Field and dive watch recommendations

Farmer X · **on:** March 27, 2025, 01:05:05 AM

Having recently picked up my Casio MRW210-7AK, I'm preparing to fully defect to Team Analog. Though G-Shocks are great watches, I have come to appreciate the simplicity that is three hands and a day/date window. They're easier to synchronize.

And they are less inclined to catch on a cuff than a G-Shock. So I'm looking for analog watch recommendations. I've determined that dive and field watches are my preferred styles. I'm not a dressy or flashy kinda guy. Other requirements would be:

No larger than ~50mm
Black of silver case
Black, white, or tan dial
Uses a common strap size
Has lume or a backlit dial
No "Pepsi" bezels

I guess lume or backlighting is not a deal-breaker, but a reason to send a watch to the back of the line. And the omissions of a price was 1,000% intentional. Even if I can't afford a particular watch, it's nice to have something to dream about and aspire to.

So, what do my fellow MTo'ers recommend?

AzteCypher · **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2025, 04:29:30 AM

I'm a fan of the Timex Expedition watches because they're not terribly expensive. Since I'm not delicate with my watches, the fact that they're not terribly expensive makes it easier on my psyche if I accidentally scratch one. I've been buying used ones for a bit now and I just clean them up, replace the battery, and replace the strap. These ones below were all bought used and, with the exception of the one on the far left, have all had their straps replaced which definitely changes the look of the watch.

Here's a few that match your requirements.

https://a.co/d/8AxPNbb
https://a.co/d/1kemlT2

pietervn · **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2025, 07:26:17 AM

G'day,

I have a few suggestions, mainly divers.

I only have one pilot style watch which is the Citizen Nighthawk Blue Angels edition. I included it here as it is a fantastic looking watch. There are other variants that have the black dial that is one of your criteria points. I can highly recommend any dive watch from Citizen, especially the Eco-drive units. They are robust and require only some light to charge. I have also added one Casio G-Shock, Giez GS1000. It is solar and not as bulky as traditional G's. I added the combi bracelet and that has transformed the watch completely for me. The original rubber strap is very comfortable, but I could never get the correct fit. The bracelet changed that and the watch looks way more "office" like that originally.

The two bronzo's are different to normal mainstream divers. The Steeldive is my daily wearer at home. I do not take a watch off until I go to bed, this watch has taken everything I throw at it and just keeps going. Seiko heart and quite accurate. It is a "homage" to the Seiko Tuna. The other bronzo is a Borealis, a Portuguese micro brand. Good solid watches, this one was bought second hand and it has been faultless. The last diver is a Ti Citizen Ecodrive diver. They come is different face colours, I like the blue face. The strap is super comfortable and being Ti is is very light.

All these except the Casio take standard straps in 20mm or 22mm. I like Borealis vulcanized straps. When I bought them they were about half the price they are now. They are very good straps.

Good luck in your journey into analog timepieces!!!

Pete

Farmer X · **Reply #3 on:** March 28, 2025, 01:13:06 AM

Thanks, gents!

The Timex Expedition was already on my radar, and I very nearly bought one today. I'll look for used ones and see how I do.

The Citizen Nighthawk has a dial that's a little busy for my liking. And I hadn't considered bronze, though they do look pretty sharp. I like the Citizen diver, but that's probably one I'd aspire to/dream about. There is a certain Seiko that I

over. I'll search out the Tuna as well.

Farmer X · **Reply #4 on:** March 29, 2025, 12:24:50 AM

I forgot to include another watch that caught my eye. This one is a Victorinox automatic. It's way out of my budget, but man alive, it looks fantastic. That seller also has a Victorinox automatic that comes with an SAK decked out in scales that are sort of a sage green.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #5 on:** March 29, 2025, 02:25:48 AM

Don't waste your time and money on anything but a Seiko Monster. They are available in different colors, although I am partial to the orange one myself.

They aren't cheap, but they also aren't riotously pricey and, if you keep an eye out, you may find one in a pawn shop for a good price.

Here are some pics of mine:

They are nice enough to wear to a formal event, they are tough enough to wrestle an alligator with, they look good on NATO bands, silicone bands, leather bands, bracelets and they even make a Leatherman Tread look good.

I had gone through a phase where I read every Dirk Pitt book that Clive Cussler wrote and I wanted an orange Doxa dive watch like the one Dirk Pitt wore. Until I saw the price on them that is.

I started looking for alternatives and I found the Seiko Monster (SKX 781) and I really liked it. I decided orange was too flashy for me so I decided to get a black one.

No sooner had I made the decision to get a black one that an orange one showed up for sale (used) at a price I just could not turn down. I agonized about it every day until it arrived, and I'd convinced myself that I'd smurfed up by getting the orange one.

Then it arrived, and I was blown away.

I got a new strap for it (there was none on it when I bought it) and I have had many straps on it since and it has absolutely rocked them all.

My good buddy Swiss Man (RIP) saw mine and he absolutely had to go out and get one for himself- and he never forgave me for "making" him get one. Or any of the others that followed. In fact, if you search the word "blame" on the forum and filter by user, you see he blamed me for a lot of things.

