bleddrewsoe
December 26th, 2006, 01:08
I received my LM-1 LE(#8 of 150) watch Friday afternoon and decided to write up a review. Before I get started let me apologize for the lack of pictures in this reviewo| . Rather than post the substandard pictures I am capable of taking now, I decided that I would update the review with photos at a later date after building a light box and practicing for a bit(New Year’s Resolution:-d ) Also, I wanted this review to be very objective and to facilitate that I thought it may be fun to write this up in the style of one of the popular watch magazines with a rating system that adds up to 100 points.
First, for those that may be unfamiliar with Ocean7 or the LM-1, here are the specs from the Ocean7 Website:
CASE
Brushed 316L Stainless Steel
• Case: 44mm diameter
• Lug spacing: 24mm
• Height: 14mm
• Unidirectional Rotating Bezel
• Screw Down Case Back
• Screw Down Crown
• Water Resistance: 300m/1000ft
CRYSTAL
Sapphire with Inner Anti-Reflective Coating
MOVEMENT
Swiss ETA 2824-2 Automatic
STRAP
Black Custom Made Silicone ‘PloProf’ Strap With Stainless Buckle
DIAL
Matt Black With C3 SuperLuminova Markers
Stock Photo from Ocean7 website for Illustration:
http://ocean7watchco.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/LM-1finalthumb.jpg
Strap & Buckle:
At first the Silicon Strap seemed very flimsy in my hands when I took the watch out of the package…unlike the rigid nature of most of the rubber straps on the market. When I tried the watch on I was pleasantly surprised how comfortably the strap fit me. In fact over the last 2 days that I have been wearing the watch it has really grown on me…definitely an excellent choice by Ocean7 to use this material over rubber & also to go with the PloProf style. The buckle design is excellent for this strap material and the “Ocean7” engraving is a nice touch although it is somewhat faint and can be difficult to make out in some lighting situations. A suggestion for the future would be to offer a bracelet on the LM-1 in addition to the Silicon Strap.
Rating~4/5 points
Operation:
The 120 click bezel is easy to grip and turns with just the right amount of torque. The operation of the crown did not go as smoothly as I had quite a time pulling it out to the third position to set the time on the first day. Since then it seemed to loosen up some so perhaps that was just some initial stiffness.
Rating~3.5/5 points
Case:
The massive 44mm custom designed case is what really defines the watch. I could not find a single flaw in the finish of the 316L stainless steel. The Sapphire crystal is slightly domed, antireflective on the inside and is perfectly flush with the bezel. I think the amount of curve on the lugs worked out quite nicely. I like the contrast shown by beadblasting the inner bezel ring and overall the bezel design works well although I personally would have made it a bit thicker and wider. The caseback writng is nice…maybe a suggestion for the future would be to add some sort of embossed symbol or sea critter to spice it up some. A negative to point out here is that the Lume dot on the bezel does not line up correctly with the 12:00 position:rodekaart .
Rating~8.5/10 points
Design:
One of the best things going for the LM-1 is that its design was heavily influenced by the watch community and the bottom line is most everything about the watch really clicks:-! . I especially like the custom plonguer hands and the way the bezel sinks into the lugs slightly. There are some things I would have done differently, such as a thicker bezel mentioned above, and I would have preferred it to say “Swiss Made” on the dial. Overall though, I think the design elements are really great and there is little fault to find here..
Rating~14/15 points
Legibility:
The orange plonguer minute hand and tipped second hand lend to increase legibility for the watch in all lighting conditions. Add to that the simple dial and large indices and generous amounts of Lume and you have a dial that is very easy to read. Regarding the Lume itself, I would say it is above average but there is some slight room for improvement in terms of staying power. For example, the Seiko Monster Lume has set the bar very high for non-tritium dial watches. Also, the minute hand Lume shines much brighter and lasts longer than the dial or hour hand. Overall, the legibility is excellent though and a high rating is really deserved here.
Rating~9.5/10 points
Wearing Comfort:
This is one heavy watch! I kind of like that feature as I am accustomed to wearing larger heavier watches, but some people may not care for the weight and might be better suited for the lighter Titanium LM-2 that will be coming out in Q1 07’. Overall, the watch is very comfortable given the weight which is helped by the pliability of the Silicon Strap. The 44mm case is just about pushing the limit I can comfortably go to with my 7 3/8 wrist size and I feel the watch sits nicely on the wrist which lends to my being able to wear that size watch.
