If you’re a Seiko fan, then you’ve probably heard of the Seiko Orange
Monster. It’s a must-have for all Seiko collectors. And if you’re a
real Seiko diver fanatic, you might even have the Seiko Yellow or Black
Monsters, as well. But now, there’s a new monster to add to
your collect: the Seiko Blue Monster.
The Seiko Blue Monster (Ref. SKZ213K1) is a beautiful, limited
edition piece.
Features include:
- Thick, brushed stainless
steel case. - Domed sapphire crystal.
- Uni-directional rotating
bezel. - Screw-down caseback.
- Water-resistant to 200
meters, or about 650 feet. - Screw-down crown (at the four
o’clock position). - Luminescent hands and hour
markers. - Automatic movement (23
jewels). - Double folding safety clasp
with diver’s extension (to fit
over a wet suit).
I have the Orange Monster myself, and it’s a great watch with
a very robust feel. They have a reputation for being high-quality
automatic watches sold at a reasonable price, and for having unusually
bright luminescent hands and hour markers. Seiko uses a material called
Lumibrite which is very effective, especially on hands as wide as those
found on the monster series.
As far as I can tell, the primary differences between the new
limited edition Blue Monster and the Orange, Yellow, and Black Monsters
are:
- The Blue Monster has a newer
movement: the 7S36 rather than
the 7S26. Both movements have the same features (quick-set day and
date, no hacking, and no manual winding), but the 7S36 has two more
jewels, which leads me to believe it’s slightly more refined. - The Blue Monster has a domed
sapphire crystal rather than
the Hardlex crystal of the Orange, Yellow, and Black models. Hardlex
is, well, harder, meaning it is less prone to cracking or shattering,
but sapphire is far more scratch-resistant. Given the choice, I’d
probably go for the sapphire. - The Blue Monster will
probably run you $100 to $200 more
than its more pedestrian siblings.
If you’re interested in one of these, you’ll have to do some
digging around the Internet to find one, or take a watch-buying trip to
Japan. I would expect it to run you between $300
and $400.
Update: I was recently informed that the Yellow Monster actually can’t be grouped together with the Orange and Black Monsters. The Yellow Monster is a limited edition, as well, and also has a sapphire crystal, a slightly different movement, a cyclops over the date, and a couple other unique features. For details, check out this thread on TimeZone.
