The Legend Deep Blue LD 1001A is a well-made, Seiko-powered Submariner-type diver, available at more than reasonable prices. It’s hardcore.
Well you’re not hardcore
(No you’re not hardcore)
Unless you live hardcore
(Unless you live hardcore)
But the legend of the rent was way hardcore– Tenacious D
I bought the Legend Deep Blue over a Black Friday sale from an online watch retailer. After discount codes applied, I paid 31.47 USD. I have a hard time believing there’s a better value around. For the money, you get a Stainless Steel diver case water resistant to 200M, with a Sapphiretek™ crystal, and a Seiko NH35A movement. The case back is stainless steel, like the rest of the watch. There’s no real lume to speak of, but the bezel insert is nicely engraved and appears to reflect like a sapphire insert. The hands are well sized, and the dial has a nice sun ray effect going on. The indices are applied and the 12 indices is two triangles, which I affectionately call “vampire teeth.”
The crown guards are wide and nicely rounded, like the 116610LN watch it’s trying to emulate, and the lugs are quite fat. The end links are solid. The bracelet narrows to about 16mm from 20mm, so it’s really comfortable on the wrist. It’s absurd how well equipped it is for what you pay. Honestly, this punches way above its weight. No, the NH35a is not a luxury movement. I’m sure the one that’s inside was manufactured in Singapore or Malaysia. It doesn’t matter. They use the same robots to make the movements in those countries as they do in Japan.
I’m a little tired of Mercedes hands that attempt to be wider by flaring away from the canon pinion. These ones do that, and I think it’s not necessary. If you want to make a wider hand, make one that extends straight from the sides of the center of the hour hand. Here, the minute and hour hand are plenty long, and they extend to the minute track at the edge of the dial.
The crystal is made of something called Sapphitek. They provide a 10 year warranty from scratches on the Sapphitek crystal and there is a warranty card in the box with the instructions.
What we’re left with is a tasteful set of choices resulting in a nice, very affordable homage watch. The details are nice, the movement isn’t bad, and regular pricing is currently at $52.99, but it’s out of stock in many places. If you can find one, and you want a very affordable diver that’s very well made, this one might be for you. WorldofWatches.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Legend Deep Blue LD 1001A
- Price: pricing starts at $52 (although discounts are available regularly. We got it for 31.47 USD.)
- Who we think it might be for: You like a Submariner home with solid end links, stainless steel and an automatic movement, without paying a lot.
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: I did. If I were to have one automatic watch, and be afraid of the price of entry, this one is an easy one to choose.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: I don’t like the vampire teeth, and I don’t know why the mercedes hand has to taper to the canon pinion, rather than being straight into the canon pinion.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: It’s steel. It’s automatic. It’s less than a hundred bucks.
Tech Specs from Legend
- Case size: 40mm, 14mm thick
- Case material: steel
- Crystal: flat, Sapphitek
- Strap: stainless steel on solid end links
- Movement: Seiko NH35a
