# Blue Diver's Watch - Which One?



## Ricster (Jul 16, 2005)

I'm thinking of getting a Blue Seiko Samurai which is Titanium and can be bought for about Â£150 online.

But yesterday I popped into Goldsmiths and tried on a blue Oris TT1 which wears smaller than it's 44mm size due to the design. The Oris can be bought for about Â£550 online.

I know the Oris can be hand wound and the Seiko can't but are there any other reasons why I should choose the Oris over the Seiko apart from personal preference to which looks better?



Seiko Samurai










*Oris TT1*


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

> but are there any other reasons why I should choose the Oris over the Seiko apart from personal preference to which looks better?


Obviously the Seiko's a good deal cheaper than the Oris. Â£400, or thereabouts, is a lot of money - you could buy another couple of watches with it, or go on holiday etc etc. Both watches seem to offer the same thing:- good size, solid construction, good build quality, rotating bezels, 200m water resistant, screw down crowns, solid link bracelets etc etc etc.

Some would say the that the Oris has the better movement (presume it's an ETA2824 - or some variation thereof) than the Seiko - personally I'd disagree as the 7s36 movement in the Samurai is a variation of the 7s26, which is known to be a good, reliable movement. Doesn't hack & can't be handwound though so it's pretty basic.

I'm assuming that the Oris stainless steel. If so then you may prefer its weight/heft over that of the Seiko which is lighter titanium - it won't be as heavy as the Oris. Personally I'm not a fan of Ti watches as I find them too light after wearing stainless steel ones. Also while Ti's supposed to be tough & durable I think it tends to scratch more than stainless steel (or maybe scratches show up more on Ti?). This is one of the reasons, I suspect, that Citizen put their titanium watches through some sort of heat(?) process to make them scratch resistant (called Duratect). As far as I know Seiko don't put their titanium watches through the same process.

However, despite all the above, I still think that it all boils down to personal preference, - how much you're prepared to pay & which you like the look of best. Both seem to offer the same things at different prices. If I wasn't particularly flush, but wanted a new watch, I'd go for the Seiko, but if I had more money to throw at a new watch then I may well decide to go for the Oris.

I doubt that you'd be disappointed with either but it's your choice


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## Ricster (Jul 16, 2005)

Thanks for the very detailed reply









Yes the Oris is stainless steel and I've never owned a titanium watch so the weight might be an issue.

The thing is I prefer the hands on the titanium Samurai than the SS version so if I was to go for the Samurai it would have to be the titanium model.


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## USEDMODEL (Mar 26, 2005)

> but are there any other reasons why I should choose the Oris over the Seiko apart from personal preference to which looks better?


Just prefer the Seiko. A good value for money watch.

Roy


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

The Oris looks familiar 










I bet it doesn`t have a pair of niffty little LED`s to illuminate the dial or only cost Â£29.50


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## Ricster (Jul 16, 2005)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> The Oris looks familiar
> 
> 
> 
> ...


When you put it like that, it's got to be the Casio









If it has a solid link bracelet I might get one and save over Â£500


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Ricster said:


> mach 0.0013137 said:
> 
> 
> > The Oris looks familiar
> ...


 I`m not really a fan of folded link bracelets myself but I have to admit this one is very good and well made


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## Ricster (Jul 16, 2005)

pauluspaolo said:


> > but are there any other reasons why I should choose the Oris over the Seiko apart from personal preference to which looks better?
> 
> 
> Personally I'm not a fan of Ti watches as I find them too light after wearing stainless steel ones. Also while Ti's supposed to be tough & durable I think it tends to scratch more than stainless steel (or maybe scratches show up more on Ti?). This is one of the reasons, I suspect, that Citizen put their titanium watches through some sort of heat(?) process to make them scratch resistant (called *Duratect*). As far as I know Seiko don't put their titanium watches through the same process.


It's funny you mention Duratect in the Citizens, I'm quite keen on this Citizen Eco-Drive which has the Duratect in the titanium, maybe this is the one to go for?


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

Ricster said:


> pauluspaolo said:
> 
> 
> > > but are there any other reasons why I should choose the Oris over the Seiko apart from personal preference to which looks better?
> ...


I've seen that one before (there's also a black dial/black bezel version) & think it looks great. I've only seen it for sale on one Japanese site though & every time I've meant to order it I've either seen something closer to home or I've run out of money (same old problem







).

I quite like the Casio too - bit of a bargain too at under Â£30 from Roy










Going back to the Samurai again - you could always fit Ti Samurai hands on to the st st one. The movements are the same so it'd be a simple modification, then get it beadblasted so that it had a dull finish like Ti & you'd almost be there - no crown guards though







. I'm not saying that the st st Samurai has naff styling (I don't think it does at all - which why I've just swapped two watches for one







) but I wish Seiko had just made a st st copy of the titanium one - does that make sense







?


