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1,323 Posts
I wanted a true dive watch for not a lot of money. Obviously, that narrowed it down to the SKX and the Mako. I had read a ton of posts, listened to arguments for both, read reviews and basically looked at a million pics before deciding. Went back and forth, looked at the Ray as well and considered a Mako USA. In the end I decided on the blue Mako because it was blue, had numbers, and allowed me to still purchase the SKX in black or pepsi at a later date because of the indices if I choose to. I must say, I'm very happy.
Thanks to the WUS posters that commented and threw in their experience. Sounds like I couldn't go wrong either way. I seem to have come across more supporters of the SKX, but I don't think anyone had anything truly bad to say about either watch, just personal preferences and nit-picking to justify a choice. I can see myself picking up the Seiko at a later time just to see the difference or to know I'll be getting the most for my money. The blue color won me over because of its versatility and the fact I wear a lot of browns and colors that go with brown shoes rather than black. It's only been a few hours of owning, but I must say I'm impressed. Everything that was stated about the watch is true! Great heft, great movement. The looks are wonderful. I really didn't like the numbers on the bezel from the pictures and thought they looked to small and kind of cheap. In person though, it really works. The blue sunburst that shines in the light is great as well. I also thought that the brushed finish on the bracelet would detract and make the watch look cheap. I like shiny things after all. But it's done in a perfect way that still lets light reflect and create some great shadows. The contrast of the polish on the bezel seals the look.
The detractors on this watch I don't have a problem with. Many complained about the bracelet. I must not have bought an expensive enough watch yet because I find the bracelet to be a positive. It feels solid, heavy and I don't even notice the hollow end links. Another point of contention was the extra crown. I find this to add some character though. It works well and the addition of Spanish/English is pretty cool. It screws in easily and the whole watch just feels expensive. The first thing I did was go for a 2 mile run to charge it up. I removed three links and it fits like a glove. No movement at all, yet it's still very comfortable. The last criticism was the lume. I have yet to fully charge it and see how long it holds, but after coming inside from the sun for about 20 minutes, it was glowing readily in the shadows more than any other watch I have.
Overall, the looks are great. The Orient logo fits with the style of the watch. I find I'd be able to wear this watch in pretty much any situation. I think it's dressy enough to wear with a suit, yet as a dive watch, its sporty enough to wear casually and can also go underwater and take a little bit of a beating. The font for the Automatic and WR are great and pretty "fancy" I think. Being my first mechanical, the movement is sort of a constant ticking rather than a smooth flow like my Precisionist. That's just an observation, not a criticism. I really like the second hand being red as well and brings out the red in the logo. As an overall piece, the watch looks like it should cost a lot more. I agree that I got my money's worth on this one. Hard to look away, and it looks stunning in the pictures. I haven't run into anyone wearing it yet, but people don't tend to notice or say much anyway. This watch makes me very happy though and I think its going to be hard for me to wear a lot of my other watches because this one just works so well in so many situations and with pretty much any outfit.
I love it when the research and time "wasted" pays off and I spend my hard earned money on something I'll truly like. I've been trying to thin down a collection of impulse buys. I've done the same thing with clothes and then airsoft guns way back when. I've found it feels so much better to have a few things that fit well, work well, get used often than to have a huge variety of stuff that you don't truly love. It's been a lesson I've learned slowly, but has really worked its way in this year. I suppose it's good advice for all collectors: Take your time and find the piece you want. You get what you pay for and more is not always better. This post would be egregious without pics, so here you go!
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Thanks to the WUS posters that commented and threw in their experience. Sounds like I couldn't go wrong either way. I seem to have come across more supporters of the SKX, but I don't think anyone had anything truly bad to say about either watch, just personal preferences and nit-picking to justify a choice. I can see myself picking up the Seiko at a later time just to see the difference or to know I'll be getting the most for my money. The blue color won me over because of its versatility and the fact I wear a lot of browns and colors that go with brown shoes rather than black. It's only been a few hours of owning, but I must say I'm impressed. Everything that was stated about the watch is true! Great heft, great movement. The looks are wonderful. I really didn't like the numbers on the bezel from the pictures and thought they looked to small and kind of cheap. In person though, it really works. The blue sunburst that shines in the light is great as well. I also thought that the brushed finish on the bracelet would detract and make the watch look cheap. I like shiny things after all. But it's done in a perfect way that still lets light reflect and create some great shadows. The contrast of the polish on the bezel seals the look.
The detractors on this watch I don't have a problem with. Many complained about the bracelet. I must not have bought an expensive enough watch yet because I find the bracelet to be a positive. It feels solid, heavy and I don't even notice the hollow end links. Another point of contention was the extra crown. I find this to add some character though. It works well and the addition of Spanish/English is pretty cool. It screws in easily and the whole watch just feels expensive. The first thing I did was go for a 2 mile run to charge it up. I removed three links and it fits like a glove. No movement at all, yet it's still very comfortable. The last criticism was the lume. I have yet to fully charge it and see how long it holds, but after coming inside from the sun for about 20 minutes, it was glowing readily in the shadows more than any other watch I have.
Overall, the looks are great. The Orient logo fits with the style of the watch. I find I'd be able to wear this watch in pretty much any situation. I think it's dressy enough to wear with a suit, yet as a dive watch, its sporty enough to wear casually and can also go underwater and take a little bit of a beating. The font for the Automatic and WR are great and pretty "fancy" I think. Being my first mechanical, the movement is sort of a constant ticking rather than a smooth flow like my Precisionist. That's just an observation, not a criticism. I really like the second hand being red as well and brings out the red in the logo. As an overall piece, the watch looks like it should cost a lot more. I agree that I got my money's worth on this one. Hard to look away, and it looks stunning in the pictures. I haven't run into anyone wearing it yet, but people don't tend to notice or say much anyway. This watch makes me very happy though and I think its going to be hard for me to wear a lot of my other watches because this one just works so well in so many situations and with pretty much any outfit.
I love it when the research and time "wasted" pays off and I spend my hard earned money on something I'll truly like. I've been trying to thin down a collection of impulse buys. I've done the same thing with clothes and then airsoft guns way back when. I've found it feels so much better to have a few things that fit well, work well, get used often than to have a huge variety of stuff that you don't truly love. It's been a lesson I've learned slowly, but has really worked its way in this year. I suppose it's good advice for all collectors: Take your time and find the piece you want. You get what you pay for and more is not always better. This post would be egregious without pics, so here you go!
