Seiko Prospex SBDC029 Review & Complete Guide
If you are looking for a robust, sporty, and durable dive watch with a great presence on the wrist that offers great value for money, Seiko is definitely a brand worth considering.
Seiko is widely appreciated for its affordable automatic watches, and in its collection, the vast array of dive watches tends to be some of the most popular. The reason for this is simple. Few competitors offer as great quality, finish, and performance in the same price ranges as Seiko does.
There are tons of dive watches from Seiko to choose from, so which one should you pick? Ultimately, the decision comes down to your preference, but in order to make a well-grounded decision, you need to know the details first. To help you do just that, we will in this article review and look closer at the Seiko Prospex SBDC029.
Seiko Prospex SBDC029 Review
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A few years ago, Seiko updated and changed the SBDC029, but the updates were not substantial. As a dive watch should, and as we have come to expect a Seiko dive watch to be, the Prospex SBDC029 is bulky and sporty, but most importantly offers great performance in relation to its price.
Yes, there are much more affordable dive watches from Seiko that you can choose from, but after having looked at it in detail, it becomes very evident that the higher price you pay for this model is actually reflected in what you are getting. For being a Seiko, some people may consider this watch expensive, especially since you can get, for example, an SKX for substantially less than that. But it’s not only the price tags that are different between these timepieces.
As the name suggests, this watch is a ”Prospex” watch. This simply means that the watch is made according to professional specifications. And of course, if it is good enough for professionals, it should be good enough for us, right?
With that said, if you want a qualitative dive watch that has great quality, is durable, and has a reliable automatic watch with a diving performance, this watch is definitely worth considering.
Photo: Gnomon Watches
Seiko Prospex SBDC029 case
The Seiko Prospex SBDC029 features a titanium case that is rather large and bulky. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since this is exactly what it is about. However, with that said, because the case is made of titanium, it is extremely light on the wrist. This is a really nice combination as it allows the watch to be big and sporty, but not weigh a ton. In our opinion, the use of titanium for this model is highly appropriate.
The case has a diameter of 44mm without the crown and a thickness of 13.3mm. The lug-to-lug measures about 51mm. To go with the large case, it has, not unexpectedly, a lug width of 22mm.
The case is very well-finished for the price, and it has intriguing lines and shapes. The top of the case is satin-brushed, which in turn is contrasted by polished sides. The lugs have very aggressive and angled lugs which makes this watch much more sporty. The combination of brushed and polished elements shows that Seiko has paid attention to the details, and it ensures the watch looks sporty, but not too sporty.
At 3 o’clock of the case, we have the crown, which has a raised ”S” on it. As a dive watch should, it has a screw-down crown. For a dive watch, a screw-down crown is crucial in order to ensure the water-resistance. The relatively large crown sits protected between two crown guards (which helps minimize the risk of leakage shall you accidentally hit it against something before or during a dive).
However, it is worth keeping in mind that despite its weight of just around 110 grams, the case is still large. And therefore, it is most suitable for men with medium to large wrists. Whilst titanium is practical from a wearability point of view, a potential downside is that stainless steel is more scratch-resistant than titanium and also easier to polish. At the same time, the good news is that the titanium case has been treated with a scratch-resistant coating to keep the titanium case looking good. Have in mind though that the coating is made to resist light scratches and will not protect against deep scratches.
A benefit of titanium is that it is less prone to rust than stainless steel. This is of course highly relevant for a dive watch.
Since this is a dive watch, you should expect good water resistance, that is exactly what it offers.
Speaking of water resistance, this watch has a water resistance of 200m/660 feet/20 ATM, which is the minimum water resistance for a watch to be classified as a diver. This means it is suitable for swimming, diving, and virtually any type of water sport.
The case has a solid case back with the iconic Seiko Divers Tsunami logo on it.
For this watch, Seiko has opted for a Hardlex crystal. It would have been nice with a sapphire crystal at this price point, but I guess you can’t have it all.
Since this is a dive watch, it is of course equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel with 60-minute graduation markers. The bezel has a ”shark teeth” edge around it for a better grip. It also has a slightly matte black aluminum insert on which the markers are printed in silver. At 12 o’clock, we have a luminous dot for legibility.
Seiko Prospex SBDC029 dial
The SBDC029 is presented with a black dial with large applied hour markers filled with plenty of lume and with a polished metal frame. This sounds just about like any other dive watch out there. And this is because legibility is the single most important aspect of a dive watch. The minute hand is swords-shaped and broad, whereas the hour hand is shaped like a big arrow. The hands provide good contrast against the black background and ensure great legibility. The seconds hand also has Lumibrite applied to it.
When it comes to luminescence, this watch doesn’t disappoint, and it glows bright and long, thanks to the Lumibrite that Seiko uses.
Positioned at 3 o’clock, we have a date window. This has a white background and the date is printed in black. This helps make the watch more practical for everyday use, because let’s be honest, despite the fact that it is big and sporty, that’s how most people will wear it. The date window has a white frame around it.
Around the outer edge of the dial, we also have a beveled chapter ring on which the seconds markers are printed.
Seiko Prospex SBDC029 movement
The Seiko Prospex SBDC029 ”Shogun” is equipped with the in-house Seiko caliber 6R15 movement. This is an automatic mechanical caliber that has 23 jewels and beats at 21,600 vph.
The movement offers a power reserve of 50 hours. This movement has hacking seconds and manual winding functions, both of which are not found in Seiko’s more affordable automatic movements.
The 6R15 is known to be robust and durable, which is obviously very appropriate for this type of watch. A sporty dive watch needs a durable movement, and the SBDC029 certainly has one. In addition, it has proven to be a workhorse that can continue to tick for years without needing much maintenance.
Seiko Prospex SBDC029 bracelet
The watch is presented on a titanium bracelet with a double push-button deployment clasp with a diver’s extension. On the clasp, we have an engraved Seiko logo.
Again, because the bracelet is made of titanium, it is very light. But at the same time, it has a bulky and sporty presence on the wrist. Is this the best of both worlds?
A nice bonus of this watch is that you also get a rubber strap with it. This makes the watch wear more neatly on the wrist, and it also adds to the dive watch appeal, shall you wish to change. Speaking of changing bracelets, the case has drilled lugs which makes switching straps a breeze.
Specifications
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Power reserve: 50 hours
- Diameter: 44mm
- Case: Titanium (protected by dia-shield scratch-proof coating)
- Bracelet: titanium (protected by dia-shield scratch-proof coating)
- Lug width: 22mm
- Water-resistance: 200m / 660ft
- Jewels: 23
- Frequency: 21600 BPH/VPH
- Movement: Seiko in-house caliber 6R15. Automatic, manual winding and hacking seconds functions
Conclusion
All in all, the Seiko Prospex SBDC029 is a great sporty and durable dive watch. The watch is bulky and large in terms of size, but because the bracelet and case are made of titanium, it is surprisingly light on the wrist, This keeps it from feeling too clumsy and inconvenient on the wrist.
The watch has everything you may need in a dive watch, and it is built to last. The watch is well-finished and extremely well-built. If you are looking for a reliable and robust dive watch at a price that means great value for money, this is certainly worth considering.
In addition, Seiko has really paid attention to details with this watch with everything from case design, finishing, and dial layout. The legibility is exceptional, and the finishing of the case is really great. Especially if you consider it is made of titanium.
Yes, it is more expensive than many other Seiko dive watches, but at the same time, the price increase is also reflected in what you are actually getting.
The Seiko Prospex SBDC029 is available to order on Amazon.
Main Photo: Gnomon Watches
