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Old 9 June 2012, 09:24 AM   #1
OrangeSport
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Seiko Orange Monster Review

I originally posted this on another watch forum, but thought it might be of interest here too. I know that a number of posters on this site also have Seiko Monsters...

I've had my Seiko Orange Monster since the start of this year, but to be honest it gets limited wrist time. I bought it as a support act to my Rolex Submariner 14060M, for times when my Sub isn't available or appropriate. The Sub is my daily wearer, but it is having a little engraving completed at the moment so the Monster came with me on holiday this week. This is the first time it has been on my wrist for five days solid (other than when I was running, when my G-Shock took over), so it seems the perfect time to write a mini review of the legend that is the Orange Monster.

Now, although it is not fair to compare the Monster (which can be had for approximately £130 new online, with an RRP of around £250) to the Sub (which retailed at around £4200 and is, in my opinion, one of the finest dive watches to have as a daily wearer) I am afraid that is the benchmark that my Monster has to live with.

So, after five days use here we go:

Style:

OK, this is subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I like the Orange Monster. At 42mm by 13mm, it is chunky without being huge. It looks solid. It is very easy to read. For casual wear it is great, and is stylish while looking relaxed. The orange face also stands out well under water, and we used it as a dive target for my young daughter to retrieve when she was practicing her swimming. It is not the watch to wear with a suit or dressy shirt though. The orange face is not right for that kind of attire, and there is a shine to the case which can look almost cheap. Not quite, but almost.

Build Quality:

First of all, the 20mm bracelet is fantastic. Really, really fantastic. It is solid, has a great clasp, the diving extension is simple and effective and it is connected to the watch by pierced lugs. Removing and changing the strap is therefore nice and simple.

The case is nice and solid, and the bezel has a very positive movement to it. It all feels like a quality product, apart from the crown. It is a screw down crown, which is great for water resistance (200m), but once unscrewed it does feel cheap and flimsy. On the plus side, its position at four o'clock stops the crown from digging into the back of your hand.

The case back is nicely decorated and the watch is very comfortable. It is a heavy watch, but you soon forget the weight.

The Seiko Monster range is famous for its superb lume. It lasts right through the night and is incredibly bright. It is certainly the best lume I have seen.

The watch has a hardlex crystal, which is stronger than sapphire but less scratch resistant.

The Movement:

The Monster uses the 7S26 movement with 21 jewels. This movement is non hacking and non hand winding. Luckily it really spins up quickly and easily, and seems to build up its power reserve effectively. Full power reserve is somewhere over forty hours.

The 7S26 gives the Monster day and date readings, both of which are at three o'clock.

I have made no attempt to regulate my Monster, either permanently or by positioning it when at rest. It seems to run fast by about 10 seconds per day, but I have heard that with a little regulation these can run more accurately than this. To be honest, for the price, I find this totally acceptable.

Conclusion:

So there you have it. In conclusion, if you like dive watches or want a good solid automatic watch at a rock bottom price I think you would be hard pushed to buy better than a Seiko Monster. It isn't perfect, but there are no real show stopping issues. I wouldn't wear it as a formal watch, but not everyone worries about that and to be honest the Black Monster may be subtle enough to get away with if you are wearing a suit.

The watch is also available with a rubber strap, which is slightly cheaper.

The colour scheme obviously works for my daughter too, as she picked up an orange watch while we were away.

Thanks for reading!
Attached Images
File Type: jpg OM1.jpg (63.4 KB, 1452 views)
File Type: jpg Clasp.jpg (31.9 KB, 1437 views)
File Type: jpg CB.jpg (66.5 KB, 1439 views)
File Type: jpg Orange Monster SKX781.jpg (12.8 KB, 1435 views)
File Type: jpg J&F.jpg (49.0 KB, 1438 views)
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Old 9 June 2012, 01:07 PM   #2
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Great review. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 9 June 2012, 04:51 PM   #3
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Thank you.
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Old 10 June 2012, 05:29 PM   #4
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Thx for the review. I've been thinking about getting one of those.
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Old 10 June 2012, 07:09 PM   #5
OrangeSport
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They are incredible value for money. If you have more expensive models they are great watches to have in reserve to save your best watches from rougher duties. If you are not into watches, or on a limited budget, I see no reason why a Monster wouldn't be a good choice for a one watch guy.
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Old 10 June 2012, 08:53 PM   #6
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good write up.

