Reply With QuoteWhere did you find that sterile version? I have a friend who would really like one of those.Originally Posted by mart broad
Edit: Ah, I see you already answered my question!
For sterile contact Alistair at
https://longfieldchrono.co.uk/
He supplied both my 1979 and 1968
Last edited by mart broad; 4th September 2020 at 17:28.
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Where did you find that sterile version? I have a friend who would really like one of those.
Edit: Ah, I see you already answered my question!
Looks great good discount code as well 👍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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Ignore. Don't know where this post came from (apart from me obviously)
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Last edited by Dunce; 11th September 2020 at 14:44. Reason: Mystery post
It would appear so.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I have had this one for over six weeks. I always liked the look of the Seiko 'Tuna' watches but given the number of watches I own and the use it would get, the price did not justify getting one. However, the price of this made it a worthwhile purchase.
I also got a 'Seiko like' rubber strap for it. The strap is thick and is no soft thing, so I used the old boiling/freezing trick to pre-shape it to my wrist and it wears much more comfortably now.
It works well on the rubber but I still prefer it on the 'anvil' bracelet, it gives it more of a vintage vibe.
I got the whole lot to my door, after paying customs fees, for £114 which is just ludicrous value.
The watch is really well made, the bezel action is perfect, perfect alignment and just the right amount of resistance on its 120 click movement. The polishing is perfectly acceptable and is consistent throughout The lume is bright and long lasting and puts on a bit of a show in low light.
The crown action, when winding the watch, feels really smooth with no 'grittiness' at all. The only issue with it is, when winding it down, it can take a couple of attempts to get the threads to engage, once they do it winds down perfectly well.
The most amazing thing about it is the timekeeping, it is is consistent and over the six weeks, during which I have never let it stop, it is gaining less than two seconds a day, Gaining time on a mechanical watch is good for me because I am a bit OCD about timekeeping and being able to just pull out the crown for a few seconds and then return it to get the correct time is a real bonus.
Given other peoples experiences with the timekeeping on these watches, it makes you believe they must be regulating them to a much greater extent than Seiko do themselves on watches with this movement.
Mitch
Steeldive sterile pilot. 39mm
Well, I took my Heimdallr diving today.
Maximum depth of only 24M, but no issues, so I think that's acceptable.
Might become my go to UK Diver as we had a dolphin join us on one of the dives, a first for me. Maybe it's a lucky watch!
Watch photo is post dive.
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Last edited by snowman; 14th September 2020 at 09:04.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Alignment, bezel and crown action and timekeeping all fantastic:
Alignment to be fair should not be an issue as they have removed the chapter ring and it is now printed on the dial..
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Just waiting on the new stock, should be end of September to buy one of the Panerai homage/knock offs....
Seiko seem to struggle aligning bezels to markers, let alone chapter rings...
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
It does make me smile the comment on Seiya japan which basically says don’t expect it and if that’s what you want buy a Swiss watch.
Excellent 1st hand experience is appreciated.
Last edited by number2; 14th September 2020 at 11:25.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
It's always puzzled me, especially the Japanese' fastidious approach to quality control.
Looking at picking one of these up, I note from the description the weight is 140 gram, that seems very light for me on a bracelet. Could someone please let me know the weight of this watch, thanks in advanceAlignment, bezel and crown action and timekeeping all fantastic:
Just weighed mine
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He knows, you know!
Cheers,
Neil.
My Heimdallr is 100g on the silicon waffle strap.Just weighed mine
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Thanks guys, Will have to give one of these a try, I must be getting to be a wimp in my old age, was happy years ago with a heavy watch/bracelet but now I am older I just like something reasonably weighted, strange how we change with age.
Green sumo finally in stock....ordered! had to be green as it says "greenmarine" on the dial so any other colour would set my teeth grinding
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
Picked up a sterile dial Panerai homage, arrived next day and I have to say very happy with it. Thought it may disappoint with it being an automatic but no issues with it. Considering the price and whats in it I do have to now question the price increase of so many micro brands out there.
Other thing I should say, they look considerably better on the wrist than a lot of the stock photos out there.
May consider getting a Tuna homage at that price. I will be much more inclined to pay the price of a Steeldive than the Seiko one.
Today I brought my MM300 alike diving.
Only a 17M dive today, but the watch has held up fine after 45 minutes in the water (ETA and another 20 minutes at 12M - Hardly stress testing, but not unrepresentative of many people's diving and certainly enough to say the watch works in the water - It's not likely to leak swimming for sure!)
It didn't result in any Dolphins though, so the Heimdallr should be your choice there!
M
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Last edited by snowman; 21st September 2020 at 12:34.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Wore my SD1970 for my weekly 30-minute swimming lesson on Friday. Depth probably never exceeded 1 metre, if that, but at least I have been allowed to progress from the kiddie pool to the big one!
The watch performed far better than I did.
This thread is grinding me down. I think one is inevitable. It's surprised how my opinion on them changes depending on the logo (or lack of one).
