Tag: STEELDIVE

Cronos Heimdallr Hruodland Lige Mysterious Code Pagani Design San Martin STEELDIVE Sugess Vakuy Rigas

Top Ten Best Submariner Hulk Homage Made in China

Post author By Bob
Post date December 21, 2023
No Comments on Top Ten Best Submariner Hulk Homage Made in China

If you are a fan of my blog, you may have noticed that I have introduced a lot of Rolex Submariner homage watches produced in China, I bought most of them, took pictures and made comparison reviews, actually most of them have a good quality, and I more hope these reviews can help you a lot when deciding to buy your first watch in China or picking some homage watches to rich your collection. Today, I will make a summary of the top ten best Submariner hulk homage watches made in China, from this list and by reading my previous reviews, you will easily tell which one is the best.

1.Sugess Seaman SP116610LV

Seeing from its model number, Sugess Seaman is a classic homage watch of Submariner hulk 116610LV. I made some searches about Sugess, and found this is a watch company coming from Shenzhen of China, now they have become one of the most popular homage watch brands. In many watch forums and Reddit, a lot of watch fans have admitted that this is the best homage of Submariner hulk. It has a case measured to be 40mm in diameter and 12.5mm in thickness, which is closest to the case size of the Rolex Submariner 116610LV, the Seaman SP116610LV has a green ceramic bezel, its green color on the bezel and dial looks very close to that on hulk Submariner. By the way, the Sugess Seaman uses a Japanese NH35A automatic movement inside, which is very reliable.

Advantages: correct case shape and size, genuine green ceramic bezel insert, Japanese NH35A movement, correct lume color
Shortcoming: high price, almost 190 USD on their official site

2.San Martin SN0017

SN0017 is a famous model from San Martin, it has black and green color options, I introduced the green SN0017 on my blog at https://www.bobswatchstore.com/2023/05/31/san-martin-submariner-116610lv-homage-review/, and I also have given a comparison review about the black one between it and the Cronos L6015 as well as the Steeldive SD1953, please check my review at https://www.bobswatchstore.com/2023/08/20/black-submariner-homage-review-cronos-l6015-vs-san-martin-sn0017-vs-steeldive-sd1953/. The SN0017 deserves the second position because it really has a very good finish on the case, dial and bracelet like the Sugess. Among all homage watches created in China, the ones made by San Martin all have good finish, their case finish should be among the best. The case of the SN0017 is 40.5mm in diameter and 13mm in thickness, the bezel also uses real green ceramic. The watch is equipped with a Japanese NH35A automatic movement.

Advantages: good case finish, sunburst dial finish, correct bezel engravings, strong and correct blue lume, stable NH35A movement.
Shortcoming: Bracelet structure is not as good as the Sugess Seaman, the top of the bezel pearl is not domed, high price, almost 190 USD.

3.Pagani Design 1639

Why does this watch have such a high position in the list? We know Pagani Design is famous for making cheap homage watches, their Speedmaster, Tiffany Blue Rolex and Daytona homage watches are popular in watch industry, it is the hottest Chinese brand that is being discussed in Reddit. After receiving a Pagani Design watch, you will find its quality exceeds your expecation because you only paid tens of US Dollars, that’s the reason why Pagani Design should rank so high in this list. The Pagani Design 1639, I talked about it in a comparison review here at https://www.bobswatchstore.com/2023/12/12/hulk-submariner-homage-reviewpart-3-pagani-design-1639-vs-vakuy-rigas-v-003-vs-tevise-t801/.

Advantages: good finish on the case and bezel, bezel pearl looks nice, nice sunburst finish on green dial, very reasonable price.
Shortcoming: big case over 43mm, weak lume light on the bezel pearl and dial markers.

4.Cronos L6015

I firstly knew Cronos because it makes a good quality Pepsi GMT-Master homage watch, the L6015 is a Submariner homage model of Cronos, which has black and green color choices. The Cronos L6015 hulk Submariner homage has a correct case size and a green ceramic bezel, the bracelet and clasp are nice and have the similar structure to Submariner. The watch uses a NH35A automatic movement.

Advantages: good finish on the case, green ceramic bezel and Japanese NH35A movement. Bezel pearl is slightly dome-shaped, strong blue lume.
Shortcoming: Arabic number markers on the bezel are bit thinner, surburst finish on the dial not obvious, too green on the dial.