I agree they are great value for money and provide quality far beyond the price.

I have a very close relative of the monster - "the starfish"

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Old 10 June 2012, 10:05 PM   #7
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Unbelievable value for the investment. Great writeup!
They're fun to mod too.
dP

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Old 10 June 2012, 11:48 PM   #8
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Great Review, Thanks for sharing.
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Old 11 June 2012, 03:04 AM   #9
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Thanks for the great comments and pictures, there are some nice watches there! Interesting mod Dan. You blanked out the day window.

I have a few Natos for mine, and think the Monster looks good on nylon. Trouble is, the bracelet is too good not to use and I find it more comfortable too.
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Old 11 June 2012, 10:30 AM   #10
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Great review. Have the Black Monster and for the money it is hard to beat.
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Old 12 June 2012, 06:41 AM   #11
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Great review. Have the Black Monster and for the money it is hard to beat.
Yes, they are certainly a bit of a bargain!
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Old 12 June 2012, 06:49 AM   #12
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I have a Black dialed one, love it. It was my daily watch when my Sub was being serviced.
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Old 12 June 2012, 11:17 PM   #13
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nice! good stuff, thanks for that. the monster definitely has its share of fans.
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Old 27 June 2012, 01:22 AM   #14
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Well done review. Thanks.
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Old 1 July 2012, 11:09 PM   #15
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Great review!
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Old 2 July 2012, 10:34 PM   #16
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Great review! I have a black monster and love it. Bought the Seiko rubber strap which is what I wear mostly. Funny how I get more compliments on that watch when I also have a 16600.

-Mike.
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Old 3 July 2012, 12:09 AM   #17
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I love the Seiko monster and have a Black with metal bracelet and an Orange with rubber strap. They are superb watches for the money and are my go-to watches for outings when I don't want to wear the Sub-C, for various reasons. They probably get more stares and comments than the Rolex, as above!
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Old 5 July 2012, 11:42 AM   #18
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Love the Orange Monster. Took it off the steel and went to a Maratac right away. Was my daily wearer for a year or so (crappy iPhone photo)

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Old 16 July 2012, 06:00 AM   #19
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Woah. Wait one second. That case is so close to Hublot's earlier diver model...
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Old 26 August 2012, 01:16 PM   #20
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The monsters are great watches and OP is correct they have the best lume. They can take a beating
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Old 9 September 2012, 10:41 AM   #21
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Nice review. Thanks!
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Old 13 September 2012, 06:25 AM   #22
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Love these watches going to get one simply because they are so easy to mod and make more personal not sure which Seiko model but this one looks a contender plus its fun collecting watches in-between Rolex or other big ticket purchases..nice review..
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Old 13 September 2012, 10:19 PM   #23
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great looking and affordable
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Old 14 September 2012, 05:11 PM   #24
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my seiko "piranha" says hello!

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Old 15 September 2012, 01:24 PM   #25
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Quote:
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my seiko "piranha" says hello!

Very nice
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Old 16 September 2012, 06:28 PM   #26
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Great review! Seiko SKX series watches are the best bang for your bucks watches out there. I have both the black and orange Monsters and I wear them every so often without worrying much about getting them bang up.
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It is a known issue that all of the SubC and GMTIIC's movement have reliability issues. Something to do with a spring that was introduced. I expect this to further increase the value of older Submariners and GMTIIs.
Heck why can't I start my own internet rumor and raise the prices of MY WATCHES!!!!
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Old 19 November 2012, 08:04 AM   #27
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I have a Black Monster a adore it! It's a beater, a reliable "whatever" timepiece and a must-have in any collection all rolled ino one. I wouldn't wear it with a tux, but a better bang for the buck in a mwechanical automatic dive watch cannot be found IMHO.
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Old 19 November 2012, 10:44 AM   #28
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The Piranha is very cool. I haven't seen that before. Is it after market dial and hands?
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Old 19 November 2012, 11:58 AM   #29
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Great review! Seiko Monsters are definitely popular for lots of good reasons!
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Old 19 November 2012, 12:21 PM   #30
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Great review. I was just saying earlier that i was going to be buying one of these very soon. Your post just confirms that decision. Thanks for the write up
Btw, were are y'all getting the black and orange NATO straps. I love them
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