Not into the no logo or the shark, but the Steel Dive logo looks good
Hmm, bit concerning (and potentially not kosher) but how much can you ask for when it's this cheap?30 day Return to Base warranty with Steeldive Uk
6 Month warranty with the Steeldive Factory
Last edited by wileeeeeey; 20th September 2020 at 14:56.
New in today bezel and crown action is excellent in fact the crown winding is streets ahead of the Seiko “ padi” i had.
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Been enjoying this one on a Timefactors dark green nato for the last few days....
Has anyone had experience of watchdives.com for supply of a Steeldive watch, they have a FF homage with the radiation dial that looks very appealing
Many thanks
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Well, I mean, it kind of is...
Lol.
Don't understand how you can say the Sumo homage is a better watch than the real £740 Sumo.
These Steeldive jobbies have your basic common or garden unregulated cheap as chips NH35. The Sumo has the 6R35 with the 70 hour power reserve, better accuracy specs, and spron mainspring.
On a genral note, so not specifically in reply to the above post: These Chinese knock-off watches (they're all the same - I don't even believe "Steeldive" exists as a commercial entity in the conventional sense) are nice enough. I'd probably buy one under the right circumstances.
But I'm always going to be uncomfortable with comparing them favourably, and even disparagingly to the brands they rip off. Because obviously, if Seiko didn't exist, didnt do all the work in the first place, and weren't charging what they do for their watches, Chinese factories wouldn't be able to make watches like this for a fraction of the price.
Also, I don't know if it's the same with Seiko, but certainly where Rolex is concerned, its been fairly well established that a lot of the better Chinese homages are good precisely because they're made by the same people, in the same factories, and often using the same parts as the true fakes, so there's that to consider.
The one that you sold me on Sales Corner, that I had to send back to Seiko because the crown thread was crossed.. all ok now and was done under warranty...New in today bezel and crown action is excellent in fact the crown winding is streets ahead of the Seiko “ padi” i had.
Last edited by Frantastic; 29th September 2020 at 09:27.
Not tried one of the Seiko homage ones and I suspect that much of the hype is a little OTT much like the whole "Seiko is just as good if not better than XYZ brand" Perhaps many like myself are getting increasingly put off from Seiko by the ever increasing price rise and numerous issues with quality control. In regards to where brands are produced I do think its largely forgotten that the majority of Seiko watches are outsourced to their south east Asian factories where presumably labour is a lot cheaper.
Regarding the whole homage thing I agree there is no real comparison however regarding what the factory produces is it any different from where homage brands and micro brands get their cases or watches assembled?
I am not sure why you are so keen to defend a company that is happy to sell watches with misaligned bezels, chapter rings, wobbly crowns, poorly adjusted movements. after owning the original Sumo that as you say was fitted with superior movement that unfortunately lost 25 seconds per day and as you say cost £740. I have now replaced that watch with an identical Steel drive one apart from the slightly uprated movement for around £100, saving £640. The only difference I see for the extra £640 is not having to put the time right twice a week as I had to with the 6R movement, you stick to your £740 watch and I will keep my £100 one that is identical and keeps better time lol. Seiko really need to up their game, these guys are urinating all over them.
Last edited by stevecross; 29th September 2020 at 07:07.
I bought new blue coral sumo, the limited jdm variant. I was bought on with vivid color scheme and I always liked the design. It arrived with missaligned bezel, chapter ring and dial. I was very disappointed, had to return it. I cant stand looking at the dial, at some small precision instrument which is totaly off.
Now, when buying a Seiko (my favourite brand!) I have to specify "please send me the watch with NO allignment issues" ??!! and it is new normal for Seiko...well, it shouldnt be normal because buyer is always right, right?
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You have a PM
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
I said it because it was my real-world experience of ownership. I've been a huge Seiko fan for may years but they seriously need to up their game now because there are some young and noisy competitors out there. The "basic common or garden unregulated cheap as chips NH35" performed better than the 6R35, as it has done in every watch I've owned containing that movement. Also the bezel action and alignment of the dial, chapter ring and bezel were much better.
I've owned a £1k Seiko with bezel alignment issues and I'm sorry, that's just not acceptable. It actually feels to me now that it's Seiko who are mass producing with no regard for QC.
It does make you wonder - If Seiko can make unregulated NH35s, fitted to Chinese made watches, run at +5 to +20s/d (measurements from my 4 watches with NH35 - I'm quite disappointed with the +20!), why can't they get better ratings with their own superior movements fitted to their own watches?
Accuracy 'specs' are meaningless if the 'lesser' movements deliver better actual performance.
Seiko used to be a brand I respected (and I have a number, mostly vintage), but with the constant push upwards in prices, with a push downwards in QC, I rarely consider one nowadays.
A few years ago, you could get a nice Seiko 5, with decent (if not stellar) accuracy and a shonky bracelet, for the price of the Steeldives today. OK, maybe a current Seiko 5 has a theoretically better movement and a slightly nicer bracelet, but look at the price!
I suspect NH35s for Seiko are coming out of the same Chinese factories as these watches (maybe Seiko cases too!).