5.Heimdallr HMSR01

Heimdallr is also a great homage watch brand that has been in this field for years. I have introduced its background information in the first article review about a Heimdallr diver’s watch at https://www.bobswatchstore.com/2022/04/09/heimdallr-divers-200m-black-the-big-monster-in-deep-ocean/. Heimdallr is mainly famous for making these homages of Seiko diver’s watches. This green hulk Submariner homage watch HMSR01 from Heimdallr has a great quality, it deserves the fifth position in this list, I like its sunburst finish on the green dial, which is very close to that of green Submariner 116610LV.

Advantages: green dial with sunburst finish, engraved inner bezel, strong lume, Japanese movement
Shortcoming: inner bezel is a little high, wrong lume on the bezel pearl, thin bezel markers

6.STEELDIVE SD1953

STEELDIVE is a Chinese brand that is loved by a lot of people, they do make high quality watches and sell them at reasonable prices, when selecting a homage watch from China, STEELDIVE may become the first choice. Among watches made by STEELDIVE, SD1953 is one of the most popular models. STEELDIVE offers a hard plastic box that gives the watch a full protection, there are some accessories coming with the watch such as card, user manual and screwdriver. As far as I know, STEELDIVE does not make a 40mm Submariner homage, the SD1953 has a 41mm case that is measured to be 14mm in thickness, which is much thicker than other Submariner homage watches I saw. The finish on the case and bracelet is very good. The dial has nice printings. With a low price, the quality of the STEELDIVE SD1953 absolutely meets your expectation.

Advantages: good case finish, very nice dial details, strong lume on the bezel and dial, Japanese movement, cheap price.
Shortcomings: no bezel pearl, the green color is a little dark on the dial

7.Hruodland F-015

This brand has a strange name, which is hard to pronounce. I knew Hruodland because the Explorer homage watch really caught my attention. I made a comparison review between it and the Heimdallr, both watches are very nice. The Hruodland has a stainless steel case that is measured to be 40.7mm in diameter and 12.4mm in thickness. The bezel uses genuine green ceramic, there are engravings on the inner bezel, the green dial looks great but sunburst finish is not obvious. The watch uses a PT5000 movement made in China, the brand also offers a SW200 movement option for this watch.

Advantages: good finish, strong lume, real ceramic bezel, PT5000 movement
Shortcoming: no bezel pearl, the sunburst finish on the dial not too obvious

8.Mysterious Code Submariner

It is one of my most favorite green Submariner homage watches, now it is hard to find this watch on the aliexpress, maybe because of the “SUBMARINER” printing on the dial, it violates the intellectual property right. Now if you want to buy this watch, perhaps need to search it on Taobao and ask one of your friends in China to buy for you. The Mysterious Code Submariner uses real green ceramic on the bezel insert, the dial color also looks great, you can read the review between this watch and the Lige on my blog at https://www.bobswatchstore.com/2023/11/30/hulk-submariner-homage-reviewpart-2-lige-vs-mysterious-code/.

Advantages: ceramic bezel, correct case size, good bezel pearl, correct lume, Miyota 8215 movement
Shortcoming: lume not last

9.Lige 6801

About Lige, actually I know little about this watch company, I also do not suggest you buy watches from Lige watch company, because their watches are overpriced in China, while sold at very cheap prices abroad, so I do not think they are trusted. However, this Lige green Submariner homage watch looks nice, especially its green color, better than some watches I mentioned above. I love its tridimensional brand logo on the dial and the see-through design on the back.

Advantages: good finish on the case, good bezel pearl with similar shape to hulk, strong lume, good dial color and details,
Shortcoming: wrong lume color, a low-end Chinese movement with short power reserve

10.Vakuy Rigas V-003

There is little information about the background of Vakuy Rigas, actually I know something about this brand, do you know Parnis? It is the earliest homage watch manufacturer in China, now Vakuy Rigas is owned by the same team as Parnis, you can think Vakuy Rigas is a sub-branch of Parnis. The hottest Vakuy Rigas watch being discussed on the internet is the Daytona Paul Newman homage model. This green Submariner homage watch is also in good quality.

