Steinhart Ocean One Vintage Red Review | Ticks All the Vintage Diver Boxes
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With pricing and demand on classic, vintage watches continuing on an ever upward trend, it is fair to say the homage watch market has been doing quite well these past few years. Pricing for a 1960’s-era Omega Speedmaster or Rolex Daytona in good condition will give some collectors the fleeting thought of taking on a second mortgage. Fortunately for most of us who live on the planet Earth, we know the vintage watch market is grossly inflated and one shouldn’t even entertain such a purchase unless of course they wish to start living in their car. Homages that mimic such iconic pieces have been widely available at multiple price points from several watch makers; some good, some bad, some awful.
In response to this, some design aspects that are emerging with greater frequency are modest case diameter sizes (40mm and smaller) and height (13mm and thinner) of many pieces being released. Slowly fading from availability are the pieces that eclipse 45mm in diameter and weigh nearly 200 grams on a bracelet. Most watch collectors know, these pieces get very tiresome to wear, especially for those of us with sub 7-inch wrists. More specifically, the desire for modest yet beautiful diver watches has returned and luckily many watch makers are beginning to take notice of the demands of the watch community. Unfortunately, such pieces can be lacking in quality. Often they’re simply not built well enough to justify the price tag. Fortunately there ARE some Swiss watch makers who are now beginning to offer pieces that are an excellent value without sacrificing exceptional build quality, long-life movements, and upscale finishing.
Though most available homages give nod to the most popular and recognizable luxury pieces. It is refreshing that some homages are very specific to vintage time pieces with distinct color ways and configurations. These are the homages that genuine watch collectors might seek out with a certain budget in mind. Enter the Steinhart Ocean One 39 Vintage Red. No, it’s not an exact copy of a vintage Rolex Sea-Dweller Double Red, but it comes incredibly close. “Double Red” referring to the two lines of red text at the 6’oclock dial position on both watches. Pair a sub-$600 price point with a superb, Swiss build quality and you have a definite contender for an “exit” diver as some might like to call it. Just for reference, if anyone out there is all too often asking “Why not save for the Rolex?” I ask you check your pricing. A decent example of a vintage Rolex Sea-Dweller double red will run you about $95,000 USD; not exactly small change nor would I WANT to wear a watch costing that much out in the real world. But right out of the box, you can tell this Steinhart piece is going to spend more than it’s fair share of time on your wrist for a small fraction of that cost, as I quickly found out.
Price & Shipping
This particular Steinhart piece is exclusively built for and sold by Gnomon Watches, a well-respected Singapore-based dealer of Swiss, Japanese and other origin time pieces. Gnomon has an easy-to-use web store, an actual walk-in store, and a very responsive and courteous customer support team. My purchase went through easily, the DHL shipping to the USA was prompt, and the product was very well protected and packaged for a pleasant unboxing experience. One thing you notice immediately with Steinhart pieces is the stickers, wrapping and box. The clear, easy to peel films cover nearly every surface of the watch. I’ve purchased two Steinharts and I’ve always found that all the surfaces are well protected against in-transit scuffing or scratching, not that they need it inside a nicely felted and padded box. My purchase was made for $519 USD (free shipping). You can opt for a jubilee style bracelet for an extra $70 USD, but I went with the included oyster style bracelet, since it is more in keeping with the original Sea-Dweller design.
CONSTRUCTION
As you might expect, this piece is made entirely of sturdy 316L stainless steel. Case, base back, bracelet and all. Being built with longevity and decades of wear in mind, it certainly doesn’t seem it would disappoint. True to the description, the case diameter of this piece measures 39mm exactly; 43mm if factoring in the crown at the 3’oclock position. Lug-tip to lug-tip measures in at 46mm and the case thickness (with crystal) is 14mm. The supplied bracelet fits snugly into the 20mm lug opening and is matched to the case perfectly without any unpleasant gaps or wobbles, showing precision machining. Helped by the copious wrapping of the piece from the Steinhart factory, you also receive a piece with immaculate finishing. You’d be hard pressed to find a single finishing flaw when the piece is freshly unboxed.
Inside the robust yet elegant case resides a very reliable Swiss-made Sellita SW200 Elabore automatic movement, which will be covered in more detail below. Sized for my 6.75 inch wrist, this complete assemblage of well-executed time piece weighs in at a very agreeable 145 grams. I find this piece to be just perfect in the weight department, for it doesn’t get heavy as the hours of the day wear on. In fact, this is definitely a watch that will make your other pieces jealous. The more I wore this watch the more I liked it. Then one day I open my watch box the discover all my mechanical/automatic pieces have stopped due to using up their power reserves. Such is the state of affairs when a collector finds the near-perfect watch.
In keeping with the design cues of the vintage Rolex Sea-Dweller that this piece so adequately represents. The case is relatively flat with only a slight downward curving of the lug ends. Even more welcome are the female bracelet end links, which will allow the piece to curve around your wrist more readily without letting the case jutt out, even if you have a wrist well-below 7 inches. The case sides are of a mirror-grade polishing and the top of the case, mostly lug areas, have a subtle, vertical satin brushing.
