Seiko's Most Appealing Dive Watch Review

roadwarrior

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Feb 9, 2021
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Bruce Williams

Today we look at the newest iteration of "the smallest wearing huge watch in the world." The SBBN043 bluna. To me this is the most appealing Seiko diver currently on the market. It is a lot of money for a quartz diver, and one could argue it doesn't possess the 'value for money' that many watch enthusiasts search for. I would make the opposite argument personally. Let me know what you think!


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DESCRIPTION​

Seiko Prospex Marine Master Professional Online Shop Limited Model SBBN043 - men's watch produced by Seiko. It is equipped with Japanese quartz movement and 7C46 calibre. Stainless steel case of round shape. Case dimensions are 46.6 mm. in diameter and 14.1 mm. in thickness. The dial of this Seiko watch is blue. Display type: analog. This timepiece has sapphire, antireflection coating glass. Polymer band, band color: blue. 300 m. water resistance. The watch is from Seiko Prospex collection. The following features are equipped: date, day, glowing hands, glowing markers, antimagnetic, screw-down crown.
  • Antimagnetic
    This watch can work with minimal or minor deviations in the conditions of the magnetic field.
  • Glowing Hands
    The hands of this model have a luminous layer that glows in the dark.
  • Glowing Markers
    The markers of this model have a luminous layer that glows in the dark.
  • Screw-down Crown
    The crown is protected by screwing mechanism, which improves water resistance.

SPECIFICATION​

Brand
Seiko
Collection
Seiko Prospex
Gender
Men's
Movement
Quartz
Calibre
7C46
Case Material
Stainless Steel
Case Shape
Round
Case Size
46.6
Case Thickness
14.1
Dial Type
Analog
Dial Color
Blue
Band Material
Polymer
Band Color
Blue
Water Resistance
300
Glass
Sapphire, Antireflection Coating
Features
Date, Day, Glowing Hands, Glowing Markers, Antimagnetic, Screw-down Crown

Seiko Prospex SBBN037 Blue Tuna Limited​

$1,221.00

$1,096.00




SeikoSBBN043-3_2000x.jpg


In the world of dive watches, many watch brands have been striving to bring new innovations to bring new technological developments for dive watches to perform in the deep ocean's extreme conditions. Seiko has brought significant contributions to the field of dive watches for more than half a century, earning the respect of many dive professionals.

In 1968, Seiko received a response from a saturation diver from Kure City in the Hiroshima prefecture of Japan suggesting the lack of robustness in previous Seiko dive watches that led to a failure due to pressure during prolonged use underwater. This prompted Seiko engineers, which were led by Ikuo Tokunaga, to challenge themselves to create the ultimate dive watch. In 1975, the Seiko 6159-7010, or also known by Seiko aficionados as the “Grandfather Tuna” was born. Since then, the Tuna has drawn a cult following for watch enthusiasts and divers alike for its historical significance, unique design, and impeccable performance.
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Seiko Prospex Professional 300M Tuna Ref. SBBN043
The Seiko Tuna line of watches today has kept the Tuna's iconic aesthetic from its first debut, giving the core emphasis on remarkable diving prowess and being a reliable tool watch for saturation divers that can withstand prolonged pressure underwater. With this in mind, Seiko unveiled their latest generation of their Tuna line up, the Seiko Prospex Professional 300M Tuna Ref. SBBN043, which brings a new colour variation with a significant update to the case size that Seiko Tuna lovers will definitely look forward to.

Seiko Tunas are unquestionably large watches (The first Seiko Tuna being an astounding 51mm). However, Seiko released this new model in a contemporary size that may excite those who have been yearning for a Tuna but was reluctant due to the hefty size associated with many other Seiko Tuna models.

The Prospex Professional 300M Tuna Ref. SBBN043 sports a “tuna can” stainless steel construction with a case diameter of 46.6mm and a thickness of 14.1mm. This features a significantly compact build compared to most 300m Tuna models, allowing the watch to sit comfortably on smaller wrist sizes. Despite the smaller case profile, the watch retains its ISO certified 300m of water resistance, making the watch suitable for air diving activities.

SeikoSBBN043-3_600x600.jpg
Seiko's iconic high tech quartz movement, 7C46
Moreover, the “lug-less” makes the watch fit smaller than it seems, having a lug to lug distance of only 47.7mm, allowing the Prospex Professional 300M Tuna Ref. SBBN043 to fit many wrist sizes. Needless to say, this piece would definitely exert a bold and masculine wrist presence on the wrist.

One of the most distinctive features that makes Seiko Tunas is, without a doubt, the shrouded case design. Besides the unique aesthetic, the outer case, or commonly known as the shroud, protects the 120-click diving bezel from unintentional rotation and shock to the case during diving operations. The Prospex Professional 300M Tuna Ref. SBBN043 features a brushed stainless steel shroud treated with Seiko’s Dia-Shield coating for resistance against scratches.

The dial of the Prospex Professional 300M Tuna Ref. SBBN043 is a stunning deep blue, matching the bezel and supplied silicone strap - giving this piece a subtle pop of colour, a wonderful alternative from the usual black. Seiko also brought back the original brushed hands set found on the 1975 Tuna Ref. 6159-7010, replacing the “Prospex” hands that were found on the SBBN031/033.

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Stainless steel shroud with super hard coating
The indices and hands are generously treated with Seiko’s famed Lumibite for a bright glow in dark lighting conditions. Being part of Seiko’s professional sports category, the dial is marked with the “X” shaped Prospex logo at the 6 o’clock position. Protecting the dial sits a piece of sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating for superior scratch resistance.

The Prospex Professional 300M Tuna Ref. SBBN043 is powered by Seiko's iconic high tech quartz movement, 7C46. The 7 jeweled movement with extremely hi-torque tolerances and high efficiency enables the gears and pinions to move and turn the hands in perfect sync to the energy-pulse, with much less kinetic effort via the electronic step motors that power them. Thus making for a highly accurate and efficient full size quartz machine to perform strongly with much less resistance resulting in longer battery life.

SeikoSBBN043-8_600x600.jpg
Seiko's Lumibrite needs no introduction
The watch comes supplied with a matching blue silicone strap, built for diving in the ocean's deep depths. This soft waterproof strap also flaunts excellent durability and resistance to wear and tear. Admire the seamless design of this rubber strap that tapers down to its tips, preventing the timepiece from being overly bulky and subtly elevating its Tuna case shape.

In summary, the Prospex Professional 300M Tuna Ref. SBBN043 is a great new offering that features a more compact case build compared to past iterations of 300m Tunas. This new colour variation adds vibrance to the utilitarian aesthetic, a superb choice for the discerning diver watch enthusiast indeed.

Specifications​



Maker
Seiko Japan


Movement
Caliber 7C46. Seiko 7-Jewel Hi-Tech quartz.


Accuracy range
+/- 15 seconds per month.


Dial
Blue with applied luminous indexes


Luminous
Lumibrite


Case
Stainless steel. Super hard coating.


Crown type
Screwdown. Signed Crown


Lug width
22mm


Crystal material
Curved sapphire crystal, Anti-reflective coating on inner surface


Strap
Blue silicone strap


Water resistance
300m. ISO certified.


Dimensions
47.7mm in diameter, 46.7mm lug to lug, 14.1mm thick
Find out more about the brand
 
A very sharp, mid size, quartz, day/date, PD, three hand, from Seiko. :wink: Handsome, stylish, and sporty.:dance2:Thanks Mike.:hat:
 
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