Aquadive BS100, Seiko SBDX001 or Stowa Prodiver + Halios Laguna?

[Victor Boyd]

This is indeed an Interesting thread . I have been collecting Dive Watches since the Mid 80`s and have been very fortunate to have owned and still own many great Divers . I cannot talk about the Halios having never owned or seen one in person but I have had several MM300`s and currently own an SBDX003 Historical MM300 , I have owned 4 Stowa Prodivers and own both a DLC and a Bronze Aquadive BS100 .

The Seiko MM300 is a Fantastic watch with top quality Casework , phenomenal lume and an excellent movement . Great size and weight and very comfortable on the wrist .

The Stowa Prodiver is a very nice piece . Construction is very good , but casework etc is not on a par with the MM or Aquadive ( Mind you when I was buying Prodivers their price was considerably lower than the MM ) A Solid Movement,some fun Dial Colors and overall a very good bang for the buck .

The Aquadive`s have been a wonderful surprise to me . The build quality is exceptional and on a par with many watches that I have costing 2-3 times the price . The Cases, and Bezels in particular are very well done and I find the weight to be perfectly distributed on the Isofrane Straps ( I am a little biased in that I wear Isofrane straps on many watches and love them ) . Both of my Aquadive`s keep time within COSC Specs and in particular my Bronze Aquadive has become a watch I grab very often.

Very tough decision to pick just one . I would have a hard time picking between the Aquadive and the MM300 and feel fortunate to have both Good luck with your decision but I would say Aquadive or MM300 will both leave you very happy .

All the best,

Vic

[torifile]

My dilemma is that I have no way to ever hold any of these watches in the flesh before I source one.

Question regarding the resale on the stowa watches - why does everyone say that there's no secondary market? My observation has been that they move relatively quickly. Am I wrong about that?

[bakuma]

I think by "no secondary market" Chris meant few are offered for sale used and when it happens they go quickly. If you end up going for the Stowa you might want to post a "WTB" add on the TZ sales forum, instead of waiting for one to appear.

[PloProf Pimp]

There you go again. Your statement is a red herring. Spend a little time on the TZ sales forum and you will see that an awful lot of different models get flipped, with the Rolex sub being close to (if not at) the top (the Seiko monster may be second). Does that mean there is something wrong with them? Of course not. It means the kind of guys that frequent watch forums often buy watches, wear them awhile and then sell them and move onto something else. End of story.

Correct sir, that's all I meant. If the Seiko Marinemaster was the end all be all watch that many make it out to be in this thread, it wouldn't be flipped so much, and owners would actually keep it forever. The OP asked for an opinion on the watches in his list, and I simply gave him my opinion as an owner. No harm no foul. As I said before, big difference in actually owning the watch, and not owning it, and then trying to pass judgement or opinions on said watch. If I'm on the fence about buying any item, not just a watch, I want to hear unbiased opinions from informed owners of that item.

[bakuma]

Chris, that was a great reply.

(When the hell are we getting our forum back??
Paul (EOT)

[bakuma]

Yep. It would be great if someone who owned both now would do a comparative review of the BS100 and the MM300.

[PloProf Pimp]

My dilemma is that I have no way to ever hold any of these watches in the flesh before I source one.

This is a dilemma we all deal with as WIS, when buying new or used online at a significant savings over retail brick and mortar stores. It can apply to micro, boutique, custom, or even mega Swiss or Japanese brands. Many here live in small remote towns nowhere near an authorized dealer, factory sponsored boutique, or retail watch or jewelry store. That is why you buy one or two watches online and check them out in person. Then you decide whether to keep both, sell both, or flip one. Then you move onto the next one on your list. Its part of the fun of the hobby, and you only learn about watches by actually owning all the different offerings out there.

[torifile]

Re: the used market and Stowa. Based on current exchange rates, and since they sell direct, it would be crazy for me to buy used. Compared to last year, Stowas cost about 20% less than they used to. That means used prices are going to be much closer to new prices since the owners paid quite a bit more than they would be now (in USD). For example, the watch I have on order (placed last month with a mid-Sept delivery) will run me around $1070. At this time last year, it would have cost $1240. The weak Euro is great for shopping in Euros for us Americans! (It sucks to sell my iPhone app over in Europe, though, since I'm getting about 20% less/sale... But whatever...)

[streetracer101]

While Jack at IWW does terrific work, he won't be of any use to any Seiko (or any other brand that I know of) that's under warranty. My quick search did turn up a service center for Seiko in both Canada and the US, but I don't know if they'd service a MM300 there or if it would need to go to a specialized service center. Some manufacturers (Ball comes to mind) require certain pieces be sent to a specific location.
Great post Chris. Although I bought my bronze B100 preloved, the customer service that I've received from AD so far has been very good. Their online chat function was really useful and the rep that assisted me was both knowledgeable and forthcoming with info. From what I've seen about the company, they have been very forthcoming with pretty much all the info requested.
As an off topic note, why is it that people always seem to get fussy about where and how watches are made when they are >$1000. It seems to happen in every thread I read lately. I find it funny that nobody gives a sh#t about where some of the cheaper, more inferior brands source their parts or manufacture their watches, but as soon as a watch approaches $1000+ mark, people start calling the watch's origin, lineage, etc into account. To be honest, I don't give a rat where a watch is made as long as the people making it are passionate about what they do and demonstrate a willingness to make quality stuff, service their products after they are sold in reasonable and prompt manner, and rectify any issues should they develop.

Two things:

1. You don't have to send your MM to Seiko Japan. Jack at IWW and others service them here in the US.
2. You seem like one of the biggest "bashers" at WUS. Maybe you were unaware of the attitude you project.

[ChrisinOhio]

If they'd make the Melon/Mango dial again I'd be all over it.

Chris