Underwater Wednesday is a series which focuses solely on diver’s watches. This week, by way of a change, Click Tempus contributor Jonathan Fairfield dusts off his snorkel, mask and flippers and takes a look at two of the best entry level diver’s watches around: the Seiko Orange Monster and the Citizen Ecozilla.

I’ve recently been on the hunt for a diver’s watch. Whilst I’d love to be in a position to shell out for a Rolex Submariner or Omega Seamaster, the reality is that I’m really looking at sub £250, which pretty much means entry level as far as dive watches go. I say ‘entry level’ not that it’s a bad thing, in fact, you can pick up some pretty good divers watches for around £100 – Seiko’s SKX700 is a fine example.

I’ll have to be honest, for the most part my aquatic adventures of late haven’t amounted to much more than getting in and out of the bath and even though I did complete a PADI diving course in Thailand about 5 years ago, the occasional snorkel at the beach is all I’ve managed since. Not that I’ll let a minor detail like that get in the way of choosing my first diver’s watch.

I’ve scoured internet forums and talked to folks who know a thing or two about diver’s watches and for the amount I’m looking to spend, a couple of watches in particular kept on being brought to my attention. The first was the Seiko Orange Monster, the other being the Citizen Ecozilla.

Seiko Orange Monster

Seiko’s SKX781 or Orange Monster as it is known, is a watch I’ve admired for a while now. Of course, it’s not a new watch, with Seiko having already launched an updated model earlier this year. However, it is the first generation, the Seiko SKX781 (a black version is also available) that I’m interested in. Someone recently described the Orange Monster to me as a “rite of passage” diver’s watch and I can certainly see what they mean. You’d struggle to find an automatic diving watch that looks as good and is as affordable as the Orange Monster.

The watch features Seiko’s Calbre 7S26 self winding automatic movement with 21 jewels. This is housed in a 42mm stainless steel case that has a thickness of 13mm. The watch is water resistant to 200 metres, which is more than enough for the (very) occasional diving I’ll be doing! I particularly like the big bold luminous hour markers and I also love the look of the unidirectional bezel.

Today, the Orange Monster remains a good investment and a great starting point for any entry level watch collector. Available from around £150.

Citizen Ecozilla

The Citizen EcoZilla, or to give it its full name, the Citizen BJ8050-08E Eco-Drive Professional watch is nicknamed ‘EcoZilla’ because of its gargantuan size! It’s huge, measuring  46mm diameter with a case thickness of a whopping 18mm. Even the mineral crystal is 6mm thick. Despite its size, the Ecozilla is made from light weight titanium which means it’s not quite as heavy to wear as it looks. Like the Orange Monster, the Zilla also offers great readability with its luminous hands and hour markers.

I have to say I’m not normally a fan of watches as big at the Citizen Ecozilla but I really like its rounded shape, which kind of helps to make it look not quite so imposing when worn. That said, I imagine it still has quite a presence on the wrist.

Powered by Citizen’s hugely popular Eco Drive technology that charges in both natural and indoor light, the watch features a Calibre B873 Japanese movement which probably shades it in terms of accuracy and reliability over the Seiko. It also offers a whopping 180 day power reserve, with a low charge warning when there is less than 3 days of power remaining.

The Citizen EcoZilla is water resistant to 300 metres, which is 100 metres more than the Orange Monster and probably more than I would ever need but useful to have nonetheless. Like the Seiko Orange Monster, the Citizen Ecozilla is also available from about £150.

Conclusion

As it stands, I think I prefer the Orange Monster, although that’s not to discredit the Ecozilla completely. The orange dial is a real attraction for me and whilst some might find it a bit too much, I like its boldness. Both of the watches come with a black rubber strap, which is also what I am looking for with my diver’s watch.

The bracelet with the Orange Monster is meant to be excellent but it’s the black rubber strap which I prefer as I think it not only enhances the look of the watch but would also be more durable.

As for the Citizen, the fact that it is an Eco Drive is a definite plus and is the reason why I haven’t ruled it out just yet.

Send me your recommendations

I hope to finally make my mind up within the next week or so but until then I’m also still open to suggestions for an entry level diver’s watch. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the two watches above but I’d also welcome any recommendations of your own on similar tool dive watches under £250 or less than about $360.

Feel free to get in touch with me on Twitter or you can also send me your recommendations via the Click Tempus Facebook and Google+ pages.

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