Friday, February 22, 2019

Head-To-Head: Seiko Prospex 300MM SBDX001 Marinemaster versus Orient 300M Professional Saturation Diver SEL0200

When Seiko launched the 300m Marinemaster or 300MM, SBDX001 (on the left of the photo below) back in the year 2000, its sister company, Orient was also working on a professional dive watch. Orient answer was the Orient 300M Pro Saturation Diver SEL0200 (on the right of the photo below). Both are powered by their own in-house automatic movement, made out of stainless steel and capable of mix-gas diving down to a maximum depth of 300 meters.


Below is a table of comparative specifications between the two watches.

Specifications        SBDX001SEL0200
Movement8L3540N5A
Complications3-hands; date3-hands; date; power reserve
StrapBraceletBracelet
DialBlackBlack
Diameter44.0 mm45.4 mm
Lug width20 mm22 mm
Lug-to-lug50.0 mm50.4 mm
Thickness14.6 mm16.9 mm
Weight210 gm220 gm
CrystalHardlexSapphire
Bezel InlayStainless steelAnodized aluminum
Base MaterialStainless steelStainless steel
Water Rating300 meters300 meters
ManufactureJDMMade in Japan
MSRPYEN250,000/not sold in Malaysia          USD1,995/sold in Malaysia

As you can see, the Orient has a slight edge in terms of dimensions over the Seiko. Nevertheless, price wise, it is more-or-less similar.


From a dimension perspective, the Orient is more well rounded. Due to the height of both watches, the lug width could make a difference between a 'tall' watch vis-a-vis a 'balance' watch. The 22 mm lugs on the Orient averages out the height issue elegantly. In the photos above and below you just see what I mean.


If there is a choice between a date complication or a power reserve complication, I personally would choose the latter. To me, it is more important to know the state of charge than the date. I therefore would have to give the Orient another star because of its power reserve.


Both watches have some form of graphic art on the case-back. For the Seiko, it is the famous tsunami motif while for the Orient is the brand logo. Equally interesting is the clasp. While Seiko just have its brand stamped on the safety fold-over-tab, Orient has its logo etched on the clasp plate. I find this more appealing.

For more about the individual watches, please refer to the full reviews (links are provided here: SBDX001; SEL0200). Overall, I find the Orient more user-friendly and value-for-money.









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