a bit less than 2 seconds over the last 24 hours; better accuracy than the Pagani, to be fair. No idea how consistent that is, of course. But it bodes well.
My green tuna is my favourite of the 3 Steeldive/Heimdallr watches I have.
The feeling of the crown and bezel is nicer than either my 6105 or MM300 alike
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I must like marmite as I think this is pretty fantastic. Didn't know they did these, thank you for sharing.I have just received my Great Wave Tuna from them.
Whilst I know it will be a marmite watch here, it is one off my favourite art pieces and I wanted something that wasn't all black or all blue.
For £145 delivered the next day with a spare rubber strap and strap changing tools, that's great value for money in my opinion.
Cheers,
Adam.
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I probably like that a little too much... Wow.I didn't realise the whole face was lumed when I ordered it....
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I think that’s mental in a good way! - it has to be said, for the price, these look pretty amazing - somebody has put effort into making a quirky dial like that, adding the lume - and not even mentioning it - makes me chuckle. Have to say I’m tempted when these are back in stock!!
That is superb! Any notion whether a no-logo version might be available?I have just received my Great Wave Tuna from them.
Whilst I know it will be a marmite watch here, it is one off my favourite art pieces and I wanted something that wasn't all black or all blue.
For £145 delivered the next day with a spare rubber strap and strap changing tools, that's great value for money in my opinion.
Cheers,
Adam.
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Were it not for the watches I have winging their way to me (eek 6 - damn you eBay) I'd also be sorely tempted by something like this. My collection is a mix of random watches or lesser knowns etc.
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I'm another one to succumb. I was looking for a cheap beater anyway and to hell why not for a watch for under £100, what possibly could go wrong ? Well after just receiving it, not much it would appear.
Although the black dial Willard was appealing, I decided to add a little more colour to my modest collection and opted for the blue dial version. First impressions are that it's certainly good value, the watch itself has a nice nice re-assuring weight to it, the blue dial has a 'sunburst' effect which pops nicely in light. The case is nicely polished, decent lume on the indices / bezel and it has a Seiko movement. The 120 click ceramic bezel also has a nice smooth action. So far so good.
The negatives, at first glance the date wheel has not been properly aligned but perfectly legible. If you had OCD that would get to you though. The crown has not been polished to same standard as the case, so a little 'rough' round the edges but the movement of the crown is nice and smooth when winding. As other's have mentioned the steel bracelet is perhaps not the best but usable, my main criticism however are the edges of the end links are sharp, so a potential to scratch the case when changing out the bracelet.
When you add in, I received an extra blue rubber strap, bracelet sizing & changing tools and a set of spare springbars, it's impressive they can do this for the money. The case it came in is one of those cheap ebay peli style cases with a "steeldive" sticker added but it's perfectly functional and works well.
Obviously time will tell if the quality can hold up against the value, however, I'm happy so far.
Edit : first 24 hours and accuracy was -3 seconds out of the box and the lume lasted a good 6-7 hours during the night.
Yes, the bezel is not lined up, that's down to me not checking before taking the pic rather than a watch issue. Apologies to those with OCD.
Last edited by zippy; 4th September 2020 at 19:09.
Anyone tried going deeper than a swimming pool in one yet?
I keep toying with the idea, but I'm pretty sure if I did and it leaked, I'd just have junk to throw away - OK, they're not expensive, but I'm not in the habit of throwing away £100-£150.
I wonder if anyone is braver/less tight than me?
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Its precisely this which puts me off buying one, yes I know they are only £100 but I would rather £100 in my pocket than down the drain (Literally) If I bought one it would be with the intention of using it as a "beater" in the true sense of the word and for the money I could just as well get a Casio (Not G Shock) Citizen or Seiko which I could actually rely upon.Anyone tried going deeper than a swimming pool in one yet?
I keep toying with the idea, but I'm pretty sure if I did and it leaked, I'd just have junk to throw away - OK, they're not expensive, but I'm not in the habit of throwing away £100-£150.
I wonder if anyone is braver/less tight than me?
M
Maybe a used Seiko, but not a new one...
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I surf and bodyboard.
Given these are cheap as chips, I’ll take one with me and report back.
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Well to answer (sort of) my own question, I found this video from the ILW2 channel.
https://youtu.be/rvBjsVydIg4?t=193
As you can see he's tested the San Martin Turtle case to 6 Bar, which is plenty for a practical test of recreational scuba diving suitability.
As far as I'm concerned the San Martin is the same as the Steeldive and Heimdallr, so it looks very promising.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
My local watchmaker who will change batteries/ service and pressure test to 100m (10bar), can just do a pressure test for around £13.
