Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I don't typically spend over $200 on my watches. They take too much of a beating to justify buying expensive ones. In this instance, I made an exception. However, I'm not an expert or connoisseur on fine watches. I'm just an average man looking for a nice, sturdy watch.
I previously used a Victorinox Swiss Army Infantry watch for day to day wear. It's a very simple, classic watch which is well constructed. My biggest complaint with the watch was the lifespan of the leather band but that is easily remedied. Unfortunately, ever since I had the battery changed by a local jewelry shop, it's no longer waterproof (my mistake for not sending it in). Anyway, I was in the market for a new, water-resistant watch would I could wear everyday and intended to stick with Victorinox based on my previous experience.
While looking through the collection of Victorinox watches, I discovered this one. I really liked the look of the metal on this watch. This remains true after I received it. The gunmetal appearance is a little different than you average watch. The chronograph and date displays are attractive. The look is really nice.
I also appreciated the fact that it was a 'dive' watch and capable of being submerged to 500m. Whether or not this watch really can be used for diving is questionable. I'm not sure how easy it would be to read the chronograph or other illuminated markings when under water and it doesn't include a light, so I'm skeptical. I'm planning on attempting my first dive in a few weeks so we'll see how well it works for this purpose.
The 3rd selling point was the rubber band -- I was hoping that this would prove superior to the leather band on my previous one. I can't stand the feel of metal bands and I intend to wear the watch when I'm swimming, playing sports, etc so a rubber sport band makes sense. After receiving the watch, this particular element exceed my expectations. This band is incredibly comfortable and feels very sturdy -- it just doesn't seem like it will standup for a long time. I won't go back to another type of band.
The final selling point was the anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Again, my watches take a beating and once you own a watch with the sapphire crytsal, you are unlikely to go back. It's nice to not have to worry about scratching the crystal without some extreme event.
The one thing originally holding me back was the case size. The case is a little thicker than I like. I'm used to a 9.5mm case so the jump up to 14.5mm case was big. I usually hate 'thick', heavy watches -- I guess that only applies to cheap ones because this one is very well balanced and it doesn't feel bad on my wrist. In fact, it's so comfortable, I forget I have it on -- this, to me, is a key feature of a watch.
I only have a couple of knocks on the watch (which result in the loss of one star).
First, I'm not a big fan of the standard second hand display. It's located in the middle, bottom right above the date. It's relatively small and with the hands of chronograph in the 12 o'clock position, the bottom of those hands makes it difficult/confusing to get a good view of the second hand. There also aren't really markings in the second hand display beyond the 0/15/30/45 positions. Granted, you have the large chronograph hands for actually keeping track of seconds but sometimes you just need to quickly keep track of seconds and this setup does not lend itself to that.
Second, the manual on the watch isn't great. It goes into basic function but isn't entirely clear. When I received this watch initially, it wasn't functioning. I thought I might need to do something to 'kick-start' it for the first time but I couldn't find anything. I've never owned a cronograph watch or one with a screw out crown so the concept of two 'stop' positions on the crown was new to me. After playing with it for quite some time, I finally got the hang of it but it was no thanks to the included instructions (and I wasn't able to find much additional help on-line). This seems to be a common theme with companies these days -- they often skimp on the accompanying documentation despite the fact that it's an ideal time to solidify that relationship with your consumer and generate some brand loyalty -- this is the type of purchase that someone might get excited about. Use it to your advantage! But I digress...
To cut to the chase, the watch wasn't functioning correctly (dead battery?). As usual, Amazon customer service took care of me and got a replacement to me immediately. That is why, when I purchase bigger ticket items (over $200) off this site, I'm willing to pay a few bucks more for the one actually being sold by Amazon (as opposed to a 3rd party). It's just less risky and they've always stood behind what they sell. Luckily, they are usually the least expensive option as well!
Those are the main knocks. Generally very small stuff. Overall, I really like the watch and anticipate wearing it for quite a few years. This watch is worth the price. Go ahead and make the purchase, you won't regret it.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Victorinox Swiss Army Men's 241421 Dive Master Black Dial Watch
Improve the quality of your diving watch by upgrading to the Victorinox Swiss Army Men's Dive Master 500 Chrono Watch. This durable timepiece features a round, silver-toned, PVD-coated, stainless steel case and bezel with engraved minute markings and Arabic numerals. The black dial features luminous, silver-toned indices at every hour position, with the exception of the ten o'clock position where the 12-hour subdial appears. The silver-toned hour, minute, and second hands are luminous and easy to see above and below water. Other great features on this dial include chronograph functions, an outside minute track, and a date window displayed above the six o'clock position. The adjustable black rubber band is comfortable and securely fastens with a buckle clasp. This timepiece boasts reliable Swiss quartz movement and is protected by an antireflective sapphire crystal. The watch is water resistant to an impressive depth of 1,640 feet (500 meters).
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