Amazon.com Customer Reviews
Great diver for little money - Review written on June 02, 2008
Rating: 4 out of 5
1 customer found this review helpful.
I have the orange version (Orange Monster) of this watch, as orange dials as well as yellow dials work better in low light or murky water conditions. I have other divers as well (Citizen "Eco-Zilla" 300 metre, as well as some Omega 300 metre Seamasters). For around $200 (or less) this is a typical good quality Seiko diving watch. The bezel is 120 click, works smoothly, and is very readable. The lume is very good, even rivaling my Omega Seamaster watches.
It has a slightly domed crystal, which aids in reducing reflections under water. The accuracy is OK, but not great. I suspect that if it was worn more, it would settle down a bit, but it spends a fair amount of time on one of my winders rather than my wrist.
The band is really well made and very substantial. It does have a divers extension, but I replaced my band with an orange "Zulu" nylon divers band, as it is easier to use over a wetsuit, and isn't as heavy as the SS band supplied by Seiko. This watch takes a 20 mm band.
The dial is very legible, well made, and uncluttered. I wish that they would make one with a yellow face, but the orange looks great too. The finish on the case and bezel is good, and the watch really looks more expensive than it really is.
This is a great beater, and is a good addition to your dive computer as a timing back-up device. This is my second Seiko diver. My first was a 150 metre diver that I bought over 30 years ago, and that one still runs to this day. If that is any indication, this one should give years of service with only a few trips to the watch maker for adjustment, cleaning, and lubrication.
Again, in typical Seiko fashion, you certainly get your money's worth out of this watch. I would not hesitate to recommend this, or any other Seiko diver, for actual diving use or for those "desk" divers out there.
Great bang of the buck watch !! - Review written on May 23, 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5
At first, i disliked this watch when i saw it in the internet. Looks ugly and big, dial looks flat, bracelet looks bland, but i did the right thing on ordering this watch. When i received and put it on my wrist for the 1st time, i said WOW this is looks so much better than in the picture. This is definitely a watch which you have to see and try yourself. Nice bracelet for such a low cost watch, the lume can't be better in fact it is by far the most brightest lume i've ever had. The bracelet, bezel and casing makes the watch feel really solid and can take "abuse" without problem. The movement is great, out of the box it gains +15/day, after 1 month it has slowed down to +3-5/day. Very happy with it ^^.
I could beat large men to death with my watch - Review written on April 30, 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5
6 customers found this review helpful.
Somehow, I've managed to avoid owning a watch for most of my adult life. I've generally worked in places where there was always a clock nearby. Now a days, through the miracle of the mobile office, this is less true, hence, my need for a watch. Being afflicted with higher education, I am a klutz, so I needed something sturdy and functional that I don't have to think about. I wanted a watch that winds itself, because batteries are stupid. I wanted a watch which was waterproof, because sometimes I might get caught in the rain, or forget to take it off. I also wanted a watch with hands, which glow in the dark, so I could see it at night, and because proper clocks have hands on them. This gizmo perfectly fits the bill. Sure, it's a dive watch, and I am not a diver, nor am I James Bond. If I were James Bond, however, I would prefer this to an Omega, because it is both more manly and more awe inspiring in its massive chunkiness, and it would probably make a more handy improvised weapon if I stuck it in a sock and used it as a flail. I looked at Omegas, Doxas, Invictas, Rolexes and a couple of other low end dive watches. Personally, I liked this one much better than any of the others. It was sturdier, was a nicer size and shape, had a better band than even the Omega or Rolex, and it had better, brighter phosphorescent material in it. Maybe a Doxa would be better if I were a real diver. Maybe it wouldn't. Either way, it doesn't cost $150 like this thing did, so if I should actually manage to break the thing (I don't know how I would do this: maybe if I shoot it with a high powered rifle), I will not be terribly sad. It is a tremendously satisfying and sturdy object; a veritable Colt-45 or Zippo lighter of watches.
Whatta Monster of a watch! - Review written on March 27, 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5
2 customers found this review helpful.
I admit I had a bit of a buyer's remorse after I had hit the BUY button to order this watch. This was, after all, the first Seiko automatic movement watch I was purchasing. But from reading the many excellent reviews here and elsewhere, I felt that I was making a pretty good bet on this watch. I don't think I can add more to the reviews here, but I do want to help others make a good decision on the watches they are adding to their collection. I can see why others are saying that this is going to be a classic. The watch has a very aggressive design, and the heft of it makes it feel like a very substantial watch. Granted, the 7S26 movement leaves something to be desired as a great movement, but I think it serves its purpose here at the price point we are talking about and the kind of watch in question. It is a tank of a watch, and it will be noticed. I don't dive, so I won't be able to test the watch for what it is made for, but from what I have read, the watch easily exceeds the 200M water resistance rating. Adjusting the bracelet was not too much of a problem, but I did think that the pins and retaining sleeves were a bit flimsy and hard to work with; be careful when you are using a the link tool with this. That said, the bracelet is actually pretty comfortable to my wrist and looks very nice with the watch. As the others have said, do buy the steel bracelet version over the rubber strap version. The rubber strap is available from strap retailers for around $40, and the ease of which you can change out the bracelet will give you more options. A great watch to start your Seiko auto collection with.
