Deep Blue Sun Diver 02Overbuilt dive watches are not very rare.  Inexpensive dive watches, even ones with automatic movements are not super hard to come across.  But an overbuilt diver for less than $250 (currently on sale), those are not all that common.  But this is what we find with the Deep Blue Sun Diver 1K dive watch.  Patrick has looked at a couple of Deep Blue watches previously, but all have been north of $500.

Deep Blue Sun Diver 03Now, the brand does not post a lot of photos, so I don’t have a lot to chose from when writing this article, but the overall look is not something out there or unseen previously.  Patrick was reminded of the Seiko Tuna, and I see a bit of the Monster, but I don’t think it is overly derivative of either.  Dive watches are supposed to have mismatched hand sets so that a diver can tell the minute hand at a glance under water, and the arrow style is not that uncommon.  The marker hare are also large and heavily lumed, again, something that is welcome in a diver.  The bezel is marked like a dive watch bezel.  There are creative ways to do it, but with a pure tool watch like this, simple is the way to go.

Deep Blue Sun Diver 04The watch features a Seiko NH 36 automatic movement with a hacking second hand. a 40 hour reserve, and a day/date indicator.  The watch itself is PVD black coated stainless steel, measuring a robust 46mm by 14mm tall, so it will stand out a bit.  A manual helium release valve is included at 2:00, just in case you need to do a bit of saturation diving.  The get the 1,000 meters of water resistance, the case has triple O rings on the crown and double O rings on the caseback, as well as a sapphire crystal.  The regular price is listed at $349, but the site has a sale price of $199.  So if you are looking for a beefy, black, automatic dive watch, this would certainly fit the bill without breaking the bank. deepbluewatches.com

Watch Overview

  • Brand & Model: Deep Blue Watches Sun Diver 1K
  • Price: $199 (currently on sale from $349)
  • Who we think it might be for: You want a statement tool watch, but you don’t have a ton of scratch.
  • Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: I would definitely wear one.  It looks like a dive watch a diver would wear.
  • If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: I like the PVD strap shown above, but I can’t find it on the web site; so make your web site easier to follow.  The watch itself is fine.
  • What spoke to me the most about this watch: It is overbuilt, but it does not scream overbuilt.

Tech Specs from Deep Blue Watches

  • Movement: Seiko NH 36 automatic
  • Functions: Three hander plus day/date, helium escape valve
  • Case: Black PVD stainless steel
  • Crystal: Sapphire crystal
  • Water resistance: 1,000 meters
  • Lug width: Not specified
  • Straps: Black silicon with PVD buckle
  • Diameter: 46 mm
  • Case Height: Tapered 14 mm
  • Case Weight: 220 g

Categorized in:

Automatic, Deals, Diver, General, Under $500,

Last Update: August 20, 2015

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