Advantages: acceptable quality with very cheap price, good bezel pearl with similar shape to real Submariner, real ceramic bezel(claimed by the dealer), Miyota 8215 movement
Shortcoming: the green color on the dial not good, smooth dial without surburst finish

Tags 1639, Ceramic, Cronos, Heimdallr, HMSR01, Hulk, L6015, Lige, Miyota 8215, Mysterious Code, NH35A, Pagani Design, PT5000, San Martin, SD1953, Seaman, SN0017, SP116610LV, STEELDIVE, Submariner, Sugess, Vakuy Rigas

Cronos San Martin STEELDIVE

Black Submariner Homage Review: Cronos L6015 vs San Martin SN0017 vs Steeldive SD1953

Post author By Bob
Post date August 20, 2023
No Comments on Black Submariner Homage Review: Cronos L6015 vs San Martin SN0017 vs Steeldive SD1953

Currently I only talks about Chinese watches on my blog, the three watches discussed in this article, including Cronos, San Martin and Steeldive, are exactly made in China. In one of my posts, I said I will create some big projects, now here it is one. This is a big project, it is a comparison review on three watches, Cronos L6015, San Martin SN0017 and Steeldive SD1953. Why do I select these three watches to make a comparison review? Because these three models have some popularity on the forums and reddit, they are quality homage watches of black Submariner, today, let’s me make a detailed review about each of them, you can also learn some advice from this article first if need to buy any one of them in future. Let’s start.

Box and Accessories:

The three pictures above show Crono L6015 and its accessories. They are in a cloth box with brand name and logo printed. Inside the box, the Crono watch is wrapped with plastic bubble bag, fixed with the help of an elastic band, above and under the watch, it is under the protection of soft pads. The accessories coming with the watch are two screwdrivers and one card.

Next, let’s see the package of San Martin SN0017. Inside the package, there is a watch inside a green leather box, two screwdrivers, one tag, one warranty card and one user manual. On the warranty card, it is hand written with the purchasing date and the number of watch model.

Third, let’s see the package and accessories of Steeldive SD1953. Once you open the package, you will find the watch and all accessories are inside a black platic box. The watch with a plasitc bubble bag and protected by two soft pads contained in the box. There is a warranty card and one instructions book inside.

After checking the box and accessories of the three watches, each has their own features. Each box gives enough protection for the watch, which type of box do you like? If you want me to choose, I like the green leather box of San Martin. By the way, the Cronos does not offer a user manual for the watch.

Case:

Let’s check the case and finish of them. First, it is Cronos.

First, the Cronos L6015 is made with 316L stainless steel, I measured its case, it is about 40.3mm in diameter, and the case thickness is 13.5mm, the watch has a weight of about 157.5 grams. Actually there is no big difference with the case specification which Cronos has claimed on their official website. Besides, the case size is also very close to that of Rolex Submariner.

Next, it comes with some pictures of San Martin SN0017.

SN0017 is also made with 316L stainless steel, the case is measured to be 40.5mm in diameter and 13mm in thickness. The watch weighs about 156.7 grams.

At last, let us see some pictures of Steeldive SD1953.

The Steeldive SD1953 is made with 316L stainless steel, the case is measured to be 41.1mm in diameter and 14mm in thickness. The watch has a weight of 183 grams. SD1953 is an exception, because it is a watch with 41mm diameter, I already knew this before buying this watch, however, Steeldive does not produce a Submariner homage watch in 40mm. So, you see the Steeldive is more than 20 grams heavier than the other two watches.

Let’s make a summary of the case of these three watches. They use the same grade of stainless steel, the case thickness of the actual watch should be thinner because I did not remove the plastic wrapped around the watch when I doing the measurement. About the finish, three watches all have very good finish on the case, lugs and crown guards. The first link on the bracelet that connects with the case, I think it is correctly made on the Cronos L6015 if you take Submariner 116610LN as a reference, because the first link is slightly ached in the middle and looks a bit higher above the level. Perhaps you can not spot this point from the pictures above, I can find this difference when holding them in hands.

