What is a good quality Men''s Divers style watch with sapphire crystal face under $500?

[soontomarry2]

Are there any good quality Men''s Diver''s style watches for under $500 with a saphhire crystal face in stainless steel? I can be any kind of movement, I''m just looking for something nice looking and of decent quality for wearing everyday.

 

[soontomarry2]

No one has any suggestions?

 

[delayedreaction]

For a diver''s watch with a sapphire crystal, you''re going to be pushing very hard at the ceiling. If you can find a new old stock Tissot Sea Star that will fit your criteria, but it was a limited edition. Other dive watches in that category generally don''t have a sapphire crystal, like the well regarded Seiko Black Monster, or the Seiko SKX013K. Brands you might want to look at are Tissot, Hamilton, and Seiko.

 

[soontomarry2]

Thank you for your help delayedreaction.

Are most watches in this price range quartz movement or would I have to increase my budget for this?

 

[delayedreaction]

If you want a mechanical, you'd be looking at $300 and up. If you notch up your budget to the $500-$1,000 range, then you'll find more of a selection that has all three of your checklist: mechanical, sapphire crystal and diver. If you have some time, I would look at watches at the $500 - $1,500 range so you can figure out if it's worth it to you to increase your budget.

The brands I'm passing along are all serious watches (i.e. not badge engineered fashion watches). Seiko will probably the be most low key since most people in the U.S. don't know about Seiko Spring Drive, or the Grand Seiko lines that hold their own with the best manufactures.

Hamilton
Longines
Nomos
Omega (Seamaster)
Seiko
Sinn
Tissot (Sea Star)
Tag Heurer

 

[stonecutter2]

The sapphire crystal is definitely awesome, as my crystal looks pristine on my Tissot after owning it for almost 4 years.

You might consider looking at Invicta (Pro Diver) series watches. I have a friend who bought one, and it's been really durable and looks very sharp for what he paid for it. Not sure as to their reputation/prestige level, but it looks great and seems really well built. Be sure to make sure the one you're getting have a sapphire crystal, as they offer mineral crystals as well.

I own a Tissot Ballade III, T97.1.483.51 - it's not a diver's watch, but it's face is as wide as a diver's watch. It has a sapphire crystal, automatic movement, black face with a "starburst" sort of intricate texture, offset date window, and see-thru back. It sits very flush against my wrist, whereas diver's watches tend to be a little thick. I love it, and it's my everyday wear automatic watch. It's a bit of a pain making sure I wear it so it doesn't run down, but then again it's sort of nice to be needed, and have a little machine on my wrist Only water resistant to 30 meters, though.

For a cheaper water-resistant watch, I own a Casio MDV102-1AV. That is more of a diver's watch - but without a sapphire crystal. It's water resistant to 200 meters, though, with a screw-down crown. I changed the strap to something more practical for swimming, a Timex Expedition velcro strap. The watch itself looks really nice, for a $50 watch. And if I wear it to swim with, and the seals fail, I'm not out hundreds of dollars. It looks like it can fit very well if dressed up, with a nicer strap. The absolute best feature of the MDV102-1AV is it's BRIGHT LED lights at 12 and 6 o'clock! They will literally charge the glowing material on the hands and markers. I've used it as a flashlight before. They're that bright - but battery life doesn't seem to affect it too much (haven't changed batteries in 3 years now).

As rough as I am on watches, the Tissot has really stood up to the abuse. The stainless shows some scuffs, but that's normal for everyday wear. The sapphire crystal remains flawless.