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## Ricster (Jul 16, 2005)

Yes that makes perfect sense to me but I've spent all afternoon getting used to buying a titanium one









I can get the titanium one from Japan for only Â£131 delivered!


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## Ricster (Jul 16, 2005)

Well I've just ordered a Seiko Samurai (blue titanium) for 31000 Yen which works out at about Â£135 including delivery









Thanks for all the comments


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## Seamaster73 (Jun 25, 2006)

Ricster said:


> Well I've just ordered a Seiko Samurai (blue titanium) for 31000 Yen which works out at about Â£135 including delivery
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You did right.

I used to recommend Oris, but am reluctant to do so any more in light of the woeful quality of the last two friends of mine have acquired (detatched bracelet and + minutes per day respectively).

That Seiko won't let you down. Always fancied one myself, but I can't get on with Ti. If only they offered it in SS.

The only other one I would have recommended to you is the Citizen "Orca" ref. BN0016-55L, which is proving to be very popular on the Seiko and Citizen forums.


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Ricster said:


> Well I've just ordered a Seiko Samurai (blue titanium) for 31000 Yen which works out at about Â£135 including delivery
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That would have been my choice too. I've always fancied an Oris but given that they're Â£400 dearer than the Seiko, and don't have the same reputation as being bulletproof, it would have to be the Seiko. And you can change straps on the Seiko. The Oris one looks integrated.

Andrew.


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## mart broad (May 24, 2005)

IMHO

Go Seiko

Martin


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## JohnFraininthe93rd (Jul 4, 2006)

Both are very nice watches but I wouldn't pay Â£500 for the Oris. There are lots of options for that sort of money, especially if you buy secondhand on ebay (I wouldn't buy a watch any other way now!).

Anyway congrats on choosing the Samerai, it's a great looking watch!


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

I prefer the Oris without a doubt, it looks special whereas the Seiko does not. Or maybe I'm over familiar with the Seiko.







If money was not an issue I'd take the Oris every time and get more pleasure from it. If I had to think twice about spending the Â£500 then the Seiko makes sense.

I can vouch for the Seiko's quality, I had a bead blasted one from Paul that I sold to Alan (Rolex) in a moment of madness. I would have that back in a shot, are you listening Alan.


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## hippo (Jun 27, 2006)

The only other one I would have recommended to you is the Citizen "Orca" ref. BN0016-55L, which is proving to be very popular on the Seiko and Citizen forums.


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## Seamaster73 (Jun 25, 2006)

hippo said:


> > The only other one I would have recommended to you is the Citizen "Orca" ref. BN0016-55L, which is proving to be very popular on the Seiko and Citizen forums.
> 
> 
> Yeah I've seen those too, the blue on the SS bracelet looks great IMHO


They're Ti too (I think).


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## hippo (Jun 27, 2006)

Seamaster73 said:


> hippo said:
> 
> 
> > > The only other one I would have recommended to you is the Citizen "Orca" ref. BN0016-55L, which is proving to be very popular on the Seiko and Citizen forums.
> ...


Yeah I believe they are, which makes me kinda stupid for saying the bracelet was SS


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## julian (Jun 3, 2003)

I've had steel and Ti Samurais .The titanium model got marked very easily indeed ,had slightly inferior lume and had crown guards .

I have a Citizen with the duratech fiinish and sapphire crystal and it's in pristine condition after about a year's use.I understand that Seiko have their own tough finish for titanium now .

I don't know much about Oris .It certainly looks nice to my eyes but really there should be no comparison with watches costing around a third of its price .Should there ??


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## brad (Jul 10, 2004)

You can buy the Oris from a few internet dealers for around Â£350 to Â£375,I own a black one and it is outstanding quality for the money

I agree with a couple of others you really cannot compare the two as they are different price points and quality


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## Ricster (Jul 16, 2005)

brad said:


> You can buy the Oris from a few internet dealers for around Â£350 to Â£375,I own a black one and it is outstanding quality for the money
> 
> I agree with a couple of others you really cannot compare the two as they are different price points and quality


Brad could you PM me with the dealers who sell the Oris for that amount please


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## Seamaster73 (Jun 25, 2006)

brad said:


> You can buy the Oris from a few internet dealers for around Â£350 to Â£375,I own a black one and it is outstanding quality for the money
> 
> I agree with a couple of others you really cannot compare the two as they are different price points and quality


That used to be true. Oris QC has taken a nosedive recently in my experience.


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## brad (Jul 10, 2004)

Ricster said:


> brad said:
> 
> 
> > You can buy the Oris from a few internet dealers for around Â£350 to Â£375,I own a black one and it is outstanding quality for the money
> ...


PM sent


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