The SBDC101 features a slightly domed sapphire crystal with AR coating on the underside. It also features a number of upgrades that provide real value over lower-priced Seikos. It really is the perfect size, and Seiko nailed the proportions and styling. I was impressed with the watch when I first received it. So does a more conventional and also more expensive Seiko diver still capture the charm that got us into this hobby? Let's find out. SPB143), is one such model, and the one that I purchased for review. Given the craze for vintage reissue watches, it's no surprise that Seiko has also visited its back catalog.
Seiko spb 143 skin#
Its style mimicked that of other so-called skin divers that were becoming popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Their first professional diver model, the 62MAS, actually looked quite conventional. Seiko hasn't always been this way, however. The Monster, with its offset crown and chunky stainless steel bezel epitomized that. You didn't feel like you were buying them because they were a cheaper look-alike of the watch you really wanted but couldn't afford. Seiko's divers were so unconventional as to feel special despite their low price.
The model that drew me in was the so-called Monster series.
I won't rehash what has been reported countless times before, but most agree that the charm and value for money can't be understated. More often than not, if you ask a watch collector what the catalyst for their watch obsession was, it was an entry-level Seiko diver.