The dial has large hands and markers, and thanks to the date at 6 o’clock, it’s also pleasantly symmetrical.

It’s also powered by a thin Sellita SW300 movement which allows Formex to keep the case height to just 11.4mm - impressive for a watch with 300 meters water resistance. The movement inside is Seiko’s 6R35 with a 70-hour power reserve, making this an excellent option for the price.įormex Reef Automatic Chronometer COSC 300m Specifications: Price: $1,790, Case Size: 42mm, Thickness: 11.4mm, Lug-to-Lug: 47mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Water Resistance: 300m, Movement: Auto SW300, Power Reserve: 42 Hours, Crystal: Sapphire The Formex Reef Automatic Chronometer has a 42mm stainless steel case with ears on its flanks that resembles the Patek Philippe Nautilus. The finishing on the case and the dial is also a step up from your usual Sumos, Monsters, and Turtles. To justify its higher price tag, the SPB143 comes in a more refined case that’s just a tad over 40mm wide, a sign of changing times and case downsizing throughout the industry. The Prospex SPB143 might look somewhat familiar to you, and that’s because it closely resembles the limited edition SLA017, which is in turn inspired by the Seiko 62MAS - Seiko’s very first dive watch.

Seiko Prospex SPB143 Specifications: Price: $1,200 Case Size: 40.5mm, Thickness: 13.2mm, Lug-to-Lug: 47.6mm, Lug Width: 20mm, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Auto Seiko 6R35, Power Reserve: 70 Hours, Crystal: Sapphire Seiko’s Prospex lineup of dive watches runs the gamut of price points from hundreds to thousands of dollars, though the brand has recently released a number of excellent watches for around $1,000. For the price, it’s one of the more interesting and obscure dive watches on the market. Today, like a lot of other brands, Certina is digging through its archives and providing updated takes on classic designs, including this excellent, orange-dialed PH500M, a watch which is visually an exact replica of the original watch but updated with a sapphire crystal, better lume, and the impressive Powermatic 80 caliber with 80 hours of power reserve. Certina supplied watches for the Tektite I project in 1969, where a team of scientists and divers spent two months in an underwater laboratory, and is also known for having been the issue watch for some lucky Royal Australian Navy divers in the 1970s. While on the larger side, the combination of the classic Seiko DNA in this dial’s design, some of the best lume in the business, and the upgrades everyone wants in the ceramic bezel insert and sapphire crystal, the King Turtle is “shut up and take my money” material for many dive watches enthusiasts for a reason.Ĭertina DS Super PH500M Specifications: Price: $1,000, Case Size: 43mm, Thickness: 14.95mm, Lug-to-Lug: 48mm, Water Resistance: 500m, Movement: Auto ETA C07.611, Power Reserve: 80 hours, Crystal: Sapphire Certina is a lesser known brand to most enthusiasts but does exist on the radar of most vintage dive-watch fans. Both of these watches are inspired by an important dive watch from Seiko’s older catalog, the cushion-cased 6309 collection, likely one of the most popular dive watches of all time judging by the sheer number of them on offer pretty much everywhere watches are sold.

Seiko SRPE03 King Turtle Specifications: Price: $625, Case Size: 45mm, Thickness: 13.2mm, Lug-to-Lug: 47.7mm, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Auto Seiko 4R36, Crystal: Sapphire Seiko’s excellent King Turtle builds on the success of the SRP Turtle collection released in 2016, addressing some of the most commonly modified aspects of the original Turtle by adding a ceramic bezel insert, an interesting waffle-patterned dial, and a sapphire crystal. 0% interest for up to 24 months available on select brands.

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