Seiko Marine Master SBD009 Review

Seiko has been a driving force in the watch industry for over a century now, thriving through all of the changes and even springing forth innovations of their own into the mix. They created the quartz movement, which revolutionized the watch industry. Their line of indestructible dive watches are legend among divers and sport fishermen.  They've grown and become a massive operation, which is hugely impressive, but the real beauty in this company, is how seriously they take watch-making. Every part of every model they manufacture, is manufactured by them, and them alone, and that's a rare thing to see these days. All of their product quality at the end of the day is completely in their control, and they demand perfection, no matter the price point. Which brings me to this: the Seiko Marine Master Spring Drive Dive watch. It all starts out with one master watchmaker, and only one. He spends an entire year hand making each part of this watch, from the very beginning, to the very end when he signs the warranty card. Although it doesn't look glitzy, fancy, or luxurious, the moment you strap this thing on, you can tell it was made with obsessive attention to detail.

Appearance

Now, this does just look like a regular ol' black tuna can Marine Master at first glance. But then you really start to look around, moving it in the light and you notice all of the different nuances, the brushed black case, the gloss black bezel, the black face with the always welcome lumibrite markers, but none of it is the same, all of it is different shades of black, deliberately put together to make quite a unique feel and aesthetic. It's not stealthy, but it's very pleasing. I love the simplicity of it, even the arrangement of font and spacing of the logo and model name are very well placed and non-obstructive. Nothing about the design of this watch feels rushed, slapped together, or hodge lodged. Everything is in its place. 

Materials, Fit and Finish

The Titanium Case, enameled bezel, lumibrite markers and intense movement are all premium quality, nothing on this watch looks or feels cheap, and the finish on each little piece is all perfect, all coming together in something that was masterfully made and executed. The strap is extremely comfortable as well, and since it is titanium, the watch doesn't seem like such a huge drag on the wrist. This is also due to the fact that Seiko designed this case and band to be more uniform and ergonomic fitting to the wearer's wrist, and I can definitely say that they hit the nail on the head when it comes to comfort. 

Movement

The 9s movement is a remarkable thing in and of itself, taking 26 years and over 600 tries to develop, the lead Designer over at Seiko finally produced a wonderfully smooth, everlasting movement they refer to as a Spring Drive. The idea of the movement being a microscopically exact movement that also stored energy very conservatively. All of this extensive development coming together in one of my personal all time favorite movements. 

Our Verdict

I adore this watch. It's so easy to, the scrutinous detail, the care and love, the pedigree of precision, all making a watch that really is more than meets the eye. It doesn't have to be flashy or extravagant. It's much more mature than that. It's a watch for a watch-lover. 

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