The 6mm diameter crown is guarded and the crown grip is perfectly executed which will allow a satisfying interaction with the movement while winding or setting it. Having a 300 meter water resistant rating (non-ISO), this watch is fitted with a screw down crown. The embossed Steinhart logo on the face of the crown is also well executed. Since the upscale movement is Swiss made, the action of the crown is nothing short of perfect. The attention to detail for the crown really comes through with this piece. The screw down threading is always certain and the wearer will not need to “feel for the threads” when resetting the date or time. The hand winding feels solid and the setting of the time and date leaves no guess work or back play. I even like to put this piece to my ear when winding it, for it seems to sound better than my Japanese movements. I hope I’m not the only collector that does this…
The screw down case back is simple and flat, with only a slight bubble out at the edges. Adding to the comfort level somewhat, the weight of the piece feels spread out and not concentrated on a singular portion of your wrist. The entire case back has a faint and simple circular brushing.
MOVEMENT
As with the quality of the watch itself, Steinhart chose a movement that would be attainable, dependable, and meticulously tested and built. Then they went on to chose a higher grade of the said movement to offer the wearer a slightly higher degree of accuracy. The Swiss made Sellita SW200 is a staple movement among watches in this price range, however this model received the Elabore grade, which undergoes a further degree of adjustment against three positions. This allows the movement to be considerably more accurate than the standard movement, stating a tolerance of +/-7 seconds per day with as much as +/- 20 seconds per day. However, I’ve been wearing my example for several months and have never seen the piece stray any further from +3 seconds per day. The Elbore grade SW200 movement is also recognized as a go-to movement by many other watch makers, offered within pieces that are far more expensive. Being widely available, it is also easy to service at a reputable watch maker should the need arise.
As said, the action put forth by the crown offers the user a sure feel. Hacking and hand winding are also standard, allowing the wearer to get the movement going if left off the wrist for several days, as well as getting the seconds hand perfectly in sync with the proper time. I also found the quick-set date to be satisfying as well, knowing that when midnight comes, the date will click over immediately and NOT meander slowly onto the next day at around 3am. Watching the seconds hand tick at 28,800 beats per hour is also enjoyable, as it is noticeably smoother than many other ~$500 time pieces from Japan and elsewhere which often beat at 21,600 bpm. This Sellita movement also offers an industry standard, off-the-wrist power reserve of 40 hours.
BEZEL
Full disclosure, I had to engage with Gnomon’s customer support team, for a somewhat simple issue with the original piece I purchased. The uni-directional bezel was impossibly tight to the point of bruising the finger tips; basically un-turnable and unusable. I contacted Gnomon who promptly instructed me to to send the piece back (return shipping was covered). Once having a look at it, they determined the bezel action was indeed far too tight. Rather than spending time repairing it, they replaced the entire watch head, mated it with the existing bracelet, and shipped it back to me. The bezel action on this new piece was miles better, easy to turn, and certainly befitting of the quality of the rest of the watch.
In keeping with the vintage look and feel of the piece, the bezel is of a standard, subtle thinness and feel. The traditional edge jimping is symmetrically applied and the action is (now) a joy to turn the full 120 clicks. I’ve found no back play against the bezel and the 12’oclock marker will hit all the minute marks on the dial. The aluminum, glossy-black bezel insert is also very traditional with silver printed numerals indicated each 10-minute interval. From the 0-15 minute mark, each minute receives it’s own marker. The 12’oclock inverse triangle on the bezel insert also contains a rather pronounced lume pip which is bordered with steel. The light toffee pip coloration matches that of the dial indices, giving the piece a uniform look. The immaculate attention to detail for the bezel is consistent with the rest of the piece.
Crystal
Regarding the crystal, Steinhart has taken a small liberty in choosing the type of crystal to match with this piece, but I feel they made a correct decision. The crystal is sapphire, double domed, AR coated and only slightly raised. The doming of the crystal only extends mildly above the bezel, but the said curvature shape matches how the bezel is built. Looking at the watch from the side, you’ll find that the mild “dome” of the watch starts at the outer edges of the bezel and continues to the center of the piece. The crystal gives off nearly no dial distortion at the edges. Not only it it very pleasing to the eye, but it also makes the outer face of the watch less vulnerable to snags or cracks to the edge of the crystal.
In the vintage Rolex Sea-Dweller fashion, this crystal does not received a date magnifier like many other homages may. Aesthetically this characteristic also gives the piece a more fluid and natural feel, unlike the chunky and hard-edged builds of so many other dive watches. Those who wear formal and business attire will also be pleased to know that the modest height coupled with the non-catching, domed build will allow the watch to naturally and comfortably sit under a shirt cuff without incident.
