Seiko Diver robust?

[kgglonghorn]

How shock absorbant/robust is the Seiko automatic Dive watch? I bought one a year ago and it worked fine, but I dropped it one day (accidentally) from probably waist height and it stopped working. I sent it in for warranty repair and they fixed it so now it is fine, but it has made me call into question what it can and cannot endure. The real question is can I play golf in it without fear!

[Mike B]

Anything with an automatic movement will have it's downfalls as far as durability goes. I would not expect any automatic watch to be very accurate or even survive a hard drop to the floor. Well, maybe on a carpet is a different story.

If a tool watch / durability is what you are looking for - look for something quartz or a G-Shock. Anything that has mechanical moving parts in it will not be very durable as far as it hitting something like slipping off the wrist and crashing on the floor.

While this not hold true in EVERY case - I think most people gets the point I'm trying to make here.

[kgglonghorn]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Anything with an automatic movement will have it's downfalls as far as durability goes. I would not expect any automatic watch to be very accurate or even survive a hard drop to the floor. Well, maybe on a carpet is a different story.

If a tool watch / durability is what you are looking for - look for something quartz or a G-Shock. Anything that has mechanical moving parts in it will not be very durable as far as it hitting something like slipping off the wrist and crashing on the floor.

While this not hold true in EVERY case - I think most people gets the point I'm trying to make here.

I once dropped my datejust from a second story landing and it fell face down on tile. In a moment of sheer panic, I ran down only to find the watch was unscathed and has worked fine ever since. That was about 10 years ago. Maybe that was just pure luck.

[toxicavenger]

Originally Posted by kgglonghorn

I once dropped my datejust from a second story landing and it fell face down on tile. In a moment of sheer panic, I ran down only to find the watch was unscathed and has worked fine ever since. That was about 10 years ago. Maybe that was just pure luck.

The watch just landed differently. It doesn't mean it is strong per se.

If you do not believe take your current Rolex and drop it the same way you did your Seiko and let me know what happens.

[kgglonghorn]

ok. I get dropping a watch is not good and bad things can happen to any of them. What level of shock will the Seiko automatic diver withstand? People play golf in automatic watches all the time. Will this watch take that rigor?

[toxicavenger]

http://www.crownwatchblog.com/how-it...ock-resistance

[KKFF]

Speaking of robust... I’ve considered a Seiko diver but I read reviews saying the QC is terrible. I have a seiko kinetic from the early 2000s that no longer works. You can actually hear and feel someone rolling around inside of it. Likely could be fixed with the service through seiko but I’m not fond of the style any longer. It was a gift when I received it. That said, I’m considering a new seiko diver. How do the new seiko automatics fair as far as overall reliability? I don’t have Rolex money but have found newer seikos I really like. Any suggestions or comments?

[Mike B]

This is very true - the Seiko quality control is all over the place. I know a LOT of SKX's and even some newer turtle models have things like misaligned chapter rings, bezels that don't line up, etc. Seiko is notorious for this.

However, that's not to say they are not good watches. I have owned quite a few SKX and Monster's over the years and they have all been great beater watches. Something to wear while doing just about anything.

I would not hesitate to get another Seiko. I'm wearing my 009 as I type this actually. She's -10 seconds per day and is almost 1 year old. Not perfect, but at $180 I paid for it, I don't really expect it to be :)

[Ljung]

No mechanical watch should risk not sending to service centre after any drop test. If really care on keeping the watch for years to come.

Will look for g-shock if expect frequent dropping experience.

[1William]

I have found Seiko watches to be very robust for regular to rough wear. A drop onto a hard floor will cause problems with most non-quartz watches. Get one and the quality control is good in my opinion.