Spinnaker Piccard Men's Automatic Dive Watch – Seiko NH35 Movement, 45mm Stainless Steel Case, Sapphire Crystal, 550m Water Resistant, Stainless Steel Bracelet, SP-5098

Reviewing Hunter Green model PX-15 Piccard (blue and hunter green models available at time of purchase - 09.20.2024).The "Piccard" is an homage to Jacques Piccard - a Swiss oceanographer and engineer who, along with U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh, co-piloted the Bathyscaphe Trieste to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, in 1960. They descended nearly 11,000 meters (36,000 feet), setting a record for the deepest manned dive in history. And, yes - Start Trek's Jean Luc Picard was also named as an homage. :)This watch is a BEAST - literally and figuratively! It's just feels solid as a rock. I have seen reviews where people find the weight to be a little off-putting (literally over a half pound), but it was among the reasons why the watch appealed to me. I love the feel of a heavy watch that means business on my wrist, but I'm used to it. I own a couple of big, weighty G-Steels (G-Shock), and the Spinnaker outweighs my heaviest one.The band, case, and bezel are finely brushed steel, giving the watch an elegant look. The forest green dial with burnt orange accents give the watch a vintage, masculine aesthetic (think 60's Playboy meets Sean Connery's James Bond), as do the cream-colored indices and matte olive-drab ("Army green") ceramic inlay on the bezel - which contrasts well with the brushed steel and hunter green dial, and looks like something you might find on an Omega or Rolex dive watch. The subdued numbers and indices on the inlay add to the aesthetic of the watch, but if you are planning on actually using it for diving, I think seeing the numbers would be difficult underwater - especially at deeper depths with low light.The watch is automatic. You're supposed to wear it 8 hours a day to keep it fully wound, but the crown unscrews and has a wind setting to jump-start it if it hasn't been worn for a couple of days. You will have to re-set the time and date when this occurs. I don't find the latter particularly annoying. I think it adds to the unique, vintage feel, but some may disagree.The crown is high quality, and sets firmly. The watch has the sweeping second hand that watch afficionados love. Last thing on the bezel: it takes a firm grip to rotate it, as it should for a dive watch. You'd probably need a very strong pair of pliers, a vice, and a small team of experts to get it to rotate in the wrong direction (clockwise). I've only had it a couple of days, and I'm already getting compliments, with the first thing people notice being the bubble shaped sapphire crystal. It's really cool - and the shape has a magnifying effect where it seems like you're still looking at the watch face directly even when it's tilted a little.The luminescent indices are adequate. I charged them up next to a bright light before going to bed, and when I woke up during the night, the time was still readable.I'm looking forward to this watch being a frequent conversation piece, and I will likely justify the bubble as being more function than form, as it seems the shape would indicate a stronger water resistance (at least in terms of physics). I think the sapphire crystal glass was designed as an homage to deep-sea diving vessels that have windows that look similar. The helium release valve is a cool function that I'll never use - or will I ever need 1800ft water resistance, but I'm sure I'll tell everyone about it anyway! ("Do YOU have a helium release valve?" lol). The engraving of a deep-sea diving vessel on the case-back caps this off as a collector. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if it appreciates in value at some point. Depends on how popular Spinnaker gets as a microbrand, I suppose.All in all, I feel fortunate to have found this watch on sale at such a low price point ($349, marked down from $550 for the hunter green model). I consider this watch to be a must-buy for collectors, regardless how expensive their collection is. If I could afford to add Rolex and Audemars Piguet to my own collection, I would still have the Spinnaker PX-15 Piccard in my regular rotation of wear.

This was an anniversary gift for my husband and he loves it. It is a nice looking watch.

The watch looks great & feels SOLID in its build. But that's what led me to return it. It's not as big as I thought it might be, so it looked & fit really well. But I tried it on for a few minutes while I typed at my computer & my wrist started to feel fatigued from the weight. I can't imagine how it would feel having to do anything active with it on for extended periods. Wasn't for me, but others may love it.

This is a great dive watch for the money. In fact, it is more than worth the price! As a diver, this watch has all the qualities of a high end piece without breaking the bank. Keep in mind, it is a heavy watch but wears well. Links are full size and micro adjustments are few, so it may wear a bit loose for those with smaller wrists. However it is well constructed and has an expander to allow for wear on a wetsuit. As an owner of high end watches, this piece fits right in with my collection.

Happy with this product, look and feel of the watch are great.

Ex grande, pesado, e innecesario, pero me encanta, se ciente cómodo y masivo, majestuoso un verdadero buceador, da muy buena sensación de comodidad, simplemente me encanta. El movimiento funciona muy bien