DIAL
The Sea-Dweller configuration and color scheme on the dial is certainly where this Steinhart makes no mistake about this piece being a homage. The official dial color is a matte black, but in the sunlight seems more of a slightly lighter “charcoal”. I’ll be keenly interested to see how this dial fades over time, if at all. Perhaps it will give off a tropical dial color given enough time worn outside. All the indices are lumed with neo-vintage, period-correct, old radium superluminova with a light toffee color that mimics the appearance of aging. An elongated upside down triangle sits at the 12’oclock position, stick style at the 6 and 9, and circles everywhere else, excluding the 3’oclock position which is reserved for the date window. Subtle, white individual minute marks are found between all the indices and set at the edge of the dial, very close to the rehaut ring between the crystal and dial. So if the wearer wishes, the watch can be set to an exact indicated minute and second without any issues. The rehaut ring is also made of stainless steel with the same exquisite brushing as the other components. It exhibits a fairly standard height which allows you to not to have to “look into” the watch.
In the dial printing department, Steinhart kept the theme of making things “just right” and not intrusive. The Steinhart logo and name are found in white, between the pinion and 12’oclock position. Between the pinion and 6’oclock is printed OCEAN ONE, then SUBMERSIBLE 1000 in red, followed by 1000 ft = 300m, AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT, and PROFESSIONAL in white. The bottom edge of the dial has printed the obligatory SWISS MADE in white. Some other reviews of this piece have stated that too many lines of text have been applied near the 6 o’clock position, but I respectfully disagree. Yes, there are 5 lines of text, which is a bit unusual BUT the top two red lines help it blend into the dial. If all the lines of text were printed in white, I would agree. Five lines of white text would make the dial look like the ending credits of a movie, but not so on this particular piece. Besides, the Rolex Sea-Dweller has 5 lines of text in the same color scheme, so you need to know what this piece is trying to say without saying it.
HANDS / DATE
As you’d expect by now, the hands are in true Rolex style with a fully polished stainless steel Mercedes type hour hand and spear type minute hand. The seconds hand is also fully polished with a counter balance and lume pip set back about one third from the tip which reaches almost the the very edge of the dial. The hands are also lume filled in the same color scheme as the indices. When the lume is charged up then introduced to the dark, you’ll find that all the lume matches in color and fades evenly, without one element of the lumed components dying out first as some other watches can suffer from. The lume glows green and is strong enough to hold it’s own in the longevity department but might not be able to compete with Seiko lumi-brite. I’d call the lume on this Steinhart more than adequate, but not a lume contest winner.
The simple and small date window is also period correct, revealing a matte white wheel and glossy black numerals. Some have said this date function throws off the symmetry of the dial, but again, this piece is about giving semblance to other classic dive pieces of the 1960’s. I found the symmetry to be just fine since the date window doesn’t have a border, giving the perfect unobtrusive look overall. And yes, each date numeral fits perfectly into the window without any unevenness or overlap.
BRACELET
As with the rest of the watch, the bracelet is very comfortable and well executed with solid 316L links and end links. For removing links, adjustment to your wrist is relatively easy with screw pins instead of the friction push or pin/collar type. I chose the oyster style not only because the jubilee bracelet looked a little less natural to this homage piece, but because Steinhart watch heads tend to be on the heftier side. This oyster style bracelet just feels a more balanced than other options. Starting at a common standard of 20mm at the case and tapering very evenly down to 16mm, you notice the bracelet sits for a comfortable and balanced feel. The easy to operate clasp brings it back to an agreeable 18mm.
The faux 3-link bracelet has the same satin brushing as the watch case, complete with mirror polishing on the edges. The links also have a slight curvature, which helps them meld to your wrist without creating uncomfortable hot spots. One minor note is that I found the edges/corners could have used a little more rounding off to make the bracelet a little less “sharp”, but that's just my opinion. I’ve certainly encountered much worse bracelet edging in the past. As with most diver watches you’ll find a robust fold over clasp that is milled with a safety keeper adorned with the Steinhart logo. All the inner folding components are polished and etched “stainless steel”. This clasp comes with 4 micro-adjustment hole position that are very close together. This gives a finer adjustment than many other watch clasps and allows you to easily have a summer and winter setting if you need it.
Other strap option are a easy to switch to since the piece is steel with black on black dial and bezel. It looks excellent on a leater strap, NATO or rubber. With 20mm lugs you certainly won’t be limited in trying dozens of strap options. But I found that I always went back to the supplied oyster style bracelet.
The Good:
Superior finishing.
Vintage and true classic look, can be worn every day with any attire.
Superb Swiss movement
Perfect weight and balance
The only reasonable alternative to a Rolex Sea-Dweller. Money well spent. If this piece were lost or stolen, I definitely buy it again in a heartbeat.
The Not-So-Good:
Limited availability.
Apologies; photos in this article may not show a factory fresh finish, but it’s only because I’ve been wearing this piece constantly. So not exactly a bad thing.