Rotary Super 7 Scuba
[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]ince Seiko announced last year that the SKX was indeed discontinued, watch enthusiasts have been eagerly waiting for a replacement. Rotary is not part of the Seiko family, but they have created the Rotary Super 7, a dive watch that could indeed be a replacement. The SKX007 was released in 1996 and quickly became one of the most popular dive watches from Seiko. The design was considered timeless, and to this day, people search for pre-owned examples to wear in 2020. It was also very affordable, and like many Seiko watches $500 and under, highly modifiable. With the Super 7 just being released, don’t expect to see modifications any time soon, but the Super 7, in conjunction with WatchNation is available in a few different dial colors and either a rubber strap or solid stainless steel bracelet.
Rotary Super 7 Scuba Specifications:
300 Metres Water Resistant
Scratch Resistant Sapphire Glass
Dual Colored Luminous Hands & Markers
Automatic & Hand-Winding Movement Miyota 8205 With Day/Date
Accuracy Of -20/+40 Seconds Per Day
Screw Down Embossed Crown & Case Back
Applied Dial Markers – Stainless Steel With Thick Lume
120-Click Unidirectional Bezel With Luminous Pip
Dimensions:
42mm Case
22mm Lugs
13.8mm Thick
48mm Lug to Lug
Ceramic Bezel Insert
Price (As shown) $265 USD
https://www.watchnation.com/product-category/rotary-watches/super-7/
Rotary is not the first brand to try and capitalize on the extinction of the famed Seiko diver as Long Island Watch released its a line of watches-actually a rather large line of watches that are very close to the original SKX, along with many other copies of Seiko watches. The Rotary Super 7 Scuba takes a different approach, and takes elements and features of the Seiko, but incorporates quite a few of their own. As shown in the specifications above, the Super 7 is named for 7 key features. Being honest, I like the marketing technique used but when reading all key features, a few of them I consider a stretch. Can the accuracy of a movement that is already listed as being a feature, be a feature itself? In fairness, it is catching, and the 7 key features are a cool selling point, so I am just being overly picky.
Before I get into all the specifics, I think a big factor to discuss is the price. On the stainless steel bracelet (which I was not able to get in hand so I can not comment on fit or quality), you are looking at just under $300. On the rubber, as seen here, the Rotary Super 7 comes in at $256. I review quite a lot of inexpensive watches here, and even though this uses the Miyota 8205 movement (more on that in a bit), this is a lot of watch for the price. Now, you may be wondering why one of the 7 key features is not the ceramic bezel insert. The reason is only 2 of the 4 models (I incorrectly said in the video 3 models) have a ceramic insert, the orange reviewed here, and the black dial. The Navy Dial and the Green dial, have aluminum inserts. I can only assume this was done to keep the cost down, as colored ceramic bezels are a little more difficult to produce as matching the color of the dial is not easy. Since both the orange and black dials have a black ceramic insert, which seems to be the industry standard, I think these two particular models are the better buy. Aluminum bezels do have that classic look though, so if glossy ceramic is not your thing, you still have options.
The dials used for the Rotary Super 7 have a metallic finish, and when you look at dial options used by most watches, especially dive watches, the normal fare is sunburst, matte, or textured. These dials are similar to sunbursts in the sense of how they catch the light but have almost a pearl coat look about them, and that along with what I consider the perfect shade of orange. If you like an orange dial watch but usually find them too dark, too muted, or closer to red, this is one you will probably love just like me. I love a day and date on a watch, and this stays true to the SKX watches, but the feature I like here is the Super 7 logo on the dial. I’m not sure why I dig this so much, but I love the font of the type used for this, and makes the watch feel a little more special. Something else you may not notice immediately, the hour and minute hand are different colors. Both are filled with different color lume compounds but the minute hand is outlined in black while the hour hand is white. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it’s the little details that make the difference.
This may sound odd, but I, unfortunately, do not have time to wear each watch I reviewed for an extended period of time. I wish I did, but with so many reviews to do it, it is not possible. I will tell you though, this Rotary Super 7 Scuba has been on my wrist as my regular go-to, and I have been taking it off to wear other review watches for a few hours each day. Yes, I can honestly say, I do love this watch. But even when you love something, you can not ignore its faults, but you tend to just accept them. I have accepted them, and even will rectify one of them, but the movement is one of this classic dive watches biggest faults. Some will disagree with me, calling this Miyota 8205 a “workhorse”. Has anyone ever thought about that word that gets thrown around for inexpensive movements all the time? It means it does what it needs to, and works hard, but not very well. Simply put, the lack of hacking, the at times intermittent second hand and the accuracy leaving very little to be desired, all these things together leave me wanting. It may sound like I am dogging on this piece, but remember just above, I do state I love this watch. Unlike other sites, if I tell you I love it, I LOVE it. I also owe it to all of you to be real though.
What is the one fault I will rectify? That would be the rubber strap of the Rotary Super 7 Scuba. There are a few good things about this silicone strap, One being the length. If you are someone with a large wrist and OEM straps not fitting you, trust me, you will not have an issue here. I have 5 holes left on the strap to fit my 7 ½ inch wrist, and because it is silicone it has more give as well.
The design of the strap is also quite nice, with a custom solid buckle and the Super 7 logo printed on the strap and the keeper, ever so subtly. The issue is the silicone. I do not like silicone straps. They stick to the skin when you sweat, they do not breathe and I just do not like the feel against my skin. Something from Bonetto Cinturini will be ordered soon.
Dual colored lume is used on the Rotary Super 7 Scuba and as you can see with the pictures below, when it is all charged up, even in full darkness, it glows like a flashlight. Unfortunately, that glow does not last as long as I would want it to. In the video, I may have overstated the weakness of the lume. As you can see, it is not like it does not glow. It just doesn’t last as a Seiko does, and because of the applied indices and the amount of lume applied that is clearly visible, I had my hopes up. No, It will not glow all night, but for the price paid, the lume is more than sufficient. Another bonus of getting the ceramic bezel models is that the bezel is fully lumed, whereas the aluminum versions only have the lumed pip.
So, the Rotary Super 7 Scuba is not perfect, but no watch is, especially at $255. This is also the first Super 7 from Rotary and WatchNation, and they are taking notes. There will be a future version at some point and hopefully, some of the things I mentioned here will be rectified if not all. (While we are at it, drilled lugs would be another great feature to add). I have a feeling though, that a better movement, natural rubber strap, and more potent lume will add to the price, so if you want in on the ground floor so to speak, these are still very solid watches. Again, these can only be purchased from WatchNation, not Rotary or anywhere else at this time. All I know is once I put it on another rubber strap, it is going to be hard to take this affordable diver off my wrist for the foreseeable future.
