Seiko Orange Monster Review

[OrangeSport]

I originally posted this on another watch forum, but thought it might be of interest here too. I know that a number of posters on this site also have Seiko Monsters...

I've had my Seiko Orange Monster since the start of this year, but to be honest it gets limited wrist time. I bought it as a support act to my Rolex Submariner 14060M, for times when my Sub isn't available or appropriate. The Sub is my daily wearer, but it is having a little engraving completed at the moment so the Monster came with me on holiday this week. This is the first time it has been on my wrist for five days solid (other than when I was running, when my G-Shock took over), so it seems the perfect time to write a mini review of the legend that is the Orange Monster.

Now, although it is not fair to compare the Monster (which can be had for approximately £130 new online, with an RRP of around £250) to the Sub (which retailed at around £4200 and is, in my opinion, one of the finest dive watches to have as a daily wearer) I am afraid that is the benchmark that my Monster has to live with.

So, after five days use here we go:

Style:

OK, this is subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I like the Orange Monster. At 42mm by 13mm, it is chunky without being huge. It looks solid. It is very easy to read. For casual wear it is great, and is stylish while looking relaxed. The orange face also stands out well under water, and we used it as a dive target for my young daughter to retrieve when she was practicing her swimming. It is not the watch to wear with a suit or dressy shirt though. The orange face is not right for that kind of attire, and there is a shine to the case which can look almost cheap. Not quite, but almost.

Build Quality:

First of all, the 20mm bracelet is fantastic. Really, really fantastic. It is solid, has a great clasp, the diving extension is simple and effective and it is connected to the watch by pierced lugs. Removing and changing the strap is therefore nice and simple.

The case is nice and solid, and the bezel has a very positive movement to it. It all feels like a quality product, apart from the crown. It is a screw down crown, which is great for water resistance (200m), but once unscrewed it does feel cheap and flimsy. On the plus side, its position at four o'clock stops the crown from digging into the back of your hand.

The case back is nicely decorated and the watch is very comfortable. It is a heavy watch, but you soon forget the weight.

The Seiko Monster range is famous for its superb lume. It lasts right through the night and is incredibly bright. It is certainly the best lume I have seen.

The watch has a hardlex crystal, which is stronger than sapphire but less scratch resistant.

The Movement:

The Monster uses the 7S26 movement with 21 jewels. This movement is non hacking and non hand winding. Luckily it really spins up quickly and easily, and seems to build up its power reserve effectively. Full power reserve is somewhere over forty hours.

The 7S26 gives the Monster day and date readings, both of which are at three o'clock.

I have made no attempt to regulate my Monster, either permanently or by positioning it when at rest. It seems to run fast by about 10 seconds per day, but I have heard that with a little regulation these can run more accurately than this. To be honest, for the price, I find this totally acceptable.

Conclusion:

So there you have it. In conclusion, if you like dive watches or want a good solid automatic watch at a rock bottom price I think you would be hard pushed to buy better than a Seiko Monster. It isn't perfect, but there are no real show stopping issues. I wouldn't wear it as a formal watch, but not everyone worries about that and to be honest the Black Monster may be subtle enough to get away with if you are wearing a suit.

The watch is also available with a rubber strap, which is slightly cheaper.

The colour scheme obviously works for my daughter too, as she picked up an orange watch while we were away.

Thanks for reading!