Marc & Sons Diver Sport
We have reviewed many Marc & Sons watches over the years and they have always proved to be a decent value and good quality for the price, especially the ones with ETA movements. The Marc & Sons Diver Sport is built as well as the others we have reviewed and while it definitely is a familiar style, there are a few differences that allow it to not be a straight copy. Unfortunately though, the color is not what I thought it was going to be.
Marc & Sons Diver Sport MSD-046-4S Specifications:
- 42mm by 50mm Stainless Steel Case
- 22m Lug Width
- 22mm Non-Tapering Bracelet
- 15.4mm Thick
- 244 Grams
- Sapphire Crystal
- Ceramic Bezel Insert
- Seiko NH35 Automatic Movement
- 300 Meters Water Resistant
Price $335 USD (Approximatley)
https://www.marcandsons.de/en/collection/new-models/marc-sons-diver-watch-serie-sport-msd-046-4s/a-2249/
There is no need to beat around the bush here. The simple fact is that if you go to the Marc & Sons website and look at this watch, it shows the color is an almost chocolate brown. In real life, that is not the case. That is a simple fact. It is also an unfortunate fact. Since I cover this heavily in the video, I do not want to dwell on it here in every paragraph, but anyone reading this or interested in this watch should know that this is the actual color of the brown Marc & Sons Diver Sport. There are other colors available on the website as well and I suggest if interested maybe emailing and asking for a real-world photo before you order.
In initial postings of this model on social media, reception towards the dial color has been positive and to be honest, I had forgotten what the rendering on the website looked like until I started gathering info for the review. The dial is more of a caramel color and the ceramic bezel insert is almost a dark cherry brown, so there is a definite contrast. Beyond the dial color, I like the choice of hour and minute hand and the applied markers are not only bright white but they have a 3-D effect which is a nice touch. One thing I noticed though is the second hand is a little bit short and also on the thin side as well.
The bezel of the Marc & Sons Diver Sport rachets firmly but it does have a little bit of back play, but nothing that is severe or gives me pause. The ceramic insert looks nice from a distance but when you get a little bit closer you can see that the lume paint was not applied very well and looks, well it looks a little sloppy. I understand that we are looking at a price of under $350 but it was still a little disappointing. Crown action on this 300m diver, on the other hand, was very nice and I have no complaints in that department.
It seems that in many models Marc & Sons has started using the Seiko NH35 automatic movement and to be fair, many microbrands in this price range use it as well, so I really can not dog on it for that, especially at the price. If this were $100 more, that would be different. The case back is what I like to refer to as the salt shaker style and while it is nothing special or has no artistic engravings or any other gimmicks, it is a screw down case back and it serves its purpose.
The stainless steel bracelet is massive and chunky, though, with the case of the Marc and Sons Diver Sport being almost 16mm thick, you need a thick bracelet to balance it all out. Finishing off the bracelet is a nice ratchet style dive clasp with slide out extension, a nice upgrade to previous Marc and Sons bracelets. I took out 4 links for my 7 1/2 inch wrist, and the links are on the larger side, so it should fit much larger wrists out of the box. The bracelet uses friction pins instead of screws which was somewhat of a downer, but I had no problem sizing it at all. Pretty standard. At 244 grams, it is a beast to wear though, at least for me.
Overall finishing is similar to a Steinhart Ocean model in my opinion. If you are not familiar with Steinhart that puts the Marc and Sons Diver Sport in good company as they are a very popular brand with watch enthusiasts, especially in the homage category. I will say I wish the crown was signed with a logo of some sorts and the case side polishing is a little puzzling seeing as the rest of the watch is all brush satin, including the sides of the bracelet. When it comes to lume, the BGW9 Superluminova glows nice and bright.
Color not matching what they show you on the website aside, or if other colors are a little more comparable to what you will actually get, the Marc & Sons Diver Sport is a nice chunky option of the Rolex Sub style case with large legible hands and markers. As I said, the biggest issue for me is the actual dial and bezel color not being accurately displayed on their website, the watch itself is not a bad offering at all, but I would be lying if I did not say the color issue did not sour me a bit on this model.
