One of the most fascinating and famous Seiko “movie” watches from one of Hollywood’s greatest films is now a popular subject for the homage market.
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Once upon a time when international travel was expensive and the internet was not as widely adopted as it is now. A person with the desire to own a watch with external similarity to a well-known – prominent swiss dive watch could pick up a watch of somewhat dubious quality and provenance and at least a passing resemblance to that same famous dive watch. Also due to the non-proliferation of images due to the lack of internet, people could pass them off as originals to their nearest and dearest in the knowledge that only an absolute subject matter expert could ever tell them apart. That was a different world to the one we have today. Now anyone with the slightest interest in owning a Rolex is inundated with images of every model and variant available and very often can easily spot most fakes. High-end fakes exist that perhaps only professionals in the industry can Identify but they still have to be sought out as part of an almost hobbyist dedication this their curious existence.
These days people with the desire to own a watch that looks and feels like a famous timepiece they are more likely to dabble in homage watches. A lot of homages abound. I have a Rolex Datejust homage by Citizen from the 1970s. For the most part, the homage market has really focussed on the big names – Rolex, Breitling, Jager Le Coultre etc. Recently however there has been a trend largely driven by a surge in Chinese manufacturing capacity to homage far less well-known timepieces. In the case of Steeldive (Steeldive official store ) in particular, they largely focus on homages of famous Seikos mostly from the 60s and 70s. What makes these watches unusual in the world of homages is that they are generally superior in quality to the original Seiko’s in question. There has been a lot of progress in the field of computerised machining in the last 50 years, the metalwork on these watches is far far better quality than the originals, of that there is no question. What is also interesting is that these watches use new Seiko movements, the NH 36 the Seiko-built engine for other people’s watches, identical to the in-house 4R 36 used by Seiko themselves.
![Martin Sheen wearing a Seiko 6105 on the set of Apocalypse Now](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/XMZA2q6GEeq-lic7bpYE4A-C8ncaN7tEeqwlzxEjQEHZA.jpeg)
So here you have a watch that mimics the look of a classic Seiko but uses better quality cases, newer and superior Seiko mechanical movements and to top it all off have ceramic bezels and sapphire crystals where most Seikos south of $1,000 use aluminium bezels and proprietary (inferior) Hardlex mineral glass. These watches do not pretend to be Seikos, they have well thought out if perhaps slightly comic branding and a fairly strong identity of their own. They can be worn without embarrassment,
![A collection of Steeldive Seiko 62 MAS homage watches.](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/steeldive-watch-sd1962-main-1_800x800_crop_center.webp)
I really enjoy these watches, they can be had for a fraction of the cost of an original now long out of production, for example, a 1970s Seiko 6105 will probably set you back $2,000 on eBay however you can get one of these for SD 1970s for about $120. I bought one myself and I wear it as my outdoors and watersports watch when I know there will be some rough stuff and I don’t want to scratch up a more valuable timepiece. I feel that these watches fill the exact slot in the market that their originals did, as cheap robust sports watches that wouldn’t make you cry if they got damaged or broken.
![Steeldive 1970 Green](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Steeldive-Seiko-6015-Dive-Watch_1000x.webp)
Seiko themselves have done a 6105 re-release the SPB153J1. However, this watch retails at $1500. (Buy Seiko Watches Here – eBay affiliate link)
In my opinion, that is just too much money for the amount of watch on offer. Bearing in mind the amount of value to be found in Seiko at about $500 the SPB153J1 feels very expensive, a price inflated by its limited run nature and somewhat contrary to the spirit of the original piece.
I have also bought Steeldive’s homage to the SKX, the SD1996. This one was already someones tinkering toy and I bought it to keep on tinkering with it to develop watch modding skills. The watch will get some wear but it is primarily a workshop piece. I am glad I spent $100 on it rather than $350 that SKX goes for these days. The SKX is out of production so the SD1965 is a great way for SKX enthusiasts to get an SKX like watch with a newer movement, ceramic bezel and sapphire crystal. Indeed adding those items to an SDX bought individually would cost more than one of these watches.
Update September 2022
I thought I would update this article as I can update on the service of my own Steeldive over the last two years and it might be nice to see what else Steeldive has brought to market since then.
My own model is a black SD 1970. This model has reduced slightly in price but for about a year has been stable at $100 Dollars or sot. I did not like the NATO strap that came with the watch and I am pleased that now there is a bracelet option to choose from. On my watch the hands have oxidised a little and I am going to polish them myself. I did take the watch apart and touch them with my fingers so this could be a reaction to my body oils. Never the less it is something to bear in mind. This watch has been my beater watch and I am happy to report that it has kept time impeccably and the case stands up to serious abuse.
I also really like the SD 1953, a Submariner homage that looks really good and sturdy, it is about the same money as an Invicta but in my experience Steeldive make a far better watch than Invicta.
Steeldive has gone in for bronze dive watches in a big way. These watches are nowhere near as cheap as their stainless steel back catalogue but they do comprise of some very interesting designs. Many of them no longer obvious homages of well known watches. Here again I must make an Invicta comparison. For a watch lover on a budget who wants something different but not as bonkers as an Invicta, Steeldive may just have something for you.
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I am a Watch-Aholic…I love watches of all kinds, especially dive watches…
I bought a Steeldive SD1970 thinking, what the hell I like the shape and price…and I already own a Seiko Willard reissue…
I paid $140.00 Canadian for my black version…what a deal, Eh?…
Shipped from China and rec’d within 5 days to my doorstep, amazing !@@!…
Been wearing the watch 24/7 for a week now..simply amazing time keeping +4 secs per day on the average and the comfort is excellent…and the lume rocks…
So, I can say I am impressed and very happy with this watch…value, quality, accuracy, and esthetics. All wrapped up in a great watch…
Thank you Steeldive …I appreciate you and the product that you produce.
Best, Jeff Smith 👌
Thank you for the feedback Jeff. Can you believe that they are even cheaper now!