Bezel:

Three watches have ceramic bezel. Compare the bezel and you can see big differences. First, about the markers. The Cronos L6015 has the deepest markers’ engraving on the bezel, you can see obvious deepth. The San Martin SN0017 also has a certain engraved depth on these markers, but not obvious. However on the Steeldive SD1953, it seems like there is no depth, the bezel markers looks like being printed. About the thickness, on Cronos L6015, the numbers 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 are too thin. The numbers on San Martin SN0017 have the correct thickness. About the bezel pear, it is domed on the Cronos L6015, while it has a flat roof on the San Martin SN0017, that depends on which type of bezel pearl you like. However, there is only a big triangle marker without bezel pearl on the Steeldive watch.

Lume:

The first picture shows the dial lume of the Cronos L6015, the second is the dial lume of the San Martin, the third is the lume of the Steeldive. They all blue and look strong, while the Steeldive SD1953 has lume light emitting from the bezel markers.

Bracelet:

Cronos L6015 Clasp — Cronos bracelet and clasp

San Martin SN0017 Clasp — San Martin bracelet and clasp

Check the pictures of bracelet and clasp, only the Cronos L6015 does not have a brand logo on the buckle, by the way, the Cronos has a correct clasp system like Submariner 116610LN with diver’s extension.

Movement:

The three watches are equipped with Japan NH35 automatic movement, it has two big features, which are cheap and durable. NH35 has 24 jewels, 21,600 BPH and 40-hour power reserve, the daily inaccuracy of the movement ranges from -20 seconds to +40 seconds. San Martin sent the watch out at 19:00PM yesterday, the watch still worked when I received it today in the morning and it kept an accurate time, and when I checked the San Martin at 18:00PM, the watch still works great, I did not compare it with standard time, but I think it only runs several seconds slower or faster.

By the way, about the Cronos L6015, the company also offers SW200 and PT5000 movement options, if with SW200, the price is much higher.

Conclusion:

Three watches have good quality and are good homage watches of the black Submariner. Among them, the Cronos L6015 has the designs that are closest to Submariner 116610LN, if you like it, please buy on their official website. Well, the other two have their own designs which you may like more, so I can not tell you which watch is better, you like the Cronos, maybe the other people like the San Martin, that depends on everyone’s taste. Each of them has a Japanese NH35 automatic movement, so I can tell you they are reliable and durable watches.

In price, both Cronos L6015 and San Martin SN0017 have a very similar price, which is around $200, the Steeldive SD1953 is much cheaper, which is less than $90. If you do not have enough budget and just consider to buy your first Chinese watch, the Steeldive SD1953 will be a good start. If you are looking for a top quality homage with high-end logo design on the dial and buckle, then I recommend the San Martin, be sure to buy the latest V3 edition on their website.

Videos of the three watches:

Tags Ceramic, Cronos, L6015, San Martin, SD1953, SN0017, STEELDIVE, Submariner

STEELDIVE

Steeldive Black Datejust Homage Review

Post author By Bob
Post date July 13, 2023
No Comments on Steeldive Black Datejust Homage Review

Among these homage watches, Steeldive is the one that has a good finish but also with much more affordable prices. I introduced several Steeldive watches before, some are homages of Seiko, one is a black Submariner homage and one is a pilot watch, today, I will introduce another good quality Steeldive watch, which has a very similar outlook to Rolex Datejust, there are a lot of dial colors available, I chose the black one.

It is a black Datejust homage watch, but the size is different, this Steeldive has a case diameter of 39mm, Rolex Datejust does not have this size, however, 39mm is also a very suitable size for men, 41mm is too big, while more suitable for men than the 36mm ones. The watch is made with solid 316L stainless steel and measured to be 12.3mm in thickness. The entire watch is about 163 grams, a little heavy even it only 39mm. The crown is a little small, it will be more convenient to rotate if has a bigger size.

The black dial has very good finished details, the unique brand logo printing is more acceptable for me than the one piece of metal on the dial of San Martin. The bar-shaped hour markers and numeral minute markers refer to the design of that on Datejust. The central second hand runs smoothly but does not look that slender like it on the 41mm Datejust. Steeldive claims the watch is 200m waterproof, it is hardly believable.

The bracelet is fully brushed, the buckle has Steeldive logo engraving, the satin finish on the bracelet looks very nice, the brand also offers a rubber band option for this watch. By the way, the watch is driven by a Japanese NH35 automatic movement that has 21,600VPH, 24 jewels and 41-hour power reserve, most importantly, this movement has stop seconds feature. Except its elegant dial design, the watch looks like having more features which a diver’s watch should have.

