Stuhrling Depthmaster 883 Automatic Watch Discussions | Drop

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Stuhrling Depthmaster 883 Automatic Watch

Apr 27, 2018

Dear CalledIceman/Blue Sapphire THANKS!!--I came here all excited at the prospect of scoring a dive watch WITH a Swiss automatic movement for under $150 (and I don't mean $149.99) and made the mistake of reading the "discussions" and marfing around the various links for close to 45 minutes I'll never see again...then when I clicked on your link and was taken to Stuhrling's site, my marf there came across the fact that one of their less expensive quartz dive watches made into the Adventure Junkies "Top 10 dive watch" list for 2018 ...thanks to my adventure addicted son, I'm familiar with Adventure Junkies and they're the real deal...so the way I figure it, if Stuhrling's LESS expensive quartz dive watch makes the cut, then their more expensive mechanical Swiss powered dive watch is at least as good (and not that much more considering I'm getting a SWISS automatic movement)...re that helpfully confusing watchfreeks post...it seems Fossil owns Zodiac -- an old line Swiss brand (I have their floating hand mystery watch), does it make sense they bought a "marquee" brand like that to jam it with crap and kill two of their investments (they have a stake in Claro as well) with one watch brand? And so what if the "parts" are finished or whatever in China? What does that even mean anymore?. I'm writing this on my Thinkpad (formerly IBM now Lenovo and made in guess where....and it ain't Silicon Valley ...and once I'm done with this, I'm going home for the weekend...but first I'm stopping at a friend to loan him my Sony MDR1000X before he leaves on a 2 week trip ---they set me back close to $400 ...but they're better than any BOSE I've come across, so I treated myself(and told my wife she's off the hook for my father's day and anniversary gift(s) this year)anyway guess where SONY--the quintessential Japanese company makes their top of the line headphones? (hint it ain't their homeland), as I'm going to hit Friday traffic I'll call my wife to tell her I'm running late....gee I hope Apple knew what they were doing when they hired a Chinese company to make their iPhones (BTW anyone actually believe their new SE2 iPhone will one again have a headphone jack? Sorry for the rant. But I've been looking for a Swiss automatic dive watch for a while and after what I spent on my Sony's it was prudent I tread lightly $$ wise. So when a buddy told me about this Stuhrling deal, I didn't get TOO excited until I did my homework. A lifetime ago people said the same things about Japanese quality... then Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer (among others) gave everyone a wake-up call... at first the classic "high end" US audio brands like Scott, Fisher, Marantz etc laughed... Now, history's repeating itself and since it means I can score a Swiss automatic dive watch from a real company for under $130...you're gonna have to do better than veiled generalities to talk me out of it. BTW 1000 pardons for the rant you just read... as I said earlier, I came here ready to buy the Stuhrling dive watch then I hit the "discussions tab" and as I'm a bit obsessed with mechanical watches, one link led to another and before I knew it, there went 45 minutes of my life never to return, had I started with Icemand's link to the Stuhrling site and seen their dive watch top ten award, everything else would've been moot and I wouldn't feel compelled to add way more than my 2 cents to a discussion where everyone involved seems determined to prove that a branded Swiss Automatic dive watch selling for $129.99 ISN'T a great deal... guys get a life,,, I'm getting this watch (assuming my wife signs off)

Apr 27, 2018

Daisy_Cutter

1288

Apr 28, 2018

PstirzelYour point seems to be that stuff from the orient is fine. I agree with that wholeheartedly.
If so though, then why would you want a Chinese movement that's being sold as Swiss thanks to legal loopholes? (which is exactly what's in this watch) I'm sure Seagull's movements are perfectly adequate, but for now at least, Japanese designed and manufactured movements are much better.
For about the same price, you could get a Seiko SKX007/009, which have the very well regarded 7S26 movement that is 100%, unashamedly Japanese.
No judgment if you decide to still go for this - it's your money to spend. Just not sure your rationale really justifies this purchase.

Apr 28, 2018

A community member

Apr 28, 2018

Daisy_CutterUm, correction: the Seiko 7S26 is made in Malaysia albeit designed and engineered by a Japanese company. I own several SKX variants and have been inside every one of them and the rotor is marked Malaysia which is where the 7S26 movement is manufactured.

Apr 28, 2018

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Daisy_Cutter

1288

Apr 28, 2018

Yes, you have a point. I should have been more specific and referred to the SKX007J / 009J models, which are manufactured in Japan.

Apr 28, 2018

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A community member

Apr 28, 2018

Daisy_CutterNot sure sure about that either. The J suffix means that they are for the Japanese domestic market, but it is not clear to me where they are actually manufactured. I know the dials are marked “Japan” but not sure about the actual movement. There’s endless debate about this in the various forums. And as is being discussed elsewhere in this drop, simply putting a few Swiss parts in a Chinese made movement allows it to claim “Swiss Made”. I wonder if Seiko does the same thing with their dials and then can claim ”Made in Japan”. I just recently purchased a Seiko SRPC11 that says Japan on the dial and is for the Japan market only, but nowhere on the movement does it indicate where the 4R36 was actually made. None the less, t’s a great watch BTW. And after regulating all my 7S26 SKXs, they’re great too, but every 4R36 or 4R35 I‘ve owned or currently own has been far more accurate fresh from the box. And for the record, I bought a Seiko SNZF17J2 from Massdrop and wound up returning it as the date wheel was misaligned and the bezel was off by quite a bit. So much for the supposed superiority of the J versions.

Apr 28, 2018

Daisy_Cutter

1288

Apr 28, 2018

Interesting, I'd always thought the J suffix (at least for the SKX007 and 009) meant made in Japan. I suppose it doesn't matter as much in this particular instance since "Made in Japan" doesn't have the same cachet as "Swiss Made". Also, the K models are in no way inferior to the J models.

Apr 28, 2018

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A community member

Apr 28, 2018

Daisy_CutterI happen to think the cachet that the Swiss have been exploiting is a bit overblown myself. But, credit where credit is due. However Seiko builds fantastic timepieces and I’m happy with all of mine including a vintage 1965 Calibre 66A hand wind that I just picked up. Runs about +30 seconds per day but could probably use a cleaning after 53 years. Been very happy with all three of my Orient watches too. Only have two Swiss pieces and they’re both vintage because they were handed down. But no one can deny the Japanese their due either. And in total agreement about J and K versions.

Apr 28, 2018

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Astro_Seven

182

Apr 30, 2018

Daisy_CutterI'm not sure if this is relevant to this discussion but in order for a watch to be qualified as Swiss Made at least 60% of its value--not its components -- must be Swiss derived, making it a very ambiguous guideline / standard . Based on that, all of a watch's components could be made in China but having it assembled or designed in Switzerland can account for 60% of its value.. thereby classifying it as Swiss Made.

Apr 30, 2018