M
Last edited by snowman; 29th September 2020 at 10:06.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Both of these have perfect alignment, one is brand new and the other is 40 years old. Both are running within 5spd:
Last edited by TaketheCannoli; 29th September 2020 at 14:47.
I'm not defending anyone. I'd love to see Seiko improve their QA, and regulate movements in their affordable watches.
I'm just pointing out that the watches you cite as evidence that Seiko are ripping you off are only able to make anything at all because of Seiko. You wouldn't be able to buy your £100 Steeldive if I didn't buy my £500 Seiko. You're welcome.
There are millions of people around the world buying Seiko that aren't bothered about poor timekeeping or dodgy QC so yes, those people enable Seiko to operate and provide NH35 / 36 movements to other brands. However if Seiko didn't exist I'm sure those brands would find other reliable movements.
Why not try a Steeldive and see what you think? It's impossible to make comparisons without having owned both.
You wouldn't be able to buy your £100 Steeldive if I didn't buy my £500 Seiko. You're welcome.
It's not just the movement. You're missing the point.
There are zero original Steeldive designs. They do zero marketing. I'm quite sure that, to the extent they exist as a company, they aren't actually capable of designing anything.
Steeldive are a made up brand slapped on a watch made up of parts ordered from a catalogue manufactured by a Chinese factory who get in another companies product and copy it as closely as they are able. They probably even scan the cases.
It's quite likely the same factory is partly responsible for the profusion of fake seikos currently on the market.
They are only able to make your watch as well and as cheaply as they do because seiko (or in the case of some of their "homages" Rolex, or Squale) have already done all the work for them.
It's slightly more complex than that in the case of Seiko specifically, because the strong interest in modding Seikos, and the demand that this creates for aftermarket parts is also partly what makes it so viable to produce both homages and fakes. But again, that's a market created by Seiko.
I would try one, but I have an aversion to homage watches which are essentially a direct 1:1 of a watch which is still in production. I find that distasteful. For this reason, I've looked at the 6105, and thought about it, but frankly, when I've pulled up large macro images of them and zoomed in, the finishing has always looked really ropey. To my eye, they look exactly like about 120 quids worth of watch.
There is no reason why Seiko should not be better and ensure the watches they are selling are of a quality that satisfies the customer, I understand that for £100 one can not expect a superior quality product, however now that Seiko are charging many 100,s of pounds for their products they need to be right. I am done with buying their ill adjusted watches with poor quality control, I appreciate some do not mind paying many 100,s of pounds more to buy an original with all of its potential faults, that is their choice. My choice is to pay loads less for a potentially better product. One thing to bear in mind, as long as people keep accepting poor standards nothing will change.I'm not defending anyone. I'd love to see Seiko improve their QA, and regulate movements in their affordable watches.
I'm just pointing out that the watches you cite as evidence that Seiko are ripping you off are only able to make anything at all because of Seiko. You wouldn't be able to buy your £100 Steeldive if I didn't buy my £500 Seiko. You're welcome.
Both looking good buddy!Both of these have perfect alignment, one is brand new and the other is 40 years old. Both are running within COSC:
For the price you have 2 stonkingly good watches there. Steeldive are great, great watches for the price point.
Largely this. I'll still buy Seiko but it needs to be right and used as new prices can't be justified with the quality issues.
A large pool of Seiko watches in the affordable category are also “Rip offs” from other brands (date justs, divers etc). They are also made in places like China, Malaysia etc where labour costs are cheaper so Seiko are not exactly winning on the ethical points here. Even the whole made in Japan mark has been called into question on a number of occasions just as much as “Swiss made” or “Glashutte”I'm not defending anyone. I'd love to see Seiko improve their QA, and regulate movements in their affordable watches.
I'm just pointing out that the watches you cite as evidence that Seiko are ripping you off are only able to make anything at all because of Seiko. You wouldn't be able to buy your £100 Steeldive if I didn't buy my £500 Seiko. You're welcome.
You wouldn’t be able to buy your £500 Seiko if Swiss brands had not come up with a number of design ideas first.
Thanks Neil.
Both of these have perfect alignment, one is brand new and the other is 40 years old. Both are running within COSC:
You mean within +6 to -4 seconds a day in all five positions at different temperatures? I don't want to sound rude but I would seriously doubt it.
The watch on the right does not have a marked chapter ring so it would be unable to be misaligned would it?
TBH placing those two together makes the Steeldive look cheap and toy-ish compared to the 6309 IMO.
Last edited by Neil.C; 29th September 2020 at 14:40.
Cheers,
Neil.
You are indeed correct to challenge me. They both keep time within 5spd is what I should have said.
The Steeldive could still be misaligned had the insert been out of line with the dial. TBH the Steeldive is always going to look somewhat inferior to the classic 6309 however it's no less of a watch than many I've owned for three or four times the cost.
I have a Panerai sterile dial homage, case is probably the same as what many other companies use, movement is accurate (I seriously doubt it’s been regulated). Dial looks great I am very happy with it.
It’s a nice inexpensive bit of fun nothing more.
Do you have any pics?
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