Conclusion:

The quality is solid and movement is very reliable, you won’t have few issues on the movement and the watch can last for more than five years. Please choose the one with stainless steel bracelet, it looks better than the one with rubber strap.

Tags Datejust, NH35, STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE Pilot 1903 Quartz Review

Post author By Bob
Post date September 16, 2022
No Comments on STEELDIVE Pilot 1903 Quartz Review

I never thought that I will buy a quartz watch, but sometimes a quartz watch is really convenient, you do not need to wind the watch every day, and a quartz watch is very accurate, the watch won’t lose seconds. I do not have a quartz watch in my collection except one G-Shock, I always think that a watch has a mechanical outlook while with a quartz movement does not look professional, especially for a man who is a supporter of mechanical watches. I have seen some homage brands making quartz watches under a mechanical look, they look nice, so some days ago, I searched online and found this STEELDIVE watch, I did not know this is a quartz watch til I read its specification of the watch, the watch has a great styling and classic features of pilot’s watches, I thought there will be an automatic movement inside, while it is a quartz.

STEELDIVE, this brand is not new to you, right? I have introduced STEELDIVE before on my blog, it is a popular Chinese homage brand, and also one of my favorite homage watches. Most STEELDIVE watches I have are diving styles, while this one is a pilot watch. The STEELDIVE, all attention should be paid to its dial, which is a classic style of pilot’s watch and have somewhat vintage flavor on the design of hour markers and hands. The inside Swiss Ronda quartz movement is also a big selling point.

The case is only 39mm in diameter, not including the crown, it looks a little small for this STEELDIVE pilot watch whose dial refers to the dial design of Zenith Pilot. The big hands and big Arabic numeral hour markers seem not to match the small case of the watch. The case is about 12mm in thickness, well, I think it is a little thick for a quartz watch. The case is fully brushed with a small round bezel, solid case back has a big STEELDIVE logo engraving, which contains diving mask and oxygen tanks. Both screw-in crown and case back ensure a 200m water resistance, I do not believe the watch has such a big waterproofing depth.

The black dial is all about big things, big hour markers and wide hands that are applied with superlume, the dial lume looks very strong, that’s one of the biggest feature of STEELDIVE watches. The first impression which the dial gives to me is a vintage pilot watch, big Arabic numeral hour markers are yellow but look a little brownish, the track-style minute scales also have 05-60 markers in orange color. The central second hand has a unique design, it has an arrow logo and a long tip in orange color, the hand is ticking around the dial. The dial is totally an immitation of the old Zenith Pilot watch.

The engine inside is a Swiss Ronda quartz movement, its power can last for almost 4 years, the watch is equipped with a black leather strap with white stitching, well, you can also ask the supplier to change a brown leather band on if you want a better fit for the vintage flavor of the watch. STEELDIVE is a very good homage watch I recommend.

Conclusion:

This STEELDIVE is a good choice for people who like a convenient wearing, it has all classic features of a pilot’s watch, with a quartz movement, which not only offers a more accurate timing, but also saves the inconvenience of winding every day. It has a cheap price but comes with a high protective box and all accessories.

Tags Quartz, Ronda, STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE Green Marine 200m Review

Post author By Bob
Post date July 8, 2022
No Comments on STEELDIVE Green Marine 200m Review

Now, STEELDIVE has become my first choice when considering to buy a diver’s watch, it is the Chinese brand that has the most authentic diving watch genes, I have seen a lot of STEELDIVE watches, this is my fifth piece I bought from STEELDIVE, each of them has a strong case design, the dial is regular diver’s watch dial style, strong lume and big markers to increase readability, everyone likes such type of diving watch, wearing it is also a way to show your personality. When you are thinking of a diving watch to buy and do not want to spend too much, then a watch made in China is a great choice, do not consider these big traditional Chinese brands like Sea-gull, Beijing, Shanghai or Fiyta, because they do not have homage watches that have a more popular outlook and design, so sometimes that’s the reason why you see niche brands such as STEELDIVE and Parnis are more popular among watch fans in forums.

This is a classic diver’s watch from Green Marine series of STEELDIVE, the watch is full stainless steel made, there is also rubber band option to choose, STEELDIVE offers several colors, black, blue and green, I choose the black one, it is the most classic, just like the Submariner 116610LN from Rolex.