Massively Impressive! - Review written on December 04, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
3 customers found this review helpful.
This is an incredible deal for the money! The Seiko Massive Dive Watch is tough, dependable, and well designed. Automatic, so it never needs batteries, this watch is a "massive" chunk of steel, which may take little while getting used to wearing. The face and hands are extremely well designed for easy readablity... day, night, underwater, on dry land, skydiving, whatever. The large luminous markers and fat luminous hands make for very quick reading. The domed mineral crystal prevents the "mirror effect" that many dive watches experience underwater. The sweep second offers a nice "touch of class", and day (in English or Spanish) and date are quite legible.
I have more expensive watches (Swiss Army Men's Maverick II Chrono watch #24144 for example) and "classier" watches (Citizen Men's Calibre 8651 Gold-Tone Watch #AP1022-51A for example) and "cooler" watches (Black Ops, Khaki Dial, Black PU Strap and Technomarine Men's Marvel Comics The Punisher Black Rubber Watch #TSMVP for example), but the Massive "Black Monster" Dive watch is my everyday "go to" watch.
No problems, Solid watch - Review written on November 10, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
1 customer found this review helpful.
Has a nice weight to it, and once you figure out how to set it the first time, its never a problem again. The recessed face, and domed glass, adds great depth to it. No matter what, some part of the watch will catch the light, making it really stand out well. Heavy, definitely but I prefer the weight to a plastic feeling Ti watch myself. Solidly built, I've had it for a few months now and there's only one scratch on the face (which is totally my fault) the offset crown is more convenient and easy to use. Overall a simple nice looking, durable watch for any occasion!
Best Watch I Ever Owned! - Review written on October 26, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
I recently purchased this watch from a jewelry store and I am very happy with the watch. This watch is a classic for many reasons.
Every now and then, a company produces a product that stands out from the other items they produce. The newer products may perform better, but the classic will retain its loyal following. An example of this is with golf club companies. I have heard golfers say that such and such clubs are the best clubs that the company Ping ever made. They continue to make changes to their clubs, but they cannot duplicate the impact of that certain model. Although the newer models may actually be improved versions, they will never have that certain feel of the original. The "Black Monster" is such a product.
Casio has the original G-Shock watch that is another classic. The newer G-Shocks may have more features, and be more user freindly, but they will never replace the original when it comes to the faithful.
Anyway, the "Black Monster" is a heavy watch. To me, that is part of the charm of it. It's also pretty shiny by my standards. Again, part of the charm. It's cool how the second hand moves around the dial like how all of the watches used to before quartz watches came along. Also, for people like myself that are farsighted, it is very easy to read the time.
If you can afford it, and you want to get it, you should go ahead and get it. You'll love this watch! It is so different from any other watch out there. It is a simple watch with classic styling.
No better watch value to be found. - Review written on September 13, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
3 customers found this review helpful.
This thing is a big hunk of metal, reasonably -- a few seconds, daily -- accurate and the photos do not do it justice. Compares favorably, in weight, appearance and impressiveness (sorry, but it IS) to watches 10x more expensive. There are a variety of reviews on the web that go into far more detail than I can, so look for them, but my metaphor comes straight from the watch's design homeland of Japan: this thing is a Honda Prelude. It will perform beyond machines costing much more, is bulletproof and sharp enough to go anywhere.
One more thing to recommend. GET THE STAINLESS BAND. It's design, heft and sturdiness add much to the overall piece and presentation. To get this watch, in any face colour, without the thick stainless band is foolish, unless you're getting it all for 1/2 off. Kudos to Seiko!
Seiko "Black Monster" - Review written on September 08, 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5
3 customers found this review helpful.
The watch is quite heavy but an absolutely solid timepiece. Date offers english or spanish option, but you have to reset the calendar each month not adding up to 31 days. I have not yet had a chance to use it underwater, but read a plethora of reviews by owners who had and claim it to be suitable for diving. The hour-hand does tend to run a few minutes fast. However, keep in mind you are going to have a similar problem with any "automatic" watch wheather it be Seiko, Tissot, TAG, Rolex, Movado, or even Omega. The reason being is simple: any "automatic" watch is never going to keep time to the absolute second like a quartz movement or kinetic style system. I would go as far as to say that most watch enthusiasts tend to have 3 or 4+ watches, each for different occasions, and match their watch with whatever the need or lack of need they may have for any particular setting. If you need impecable time then try a Seiko Contura Kinetic Perpetual which never needs a battery, can keep time up to 4 years without being worn, and will automatically adjust from time to date until the end of the 21st century. However, if you want an inexpensive yet durable and aggresive "automatic" dive watch then the black monster is a good route to go.