I’m currently waiting for my GO to return from Glashutte (any day now) consequently, I’ve been buying watches I don’t need.
Amongst the recent acquisitions is a Steeldive Emperor Tuna.
Honestly, it’s an absurd watch.
Enormous, cheap as chips. So naturally, I had to try it out.
Before I go any further with this, there was method in the madness, I live within spitting distance of many beautiful beaches in Pembrokeshire. I spend a fair bit of my spare time there and it’s not a place to wear either my GO or Pam.
Until recently, I would wear my Garmin, but lately I’ve found myself leaning away from the tech when I’m not running or working, so I’ve been wanting a proper ‘beach watch’.
So what about my assertion that the ideal tool watch might be a steeldive??
Let me explain; Back in the earlier naughties, I was the diving superintendent for the Joint venture that won the contract for the refurbishment of the jetty on the South Hook LNG site, as such, I spent a lot of time with real divers (I’m going to suffer for that remark….).
With the exception of 1 Belgian lad who insisted on wearing his Seawolf in the sea, all of the literally dozens of others from the Netherlands, Belgium, UK, South Africa and the 'States wore G-Shocks.
I’m not even talking solar atomic Gucci versions, just common or garden G-Shocks.
This was not because these guy couldn’t afford them, I know this because once they’d showered and tarted themselves up back on deck, on went the Subs and the SD’s, I even saw a BP FF on the wrist of a very well-travelled sat diver who was slumming it for a couple of months with the ‘inshore boys’.
So, my point would be this, that even those professionals that could afford to use and abuse (read that 'use as intended') their pride and joy, used a beater, a consumable to work in. When they inevitably lost or broke them (ask anyone who knows about divers…) then there would be no tears.
This brings me around to this here Steeldive (must resist the urge to type SD….); I’ve had mine for nearly 2 weeks.
The 1st thing I did when it arrived was to set the time by GPS and monitor it every few days against the clock and with an app – no, I’m not a mentalist, I was just curious about what this watch would do.
So far, it’s been in the watch winder for some of the time and on my wrist for some of the time but It has gained a solidly consistent 4 seconds per day!!
Think of that; a bog-standard, mass produced Japanese NH35 operating comfortably within COSC parameters for less than £180 brand new and posted!
Now, I know that they’re not all going to be like that, I understand I got lucky, but I haven’t even begun to mention the build quality yet, it’s really rather acceptable, quite good even (forget about the cost).
I already mentioned that my example was absurd. I’ve got 7 ½”+ wrists and it looks like a depth gauge on me (no need for a weight belt), I don’t think I’d chance swimming with it on for fear of drowning – Seriously, it would look ‘oversize’ on Eddie Hall, so don't laugh at the picture!
BUT, that’s what’s fun about it – It’s bonkers but it cost so little that you’re not going to fret about having ‘made the right investment’, wear it until you get bored and then drop it off at a charity shop!
It’s a proper watch with a mechanical heart (soul), for the cost of a reasonable meal out with the Wife that keeps the time.
Bargain!!
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