The watch is made with solid 316L stainless steel, both case and bracelet are brushed, the case has a diameter of 41mm, not including the crown, it is a little thick, which is up to 13.5mm. The lugs have a short design, the end link of the bracelet is also bent well with the curved lugs, seeing from the side, the case side has polished face, there is a STEELDIVE logo on the crown, it is the oxygen tanks and mask for diving. The bezel stands high above the middle case with a black ceramic insert, which features blue lumed bezel markers.

The dial is a hot spot of the watch, the hour markers seem to be bigger than those of other diver’s watches I have seen, the hour hand and minute hand have a much wider design, they are all applied with cyan luminous material, the lume light is green and so strong. The dial has white minute markers printed on an beveled inner bezel, which brings a three-dimensional layered effect to the entire dial. From the red printings above the marker at 6 o’clock, we can know the series and water resistant depth of the watch.

The watch is powered by a NH35 automatic movement that comes from Japan. Almost all diving watches from STEELDIVE use this movement. It is one of the most affordable automatic movements in the market, also with considerable accuracy and stability, its accuracy is claimed to be -20 to +40 seconds per day, now I have had this watch for three weeks, it is about 35 seconds faster each day. For the Chinese watches with the same price level, I would rather choose the one with a Japanese movement.

Conclusion:

This watch is more suitable for your daily wearing than other STEELDIVE diver’s watches. Made with solid stainless steel and uses Japanese automatic movement, the watch can be used for more than five years.

Tags Ceramic, Green Marine, NH35, STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE Marine Master 300m – a moster in the deep sea

Post author By Bob
Post date July 7, 2022
No Comments on STEELDIVE Marine Master 300m – a moster in the deep sea

For a diver’s watch, people often do not wear it in their daily life, but there must be one in their collection, the watch should be big, strong and has an unique outlook so that I can show in front of my friends, STEELDIVE is a brand that offers such type of diver’s watches, many watches from them are homages of old Seiko diver’s watches, they are solid made with robust design like this one. STEELDIVE is not a new custom-made watch brand, it appeared in the market several years ago, some watches of STEELDIVE are even more popular than those of traditional Chinese brands like Sea-gull, one of the most popular diver’s watches that is being widely discussed in various forums is STEELDIVE, so, that’s the reason why I usually browse STEELDIVE’s website when need a diver’s watch.

This STEELDIVE watch is very big, its case is solid 316L stainless steel made, it looks strong and robust, the case has an unique construction that is different from that of other diving watches, the case head is surrounded by a piece of thick steel sheet, I did not see such case structure before, I searched online, some people said that the special models made by Seiko in the past used such case, people call these watches “Seiko Can”. The surrounded bezel has a black ceramic bezel insert, the bezel is uni-directional rotating, the crown screwed in the case at 4 o’clock is also very big. Any way, seeing from the case structure and spare parts on the case, this is the most robust and strong case I have ever seen, like a mechanical toy.

The dial is a classic diver’s watch dial, big hour markers, wide hands and superlume, these three are necessary for almost every diving watch. Each hour marker, hour hand and minute hand are applied with cyan luminous material, they will emit a strong green lume light in dark conditions, which is different from the blue lume light emitting from bezel markers. The hour marker at 6, 9 and 12 has a small tail, both hour hand and minute hand are brushed, there is a small round luminous dot on the end of the second hand. The STEELDIVE logo under the triangle marker looks like an image of oxygen tanks and masks for diving, this logo also appears on the case back.

The watch is driven by a NH35 automatic movement that is made in Japan, the movement not only offers timing, it also has date function, NH35 beats at 21,600VPH, it has 24 jewels and 40-hour power reserve. I received the watch four weeks ago, now its daily error is about 20 seconds faster. The watch has two band options, stainless steel and rubber, the stainless steel bracelet has three-section and five-section options. Besides this black, STEELDIVE also offers green, blue, red and orange dial colors for this watch.

