Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional
Bucking that trend of smaller watches is the slightly upgraded Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional. At 46mm and 17mm it is quite big and chunky, though not massively over-sized like most Invicta Watches. These days 42mm is really my sweet spot, so wearing this for a week was slightly uncomfortable, though I did so and even though I would not personally wear this watch on the regular, I can see it’s appeal. While I would not call this model one of the best values out there in the market, I feel it is adequate for the price, though, as always, there are some things I would like to see improved.
Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional Specifications:
- Case Width: 46mm
- Length: 55mm
- Thickness: 17.7mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Weight: 265 Grams
- Sapphire Glass
- 100 ATM Water Resistant
- Seiko NH35 Automatic Movement
Price: $463 USD
One of the things I wanted to do while wearing this watch for awhile was to put it on a rubber strap. Unfortunately I had the wrong size strap laying around. I was going to change the bracelet out to an Isofrane, cutting down on that 265 gram weight, of which the bracelet itself is about 100 grams or more. I assumed before double checking the specs that the lug width was 24mm for such a large watch, but as you see listed above, it is only 22mm. A strange decision to me, but I ended up wearing it on the bracelet as I had no other 22mm strap thick enough to swap it to. A Hirsch Accent would not only look ridiculous on it, but it would make it majorly top heavy.
When it comes to design, the Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional is not unlike many of the competition, with the exception of the size. It is an all stainless steel case and bracelet, all brushed for that ”tool” watch effect, a lumed ceramic dive bezel, sapphire crystal, over-sized dial markers that remind you of a submariner, and way too much dial text. I think everyone knows by now that I prefer a cleaner dial and not a wall of text. One thing that stands out is that it is a dual crown, and most often mistake the second one to operate an inner bezel, that is until they give it a closer look. In actuality it is a manual helium release valve, something that 98% of us will never use. Because the HRV is useless to the majority who will buy this, I would have liked just the 4 o’clock crown and nothing else.
When it comes to overall feel of the watch, it is pretty basic. Yes it has a sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel, but most microbrand dive watches have these as well, some that cost considerably less than this Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional. The bracelet is the biggest culprit of the basic feeling; it uses friction pins in the links, not screws and the flip lock clasp is pretty generic and is also lacking a dive extension. With a watch this big and chunky, the ratcheting extension clasp so many brands use these days would have been right at home, as opposed to on the Borealis Bull Shark I reviewed, where it just felt completely out of place.
There is some confusion, at least on my end, when it comes to movement, dials and pricing. The older version of the Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional, the MSD-027, ( I will get to model numbers in a bit), is about $5 less than this model, but it has a Miyota 9015 movement. As a matter of fact, this model is $50 more than the other black dial variant, with the only difference being the lume paint color, so basically you pay a significant amount more for the old radium lume. Beyond that, the Seiko NH35 is a much cheaper movement than the Miyota 9015, and looking at both previous versions of this model, the only difference is the dial text. ( I actually prefer the older dial). I am not sure why the prices are all over the place, or why the Miyota 9015 version can be had for less, but I would suggest they make their pricing a little more cohesive.
As far as lume goes, it is fantastic. Nothing more to say, check out the photo below:
It is obvious that I am not overly enamored with the Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional. Yes, I am not fond of the size, but putting the size aside, as that is completely subjective, I do not know what market this is meant to compete in. Let’s be honest, yes, all brands are competing with others, especially in this category of microbrands in the $500 range. For a quick comparison, take a look at the Armida A-4, which is about $100 more, has a Miyota 9015 movement, a bracelet with a ratcheting clasp and a rubber strap as well. Or, for less money, the older version of this Marc and Sons Diver Watch Professional, which has a better movement. I guess if old radium lume is worth it to you to have a lesser movement, by all means, go for it.
I know it might seem like I am not giving this model a fair shake, but on the contrary I really tried. I wore it for a straight week, even though I do not wear watches this big anymore, and yes, again, forget the size issue. There is just some questionable decision making going on here when it comes to movement choice and price, and the very standard and slightly sub par bracelet choice. Another thing that is very nit picky, and some others might not notice nor care, is the name and model number designation. Divers Watch Professional is not a real model name, and because they have two different versions of this watch, you have to go by model numbers, which is just confusing. I mean, who wants to have this conversation. Friend: “Hey, what watch is that man?” You: “It’s a Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional model MSD-082, no wait, is it 82 or 28? You know what, I don’t remember. I’ll send you the link later”. I know, it might not be an issue for most, but it aggravates me. Some knife companies do the same thing, and you easily lose track of what knife is what.
The reality is, this watch is just not for me. I tried, and it is obviously not a horrible watch by any stretch, and if you like big, chunky watches with awesome lume, and this design pulls you, go for it. If I were in that camp though, I would go for the 9015 version personally.
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