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Entry level luxury dive watches. 1-3 k

Round-up

Entry level luxury dive watches. 1-3 k

4 watches · 20:12 · 2023-07-01 · 1,561 views

Entry-level luxury under three grand: four big divers, one Seiko, one Orient, one Swiss, one German

A long pot of barley wine and a question: what does luxury mean, and why do we want it? I reckon there are three levels: accessible, intermediate and inaccessible. Entry-level luxury in watch terms is 1,000 to 3,000 pounds or dollars, though it depends entirely on your income.

These four represent accessible luxury, and they're all large dive watches, which was the other point of the video. My regulars have seen them a million times, so this one is for the new viewers, with a lume shot in the dark at the end.

The verdict

Four big divers, all accessible luxury if we try hard enough. In the dark the Marinemaster wins by far, the Orient comes a strong second, the Doxa's lume is weak as it's known for, and the Sinn doesn't look bright but glows for a very long time. If you want to move up from here, you're looking at Omega and Rolex.

The line-up

1

Seiko SLA023 Marinemaster 300

9/10 · Beyond thunderdome

Top-tier Seiko: a fantastic 120-click bezel, an on-the-fly ratcheting clasp, extremely accurate 8L35 and Zaratsu polishing you won't find on lesser watches; it won't win you plaudits with the Rolex crowd, but I absolutely love it.

▶ Play from 02:43 Full listing →
2

Orient Saturation Diver Professional 300m (OSD)

9/10 · Beyond thunderdome

Orient's best ever watch in my opinion, punching well above its weight at less than half the price of the Marinemaster, with the same clasp, but it's gigantic, and the cheaper 3Hz movement shows in the sweep.

▶ Play from 05:43 Full listing →
3

Doxa Sub 1500T Searambler

9/10 · Beyond thunderdome

A jewel-like Swiss piece with a bracelet leaps and bounds ahead of anything else in this class and a fantastic milled ratcheting clasp; heavy at over 220g, but the short 47mm lug to lug makes it wearable on a 7-inch wrist.

▶ Play from 10:19 Full listing →
4

Sinn U1 Tegimented (full Tegiment)

9/10 · Beyond thunderdome

Something completely different: hardened steel, a loud captive 60-click bezel, Lego-block hands and the most invisible crystal I've ever had, with only a weak stamped clasp to let it down.

▶ Play from 14:22 Full listing →

In his words

"Pound for pound, he is punching well above his weight."

▶ Play from 08:33

"These big floppers will flop, so you must wear them fairly tightly."

▶ Play from 10:03

"It is the most insane invisible crystal I've ever had."

▶ Play from 17:32

"Luxurious though they may be, we can all attain them if we try hard enough."

▶ Play from 19:59

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