If you want to be sure your watch will be OK, it might be worth finding a watchmaker who can pressure test.
This was discussed earlier in the thread, but my suggestion would be to not rely on their QC if you intend to use the watch for anything other than desk diving. If you get it dry pressure tested to 5 bar, that will at least indicate that it isn't missing any seals so should be good to go. Since that's a noninvasive test, it should be easy to do & I don't imagine a local watchmaker would charge much for it (although I have no idea what is normal pricing for that as I've never had it done myself - only ever as part of a service). There would be no need to do a "soak test" (pun unintentional) where it's left for in the test chamber for an hour like he does in that video. He's already proven that these are capable of achieving the stated pressure rating, you just need to know you didn't get a complete duffer.
Agreed and in many ways that (QC issues) is the big concern, but at least the video suggests that they are capable of withstanding recreational diving conditions.
I paid around £15 a couple of years ago to get my Helson pressure tested to 20 Bar.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Today’s newbie
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Just received this from eBay (Steeldive Black Tuna) and I paid less than £60 for it (had a £50 discount code).
It’s new and have to say it’s going to be perfect for work, glad I never got that Seiko Tuna last week for ten times the price I paid for this.
Let’s see over the next few months how it holds up but first impressions are very good...
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Arrived on Wednesday, very impressed. Currently running at +5 spd
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Had this about a month, just given it a wash, it's gained 5 seconds over the last 3 days, I was sorely tempted by the Seiko Willard at £1000 and bought this simply to try the style and size, sorry Seiko this is just fine.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I've had my MM300s for several weeks now, the black sterile watch came from the UK supplier, the green and blue Steeldive branded watches came from two different AliExpress sellers (Official Steeldive store and Quick Fashion Watch). Two watches cost £140, the other £130. As you can see from the pic below I wear them all on Rhinos which cost around a tenner each, plus I have a couple more colours incoming to use on the black watch. My wife loves the green of the MM300 so much I have a green Sumo incoming from AliExpress for her.
All of the watches have one or more minor QC issues (date window not quite lined up correctly, slightly loose bezel, slightly misaligned bezel) but they all keep time within -5 to +5 seconds a day. The spec list is superb with ceramic bezels, NH35 Seiko movements, cracking lume and sapphire crystals. Given the cost I'm happy to overlook the minor QC issues which aren't entirely unexpected at this price point.
Overall I think they're superb value for money. For several years I couldn't justify to myself the £2000+ for a Seiko MM300 given the non-COSC status despite their impressive build quality, and after owning these Steeldive's I definitely can't now! I have an Oris Aquis that I use for holidays where I often scuba dive so water resistance on these MM300s is not relevant for my useage and my two Speedmasters are sat in their cases awaiting appropriate occasions to wear them.
If anyone's on the fence about buying one, I'd certainly suggest giving one a go. They've certainly changed my outlook on expensive watches, and homages too...
That is so much better with a sterile dial. I asked their UK dealer and he only has them with the logo on them. If only, otherwise I would get one.Today’s newbie
Great little write up, thanks. I certainly like the monoblock case on these, so much watch for the money.I've had my MM300s for several weeks now, the black sterile watch came from the UK supplier, the green and blue Steeldive branded watches came from two different AliExpress sellers (Official Steeldive store and Quick Fashion Watch). Two watches cost £140, the other £130. As you can see from the pic below I wear them all on Rhinos which cost around a tenner each, plus I have a couple more colours incoming to use on the black watch. My wife loves the green of the MM300 so much I have a green Sumo incoming from AliExpress for her.
All of the watches have one or more minor QC issues (date window not quite lined up correctly, slightly loose bezel, slightly misaligned bezel) but they all keep time within -5 to +5 seconds a day. The spec list is superb with ceramic bezels, NH35 Seiko movements, cracking lume and sapphire crystals. Given the cost I'm happy to overlook the minor QC issues which aren't entirely unexpected at this price point.
Overall I think they're superb value for money. For several years I couldn't justify to myself the £2000+ for a Seiko MM300 given the non-COSC status despite their impressive build quality, and after owning these Steeldive's I definitely can't now! I have an Oris Aquis that I use for holidays where I often scuba dive so water resistance on these MM300s is not relevant for my useage and my two Speedmasters are sat in their cases awaiting appropriate occasions to wear them.
If anyone's on the fence about buying one, I'd certainly suggest giving one a go. They've certainly changed my outlook on expensive watches, and homages too...
Looks great! Holding out in the hope they release one with matching lume (bezel/dial) like they did on the bronze version
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