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,14600.0.html

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,6345.msg277928.html#msg277928

ht off your it tps://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,9400.msg354261.html#msg354261
hands.
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,32457.msg1025368.html#msg1025368

There are a lot more, but you get the point. Heck, if he were still alive he'd probably message you and ask for your address to send you a Seiko. He was just that awesome.

But I digress- get a Seiko Monster- you won't regret it, and if you do, I'll take it off your hands.

Def

AzteCypher · **Reply #6 on:** March 29, 2025, 05:42:34 AM

Nope, we are definitely not a bad influence around here.

Farmer X · **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2025, 10:41:03 PM

Quote from: Grant Lamontagne on March 29, 2025, 02:25:48 AM

Don't waste your time and money on anything but a Seiko Monster.

You are definitely playing the role of enabler there. I was concerned that something called a Monster might be a bit on the big side, and searching out its dimensions led me to this guide. I'm quite partial to the Night Monster Black. Looks like a trip to the hock shop is in my future.

Quote from: AzteCypher on March 29, 2025, 05:42:34 AM

Nope, we are definitely not a bad influence around here.

Not in the least. I can't say I haven't been the bad influence before.

nate j · **Reply #8 on:** March 31, 2025, 12:13:27 AM

Quote from: pietervn on March 27, 2025, 07:26:17 AM

I can highly recommend any dive watch from Citizen, especially the Eco-drive units. They are robust and require only some light to charge.

I agree, and would add Seiko divers as well.

I’ve long been a fan of dive watches for their water resistance and overall toughness.

Something to think about is whether you would be better served by a solar or automatic.

Automatic might be a good option if you:
- Wear your watch every day
- Don’t care if your watch loses or gains a few minutes per week
- Frequently wear your watch under clothing

Solar might be a better fit for you if:
- You sometimes go a couple of days or a week without wearing your watch
- You want or need a watch that stays accurate to within seconds per week
- Your watch is usually not covered by clothing

Here are a couple of mine…

Farmer X · **Reply #9 on:** April 01, 2025, 12:30:00 AM

Quote from: nate j on March 31, 2025, 12:13:27 AM

Something to think about is whether you would be better served by a solar or automatic.

Accuracy is what it is, so that isn't a huge concern of mine. I sometimes go a couple-few days without wearing a watch. And at least during the summertime, my watch is never covered by clothing. (I detest long-sleeved shirts.) Seems that solar would be a good option for me.

Nice divers you have there!

And I seem to have worked out that 42mm is about the perfect case size for my wrist.

nate j · **Reply #10 on:** April 01, 2025, 03:31:23 AM

For analog watches, I’m most partial to the Citizen PCAT these days (left watch in my pic). I like not having to adjust the date or time (as long as the watch can receive the time signal, that is). Not technically a dive watch, but still carries a 200M WR rating. May be a little busier than what you’re looking for though.

If I were in the market for a simple solar diver today, this is probably what I would get:
https://seikousa.com/collections/prospex/products/sne589

Sapphire crystal is a nice touch. All my mineral crystals seem to get scratched sooner or later.

gustophersmob · **Reply #11 on:** April 01, 2025, 03:42:10 AM

Quote from: Grant Lamontagne on March 29, 2025, 02:25:48 AM

Don't waste your time and money on anything but a Seiko Monster. They are available in different colors, although I am partial to the orange one myself.

They aren't cheap, but they also aren't riotously pricey and, if you keep an eye out, you may find one in a pawn shop for a good price.

Here are some pics of mine:

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

They are nice enough to wear to a formal event, they are tough enough to wrestle an alligator with, they look good on NATO bands, silicone bands, leather bands, bracelets and they even make a Leatherman Tread look good.

I had gone through a phase where I read every Dirk Pitt book that Clive Cussler wrote and I wanted an orange Doxa dive watch like the one Dirk Pitt wore. Until I saw the price on them that is.

I started looking for alternatives and I found the Seiko Monster (SKX 781) and I really liked it. I decided orange was too flashy for me so I decided to get a black one.

No sooner had I made the decision to get a black one that an orange one showed up for sale (used) at a price I just could not turn down. I agonized about it every day until it arrived, and I'd convinced myself that I'd smurfed up by getting the orange one.

Then it arrived, and I was blown away.

I got a new strap for it (there was none on it when I bought it) and I have had many straps on it since and it has absolutely rocked them all.

My good buddy Swiss Man (RIP) saw mine and he absolutely had to go out and get one for himself- and he never forgave me for "making" him get one. Or any of the others that followed. In fact, if you search the word "blame" on the forum and filter by user, you see he blamed me for a lot of things.

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,14600.0.html

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,6345.msg277928.html#msg277928

ht off your it tps://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,9400.msg354261.html#msg354261
hands.
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,32457.msg1025368.html#msg1025368

There are a lot more, but you get the point. Heck, if he were still alive he'd probably message you and ask for your address to send you a Seiko. He was just that awesome.