Rating~8.5/10
Movement:
I choose to rank this section with the framework of non-manufacturer movements as I feel this is the fairest way to compare to other watch movements of this caliber.
The ETA 2824-2 is a true workhorse movement and is widely used by many watch brands. This movement has stood the test of time in many other watches I have owned and is the ideal choice for a diver such as the LM-1. There are a few modifications to speak of such as the black date wheel & 4:00 crown position. A step up from this would have been the chronometer grade movement, but since the decoration of the movement is not visible through the solid caseback, the benefit of having the highest grade movement simply comes down to accuracy which will be addressed in the next section. Also, I realize there are certainly superior movements available, but I feel few serve the purpose needed that a tool watch like the LM-1 requires.
Rating~16/20
Rate:
I wanted to post a review within a couple of days of receiving the watch, so there was not sufficient time to adequately test the watch in multiple positions & temperatures. Instead I choose to synchronize the time to the US atomic clock in Colorado and would check the accuracy after continuously wearing the watch for 48 hours. The accuracy test left me disappointed and is the biggest fault I could find with the LM-1. Unfortunately, the watched lost an average of 8 seconds per 24 hour dayo| . I understand that the LM-1 is not a certified chronometer, but I personally expect any Swiss Made Automatic I purchase to be no more than 2-3 seconds slow a day. Maybe others feel differently, but a slow watch is a real pet peeve of mine. I would find a watch that is 30 seconds fast much better than a watch 5 seconds slow. I will continue to monitor the accuracy and may eventually decide to have the watch regulated.
Rating~5/10
Overall Impression/Value:
The overall impression & “bang for the buck” is quite impressive. I did point out some negative things, but for the money paid($475), you would be hard pressed to find a better overall package for a diverb-) . I was being very meticulous in my review as I wanted to be objective as possible and not sugar coat anything. In fact, I feel that the watch would be quite the deal even at the 2nd production run price of $699. Thanks, and once again I apologize for the lack of photos.
Rating~14.5/15 points
Overall Point Value: 83.5/100 This is higher than most of the watches I have seen rated with this point system.
Merry Xmassantasmile
First, for those that may be unfamiliar with Ocean7 or the LM-1, here are the specs from the Ocean7 Website:
CASE
Brushed 316L Stainless Steel
• Case: 44mm diameter
• Lug spacing: 24mm
• Height: 14mm
• Unidirectional Rotating Bezel
• Screw Down Case Back
• Screw Down Crown
• Water Resistance: 300m/1000ft
CRYSTAL
Sapphire with Inner Anti-Reflective Coating
MOVEMENT
Swiss ETA 2824-2 Automatic
STRAP
Black Custom Made Silicone ‘PloProf’ Strap With Stainless Buckle
DIAL
Matt Black With C3 SuperLuminova Markers
Stock Photo from Ocean7 website for Illustration:
http://ocean7watchco.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/LM-1finalthumb.jpg
Strap & Buckle:
At first the Silicon Strap seemed very flimsy in my hands when I took the watch out of the package…unlike the rigid nature of most of the rubber straps on the market. When I tried the watch on I was pleasantly surprised how comfortably the strap fit me. In fact over the last 2 days that I have been wearing the watch it has really grown on me…definitely an excellent choice by Ocean7 to use this material over rubber & also to go with the PloProf style. The buckle design is excellent for this strap material and the “Ocean7” engraving is a nice touch although it is somewhat faint and can be difficult to make out in some lighting situations. A suggestion for the future would be to offer a bracelet on the LM-1 in addition to the Silicon Strap.
Rating~4/5 points
Operation:
The 120 click bezel is easy to grip and turns with just the right amount of torque. The operation of the crown did not go as smoothly as I had quite a time pulling it out to the third position to set the time on the first day. Since then it seemed to loosen up some so perhaps that was just some initial stiffness.
