I really enjoyed this watch, I no longer own it due to my preference changing and purchasing a higher quality micro brand (Korsbek).
To be honest, If I ever was looking for another micro brand watch, and not care if the case was Chinese, then I would get this one again. But I would have to get the case blasted or brushed. I did not think that it was a big deal to have a high polished case, but with the polished markers on the dial this things was HARD to read in any kind of lighting except dim. That was a huge turn off- and its biggest downfall. You can now purchase them with a different hand set, which has a lumed second hand: Heres the review:
4-11-11 MSRP: $699
I just made a fantastic purchase, and I thought I would share it. It is the Ocean 7 LM3-V2.
When I was looking for a new dive watch, I had some criteria to meet.
1. Diver specs, anything above 200m was wanted but not needed.
2. FLAT saphire crystal
3. Clean dial.
4. Under $1000.
5. Solid case that is 42mm-44mm.
6. Unique
So, After some looking (about 4months) I love what I decided on.
The buying process was easy. Sign up on Ocean7's site, order, 2 days later its on my wrist. Any problems?? email them and they contact you back ASAP> I had to do that just because they forgot to put a warranty card in my box.
First impression: I thought the dial/crystal would be bigger. That was my first thought. It measures about 30mm. Not a deal breaker, but I am used to my Seikos having a larger diameter. The box was very nice. It has the watch, mesh bracelet, and some temporary tattoos. I chuckled at those, still dont quite get it.
I picked it up. WOW, one hunk of man watch here!
On the wrist: Looks fantastic and feels great. I thought it would be too heavy on my wrist... no! The weight seems to be distributed quite evenly. It is very comfortable. I have had it for exactly two weeks today, and I have never had to take it off to give my wrist a break. I have had to do that plenty of times with big/heavy watches. I once had a Corum Admirals cup, that after a few hours would make my wrist have sharp pains. I do have some minor nerve issues from a shoulder injury, so I tend to be very sensitive to this.
Dial: Great and clean. Black. Ocean 7. Shiny Markers. Date. Hands. Thats it, and thats all it needs.
Hands: My favorite part. I love the chunky white hour marker and the sharp orange minute markers: It gives it a very sporty look. Second hand is very long and sharp at the tip which looks great. Except for one thing....
Lume: Lume is OK. Not the brightest I have seen, then again I will refer to my Seiko history. I noticed that after the first 5 days or so the lume was actually brighter than the first night. It dims way too fast for my liking. My biggest problem with the watch: NO LUME on the second hand. This really irritates me. I thought that lume on the second had was an ISO standard. This is my only big issue with the watch.
Bezel: 120 crisp clicks. Lines up great- not loose at all. Great bezel action.
Time Keeping: Great, usually gains about 2-4 seconds a day, loses it at night (on the nightstand). Checked with my GShock atomic and it is 5 seconds fast after the first 8 days. FANTASTIC!
Strap: Love the rubber it came with. Very soft and slightly floppy, but that is better than one that has a death grip on your wrist. I think this is part of why it is so comfortable. I tried a few NATO and ZULU straps, I prefer the original rubber. The mesh is comfortable, but Im not a bracelet guy.
Conclusion:
I highly recommend this watch to anyone in the market for a good solid diver that they plan to keep for a while. No regrets here.
Dress diver? .. Dress diver....? are you kidding me? This watch goes 125ATM. So yes, you can take a shower with it. Anyone who downplays this because the case has a shiny finish on the top (brushed on the sides) is joking themselves. This is one heck of a work watch.
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