Tags NH35, STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE Turtle Homage Review

Post author By Bob
Post date June 8, 2022
No Comments on STEELDIVE Turtle Homage Review

A Turtle? No, it is just a watch which Seiko published in the past, Turtle is just the nickname of this watch. I have seen many STEELDIVE watches, most of them are diving styles and have similar designs to those Seiko diver’s watches made in the past, you know, these diver’s watches made by Seiko were very popular years ago and now many people are still trying to get them, but they are very rare now in the market, so, the STEELDIVE is a good alternative, with much cheaper prices. I do not know too much about STEELDIVE, but this brand seems to have a high popularity among diver’s watches fans abroad. The STEELDIVE Turtle has three big selling points, strong case, strong superlume and deep water resistance.

The case of the watch looks like the shell of a turtle, the case is made with 316L stainless steel, it is measured to be 43.8mm in diameter and 13.5mm in thickness, the case is fully brushed, it weighs about 90.5 grams without the band. The case is almost 44mm in diameter, almost the same size as Rolex’s Sea-Dweller, but the thickness is acceptable even it looks big. The bezel is uni-directional rotating, it uses a black ceramic insert, bezel markers are applied with superlume material, they will emit a strong blue lume light at night. The case back features a STEELDIVE logo that looks very unique, seeing from the case back, the entire case looks like a turtle’s case more obviously.

Black dial has a high readability, each hour marker and hand are wide, so they can be filled with enough lume material, the superlume on the dial looks a little yellowish, which is slightly different from that on the bezel. The lume light on hour markers and hands is also different, it is green. The dial lume can last for a long time as long as it has absorbed enough light during the day. The second hand has an unique design, there is a round red dot close to its tip, the red dot highlights the entire dial design. By the way, the printings “WATER 200m RESIST” are superfluous, “200m” is enough to show the meaning.

The movement inside is a Japanese NH35 automatic movement, which has 24 jewels, 41-hour power reserve and 21,600bph, the movement also features stop seconds mechanism, this is a very important feature. I always trust the quality of Japanese movement, and most Chinese watches in my collection installed with Japanese movements are more stable than those with Chinese movements. I received the watch three weeks ago, it still keeps time accurate, about two minutes faster each week. Besides the black, STEELDIVE also offers green and blue color options for this watch.

Conclusion:

This is a great homage watch and is the best-selling model on STEELDIVE site. For diver’s watch fans, this is a must-have model in their collection because a diver’s watch with such design means a lot to them. STEELDIVE diver’s watches have two big selling points, stable Japanese movement and strong dial lume, both features can be found on this watch. This STEELDIVE watch is the glory of the old era and never out of date.

Tags NH35, STEELDIVE, Turtle

STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE 1000m – the king of deep sea diving

Post author By Bob
Post date May 24, 2022
No Comments on STEELDIVE 1000m – the king of deep sea diving

As its name states, STEELDIVE is a brand mainly produces diver’s watches, they are one of the earliest custom-made watch brands in China, now STEELDIVE has earned a high reputation all over the world, when people talking about dive watches, one of the models must be from STEELDIVE. We know diving watches have been the mainstream in recent years, you can find a lot of niche dive watch brands in various forums, most of them come from China and have three common features, big case, strong dial lume and cheap price. Just like this diver’s watch from STEELDIVE, it is a big watch and looks strong, not everyone likes such watch.

This is the biggest watch I have ever seen, the case of the STEELDIVE is 46mm in diameter, not including the crown, I heard that the biggest Panerai Submersible has a 47mm case, but I haven’t been fortunate to see that Panerai. The STEELDIVE also has a very thick case, which is nearly 14mm. The watch is fully made with 316L stainless steel, because it has a big case, the watch feels very heavy, about 210 grams. Actually, I was not firstly attracted by the watch’s big size, but by its water resistant depth, STEELDIVE claims that the watch is 1000m waterproof, this is a big depth, I have never heard that a Chinese watch can dive to 1000 meters under water, however, please see the strong solid case and thick sapphire crystal, plus the screw-in crown and case back, perhaps this STEELDIVE has a breakthrough diving record, which is 100m at least. The black bezel is not ceramic made, each marker on the bezel is applied with luminous material, they will emit a green lume light in dark places.

Black dial has a simple design, just like the big hour markers, the sword-shaped hour hand and minute hand are also wide so that they can be applied with more luminous material, so at night or in deep sea, you can still read the time clearly. Different from other diver’s watches, this STEELDIVE has a white second hand that is fully coated with luminous material, so you will see that the whole second hand emits a lume light in dark conditions. By the way, seeing from the lume picture below, the dial has a blue lume light, while the bezel markers have a green lume light. One thing I can not understand, the logo on the dial is different from the logo on the case back.