Rating~3.5/5 points
Case:
The massive 44mm custom designed case is what really defines the watch. I could not find a single flaw in the finish of the 316L stainless steel. The Sapphire crystal is slightly domed, antireflective on the inside and is perfectly flush with the bezel. I think the amount of curve on the lugs worked out quite nicely. I like the contrast shown by beadblasting the inner bezel ring and overall the bezel design works well although I personally would have made it a bit thicker and wider. The caseback writng is nice…maybe a suggestion for the future would be to add some sort of embossed symbol or sea critter to spice it up some. A negative to point out here is that the Lume dot on the bezel does not line up correctly with the 12:00 position:rodekaart .
Rating~8.5/10 points
Design:
One of the best things going for the LM-1 is that its design was heavily influenced by the watch community and the bottom line is most everything about the watch really clicks:-! . I especially like the custom plonguer hands and the way the bezel sinks into the lugs slightly. There are some things I would have done differently, such as a thicker bezel mentioned above, and I would have preferred it to say “Swiss Made” on the dial. Overall though, I think the design elements are really great and there is little fault to find here..
Rating~14/15 points
Legibility:
The orange plonguer minute hand and tipped second hand lend to increase legibility for the watch in all lighting conditions. Add to that the simple dial and large indices and generous amounts of Lume and you have a dial that is very easy to read. Regarding the Lume itself, I would say it is above average but there is some slight room for improvement in terms of staying power. For example, the Seiko Monster Lume has set the bar very high for non-tritium dial watches. Also, the minute hand Lume shines much brighter and lasts longer than the dial or hour hand. Overall, the legibility is excellent though and a high rating is really deserved here.
Rating~9.5/10 points
Wearing Comfort:
This is one heavy watch! I kind of like that feature as I am accustomed to wearing larger heavier watches, but some people may not care for the weight and might be better suited for the lighter Titanium LM-2 that will be coming out in Q1 07’. Overall, the watch is very comfortable given the weight which is helped by the pliability of the Silicon Strap. The 44mm case is just about pushing the limit I can comfortably go to with my 7 3/8 wrist size and I feel the watch sits nicely on the wrist which lends to my being able to wear that size watch.
Rating~8.5/10
Movement:
I choose to rank this section with the framework of non-manufacturer movements as I feel this is the fairest way to compare to other watch movements of this caliber.
The ETA 2824-2 is a true workhorse movement and is widely used by many watch brands. This movement has stood the test of time in many other watches I have owned and is the ideal choice for a diver such as the LM-1. There are a few modifications to speak of such as the black date wheel & 4:00 crown position. A step up from this would have been the chronometer grade movement, but since the decoration of the movement is not visible through the solid caseback, the benefit of having the highest grade movement simply comes down to accuracy which will be addressed in the next section. Also, I realize there are certainly superior movements available, but I feel few serve the purpose needed that a tool watch like the LM-1 requires.
Rating~16/20
Rate:
I wanted to post a review within a couple of days of receiving the watch, so there was not sufficient time to adequately test the watch in multiple positions & temperatures. Instead I choose to synchronize the time to the US atomic clock in Colorado and would check the accuracy after continuously wearing the watch for 48 hours. The accuracy test left me disappointed and is the biggest fault I could find with the LM-1. Unfortunately, the watched lost an average of 8 seconds per 24 hour dayo| . I understand that the LM-1 is not a certified chronometer, but I personally expect any Swiss Made Automatic I purchase to be no more than 2-3 seconds slow a day. Maybe others feel differently, but a slow watch is a real pet peeve of mine. I would find a watch that is 30 seconds fast much better than a watch 5 seconds slow. I will continue to monitor the accuracy and may eventually decide to have the watch regulated.
Rating~5/10
Overall Impression/Value:
The overall impression & “bang for the buck” is quite impressive. I did point out some negative things, but for the money paid($475), you would be hard pressed to find a better overall package for a diverb-) . I was being very meticulous in my review as I wanted to be objective as possible and not sugar coat anything. In fact, I feel that the watch would be quite the deal even at the 2nd production run price of $699. Thanks, and once again I apologize for the lack of photos.
Rating~14.5/15 points
Overall Point Value: 83.5/100 This is higher than most of the watches I have seen rated with this point system.
Merry Xmassantasmile