But I digress- get a Seiko Monster- you won't regret it, and if you do, I'll take it off your hands.

Def

For you monster/7s26 fans, here’s a good, old school review that I remember from back in the day:

https://web.archive.org/web/20070427061028/http://www.thepurists.com/watch/features/8ohms/7s26/

powernoodle · **Reply #12 on:** April 01, 2025, 03:42:07 PM

I have a couple of Seiko Monsters. I understand the appeal as a piece of Man Jewelry. The downside for me is that auto watches die after being ignored for a couple of days.

For my part, I have moved from mechanical watches - which I have amply hoarded - to a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. If I wanted a field watch look on a smart watch, I would just download it for $2. And in terms of functionality, a smart watch slaughters every mechanical watch. But mechanical's have the jewelry aspect, the soul, the history etc. Much like traditional knives vs. "modern" folders. It depends on what you are after.

But after switching to a smart watch, I will never go back. Its just too easy to read texts and emails on the watch, check the weather and many other things. And, like your phone it is always super accurate down to the second.

But talking about smart watches in a mechanical watch thread is like talking about Spydercos in a traditional knife thread.

TonsOfFun · **Reply #13 on:** April 01, 2025, 06:09:57 PM

Big fan of the Citizen Promaster Tough.

300m water resist, Titanium case ( and bracelet if you go for that version), solar powered. Available with black, blue or green dial and either bracelet or fabric strap. I bought the bracelet version and swap out with NATO straps as and when the mood takes me.

Very understated tool watch IMHO.

https://www.citizenwatch.co.uk/promaster-tough-silver-tone-super-titanium-watch-bn0118-55e.html

https://www.fratellowatches.com/hands-on-citizen-promaster-tough-ray-mears/#gref

nate j · **Reply #14 on:** April 02, 2025, 01:07:04 AM

Quote from: powernoodle on April 01, 2025, 03:42:07 PM

(Image removed from quote.)
I have a couple of Seiko Monsters. I understand the appeal as a piece of Man Jewelry. The downside for me is that auto watches die after being ignored for a couple of days.

For my part, I have moved from mechanical watches - which I have amply hoarded - to a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. If I wanted a field watch look on a smart watch, I would just download it for $2. And in terms of functionality, a smart watch slaughters every mechanical watch. But mechanical's have the jewelry aspect, the soul, the history etc. Much like traditional knives vs. "modern" folders. It depends on what you are after.

But after switching to a smart watch, I will never go back. Its just too easy to read texts and emails on the watch, check the weather and many other things. And, like your phone it is always super accurate down to the second.

But talking about smart watches in a mechanical watch thread is like talking about Spydercos in a traditional knife thread.

I might still have a Black Monster around somewhere, if it wasn’t lost in the fire. It may have been the first good quality watch I ever bought. It made a heck of a statement, especially on a bracelet.

James Bond should have had one of these; he could have hit his enemies over the head with it and knocked them cold.

But, as you say, with only a 40-hour power reserve, it essentially had to be worn daily or it would stop. That was annoyance number one. Annoyance number two was that it would gain or lose (don’t recall which, now, but either way it was consistent) about five minutes per week. So if I did manage to keep it running for more than a week or two consecutively, I’d feel compelled to reset it to the correct time anyway.

You’re certainly correct about the functionality of smart watches. But in spite of owning an Apple watch, my analog watches still find their way onto my wrist at times. The biggest downside of smart watches is that they have to be charged pretty much daily. After years of solar watches, I sometimes forget about this, and then of course the silly thing is dead or nearly so when I want to wear it.

I definitely still prefer an analog watch for camping. I’ve been on more than one camping trip when the smart watch wearers forgot their chargers (or didn’t have access to electricity), so the smart watches were all dead in a day or two, while my analog watch kept right on going.

Farmer X · **Reply #15 on:** April 02, 2025, 03:48:51 AM

I rarely used the alarm, timer, or stopwatch on my G-Shocks...if at all. All I expect a watch to do is tell me current local time and maybe illuminate, whether that's a back-lit dial or some good lume. I can easily track elapsed time with an analog watch. Given my simple needs and disdain for notifications and babysitting batteries that are charging, a smart watch makes zero sense for me.

I do like the Citizen Promaster. The Seiko that Nate linked to sure is nice, but not a practical purchase for me right now. It would seem that I'll go solar sooner or later...not only on my wrist, but maybe on my roof.

The roof is better suited to another thread, though.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #16 on:** April 14, 2025, 02:17:05 PM

I also wear a smart watch every day- in my case a Samsung Frontier S3, which admittedly is somewhat outdated nowadays, but it was my mom's watch, bought less than a month before she passed. I like it both because it was hers and for the reasons mentioned above and the step counter.

Although the step counter has been a bit disappointing lately, but that's nothing to do with the watch.

That having been said, when I think about watches, my mind instantly goes to my Orange Monster and a couple of other special ones I have, none of which are smart watches.

Although I rarely manage to walk through the mall without stopping at the Swatch store and one of them will probably follow me home at some point just for old times sake.

Def