For such a big and heavy case head, this steel bracelet is a perfect fit, I do not think a rubber band or a nylon band is a good match for this watch, it will not hold the heavy case on your wrist in a comfortable way. The watch is equipped with a Japan NH35 automatic movement, which has 24 jewels, 41-hour power reserve and 21,600 bph. I believe in Japanese movements, they usually have fewer issues than movements made in China, most Japan automatic movement are very durable. I just received this watch three days ago, now it is about 5 seconds faster each day.

Buying advice:

It is too big and heavy, not a few people will like this watch. If you are looking for a diving-style watch that can be worn regularly in your daily life, this is not the right one.

Well, if you have a large wrist size and need a watch that can give your friends a big shock when surfing or doing diving activities with them in the summer, then this STEELDIVE will be a good option, not expensive and use a very stable movement. Besides this black, STEELDIVE also offers green and blue dial colors for this watch.

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STEELDIVE

STEELDIVE SD1953 – the most solid quality black Sub homage

Post author By Bob
Post date April 27, 2022
No Comments on STEELDIVE SD1953 – the most solid quality black Sub homage

This STEELDIVE is a top quality diver’s watch, it is a popular homage of black Sub with individual design.

STEELDIVE is a custom-made watch brand coming from China, it was established in Guangzhou in 2008, yes, the brand history is very young, but almost a 15-year development history already means a lot for a homage watch brand. STEELDIVE is completely a Chinese watch brand, not from Italy or Australia, like the letters “DIVE” claim in its name, most watches STEELDIVE has made are diver’s models, and all of them are homages of Rolex Submariner, Omega Seamaster, Seiko Tuna, Zenith Pilot, Bell Ross, etc. Til now, STEELDIVE has developed three production lines, they are Military, Green Marine and Army Engineer, each has their own logo design that looks unique and professional. There are a few custom-made watch brands created in China that developed from a small workshop to a big watch company, and received good reputation in this field, the most popular ones among these brands are Heimdallr, San Martin and STEELDIVE, I hope they can provide us with more quality homage watches, and release some watches with their own designs in future.

The STEELDIVE watch is strong and solid made, it is a robust monster. The watch looks like a homage of black Submariner from Rolex, its outlook, dial and bezel all refer the design of Submariner 116610LN, yes, many custom-made homage brands in China have produced this similar model because Submariner is too popular. A homage watch does not mean it has a low quality, this STEELDIVE SD1953 I received is a perfect diver’s watch for men with fine quality.

The case of this STEELDIVE watch is made with 316L stainless steel, it has a diameter of 41mm, not including the crown, the case thickness is about 13.5mm. The entire case has a fine brushing finish, two sides of the case, including the crown guards, are smoothly polished. The bezel uses a black ceramic insert, each marker engraved on the black bezel has the same depth and is filled with Swiss BGW9 SuperLuminova, the lume light you see in dark conditions is blue. There is no pearl set on the triangle mark at 12 o’clock. Both crown and case back have the iconic STEELDIVE logo, which is a combination design of diver gear-mask, flippers and oxygen tanks.

STEELDIVE also uses Swiss BGW9 SuperLuminova on the hour marker, hour hand and minute hand, the lume light is blue, which is the same as that of bezel markers. Brand name STEELDIVE and its logo are printed in white on the black dial. The inner bezel ring is empty and has no engravings. STEELDIVE claims that the watch is 300m waterproof, but I do not think the watch has such a deep water resistance even the crown and case back has a screw-down construction, do not worry, you won’t have any problem when wearing it in a swimming pool.

The engine inside is a Japanese NH35 automatic movement, which has a beating frequency of 21,600 times per hour, date function and hack mechanism. The power reserve capacity is good and can last about 32 hours after being fully wound. I have this watch for almost two months, every week I wore it to the beach and the watch has a great water resistant performance, two of my friends also want to buy one, by the way, the watch now 3 minutes faster each week, but that’s not a problem to me. STEELDIVE sells this watch on their official store, besides the black one, STEELDIVE also offers blue dial and green dial options for this watch, and you can choose a black rubber band with it.

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