We've written pretty extensively about Seiko here at Watch Report. We just plain love 'em. Their self-powered Kinetic watches, which use a mechanical winder to store energy in a battery driving a quartz movement, are very cool. As with a mechanical watch, an offset weight rotates around an axle in response to the movement of your arm. In an automatic, this action winds a main spring, however in a Kinetic, it actually generates enough power to charge a battery.

At Basel World this year, Seiko announced the Velatura collection of marine watches: eleven watches with four different movements, two of which are brand-new. All are Kinetic quartz, and some of the new models use a new yacht timer movement. As Christian explained in his article about the new Rolex Yacht-Master II, this is a specialized countdown/stopwatch combination used by yacht racers. If you need it, I'm sure it's quite helpful. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to buying a yacht just yet, so I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Seiko has now added the ability to handwind Kinetic watches which is a faster way to charge them. They're calling it the Kinetic Direct Drive, and we like it. Unlike the simple "gas gauge" power reserve meters that other watches have, this one is multi-purpose: as you handwind the watch, the gauge "revs" indicating how fast you're winding. Once you stop, the needle moves to indicate how much power has been stored. It's a nice and unique addition, and quite probably a lot of fun to use.

All of the models have dramatic diamond-shaped hands that I find readable and attractive, and sapphire crystals with anti-reflective coatings (a personal must-have). List prices range from €600 to €900, or $845 to about $1,200. Oh, and one more thing: we just found out they're coming to the US very soon! Naturally, we will have a review.

Update: read the Seiko Velatura SRH005 review.

By Paul Hubbard

View the MTM Black Seal photo gallery.

I did my first review of an MTM Special Ops watch almost exactly two years ago. If I remember correctly, it was the only MTM model available at the time. MTM is now up to no fewer than eight different models with a very impressive selection of materials, finishes, and features. Although each MTM model is interesting in its own right, the new MTM Black Seal Xtreme Dive Watch stands out as an unusual and impressive feat of engineering.

You may remember the MTM Black Seal from an article we did last month on extreme dive watches. The most notable feature is the fact that it's completely waterproof. What's the difference between being waterproof and water resistant? The easiest way to explain it is that the MTM Black Seal is completely unambiguous in its claims regarding water and pressure resistance: the Black Seal has been proven in a Swiss laboratory to remain fully intact at the deepest known point on earth, the Mariana Trench, which is about 12,000 meters, or about 39,370 feet.

MTM's secret is the silicon oil filled case which is designed to equalize the pressure exerted on the watch in a way which makes it virtually compression-proof. There are a few other watches out there which make the same claim, but none with quite the unique feature set of the MTM Black Seal:

Citizen announces the new high-end Calibre 3100 collection. Done in the style of a classic dress watch, the Citizen Calibre 3100 collection sports modern touches like large date mixed with the vintage look of Roman numerals, subseconds at 6 o'clock, and an elegant dial.

Features include:

• Perpetual calendar, good until the year 2100.
• Eco-Drive solar power.
• Large twin date display at the 12 o'clock position.
• 24-hour dial at the 9 o'clock position, probably for a second time zone.
• Anti-reflective crystal.
• 100m water resistant (about 330 feet).

The Calibre 3100 collection contains a total of 7 watches with the BT0000-15A and BT0003-17A being limited editions. The BT0000-15A (999 pieces) is stainless steel, and the BT0003-17A (1,500 pieces) is rose gold-tone stainless steel. Both have have anti-reflective sapphire crystals (the others have mineral glass crystals), and something I've never seen on a Citizen watch before: genuine alligator straps! MSRP for these limited edition pieces are $650 and $675, respectively. MSPR for the rest of the collection is between $375 and $500.

On a personal note, I really like how they've melded clean looks with modern features, making a dress watch that will last for many years with zero maintenance, keeping great time all the while. These really have very nice proportions and would go well in almost any situation. The 100 meter rating means you don't have to baby them either.

By Paul Hubbard

View the Seiko Orange Monster photo gallery.

After James' review of extreme dive watches, I'd like to bring you back to Earth with a review of a modern classic: the Seiko Orange Monster.

Introduced in early 2001, and officially called the SKX781, this bold diver from Seiko quickly inherited its nickname from its older sibling, the "Black Monster" (SKX779). There are also more expensive limited editions available in blue, yellow, PVD black, and red.

Let's start with some specifications:

The Casio STP-100 looks like an average digital watch, but adds a new trick: a pedometer. By measuring how many steps you take, and combining that data with information that you provide (your stride length and weight), it can estimate distance, calories burned, pace, and more. It's similar to the "Nike+iPod" sport kit, or the older Nike SDM Triax watch, however the Casio STP-100 has everything you need built right into the watch — no additional parts required.

From reading the manual (PDF), it looks like the STP-100 uses a more basic sensor than Nike's technology since it simply measures the swing of your arm as you walk. Interestingly, it can only measure accurately when worn on your left wrist (so don't try to attach it to your belt, or toss it in your bag). Adjust the sensitivity until it reads correctly, and the onboard software not only tracks workouts, but also keeps track of how much activity you accumulate during the course of your day. Neat!

The Casio STP-100 series is available in three colors: yellow, blue, and gray, all with the thick black racing stripe. Of course, as is the case will all Casio digital watches, the STP-100 series has a full complement of features, too: backlight, stopwatch, 10-lap memory, 5 daily alarms with snooze, low-battery warning, and a slick dot-matrix display.

The STP-100 series was released in Europe and Japan in July of this year at a list price of about $120. Unfortunately, no word on a US release, but we'll be watching.

By Paul Hubbard

I've spent a couple of weeks now with the St. Moritz Aeromax, and I have really enjoyed my time with this bold and unique timepiece. The Aeromax is part of the Momentum family of watches offered by St. Moritz. St. Moritz is a company with a 27-year history in diving watches, and has just recently moved its Momentum brand into sport watches as well. They started in 1980, and have been producing high-quality, entry-level luxury watches for divers ever since. Today they produce 18 different models that will appeal to a wide variety of buyers.

One thing that I found really interesting about St. Moritz is that they have gone out of their way to design and produce unique watches which have a look and feel of their own. In contrast, many of their peers "emulate" the older, more established brands' designs.

In my opinion, the Aeromax does not disappoint. This is one interesting watch with many subtle details that work together to make it a great design. Here's the breakdown: