Overbuilt 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.
Now, 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.
The 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
