As you can clearly see, the Seiko Sea Urchin is a fabulous watch to own.
Yes, it’s great but there are many alternatives that do as good of a job.
Here are some of our favorites:
The RAY II is a solid diving watch. Like the Sea Urchin, it was built as a cheaper alternative for the Rolex Submariner. So, how does it fair?
Movement
The Orient RAY II is an automatic watch. It utilizes 22 jewels to keep its gears as smooth as possible. Similar to the Sea Urchin, it has a power reserve of over 40 hours.
It differs in terms of the Urchin as it possesses the ability to hack the watch. This allows you to change its seconds, making it more accurate. It also comes with a hand winder as well.
Water Resistance
Its water resistance is identical to the Sea Urchin. They both can travel up to 660 feet (200 m) underwater. The Orient RAY II comes with a rotating bezel and fixed crown too.
Its bezel is perfect for diving. It clicks, allowing you to hear better while submerged.
Dial
It’s reminiscent of the Urchin as it doesn’t have Arabic numerals. This was done in a bid to resemble the Rolex Submariner.
You’ll notice that the indentations are on the larger side. This is the same for the clock hands. This allows for a better canvas for the luminous paint.
The display is protected by a mineral window.
Case
The case is made from stainless steel. It translates to the bezel but not the strap as it’s made from rubber. You may be wondering how big it is. It stretches up to 1.61 inches (41 mm).
It too was created as a cheaper alternative to the Rolex Submariner. Hence, it’s good enough to go head-to-head with the Seiko Sea Urchin.
Movement
It’s a solar-powered watch. So far, we’ve not discussed one of these. It utilizes light from natural sources to keep its battery intact. Once fully charged, it can last up to 6 months according to the manufacturer.
As it’s solar-powered, you will never have to worry about battery spills again.
Water Resistance
With the Eco Driver by your side, you can go up to 660 feet (200 m) underwater.
Yes, the bezel turns. Although it has a 120 clicks system, it isn’t the best. The watch does not offer loud clicks as it should. Thankfully, it isn’t stiff so you can easily adjust it.
The bezel is made from aluminum, making it much better for underwater use.
It also utilizes the aqua tone BGW9. The paint allows for some bright luminosity. This helps especially when submerged.
The polyurethane strap it comes with also makes swimming easier as well. Water glides off easily and all you need is to wipe it down to clean it.
Case
When you look at the case, you’ll see something strange about the crown. It’s positioned at 4 o’clock and not 3. According to Citizen, this is to prevent you from constantly jamming your hand into the sides.
This isn’t identical to the Seiko Sea Urchin, but its crown was recessed to have the same effect.
The case is made from stainless steel. It encompasses the deep blue of the bezel. The blue translates to the display as well.
You’ll notice that the bezel has been toothed, giving it edges. This makes for a pleasant design.
Display
The display has a mineral window. This isn’t something to be excited about as mineral isn’t the hardest material out there. However, it does a good job of keeping scratches away.
There are no Arabic numerals. Instead, there are circles that act as indentations. You’ll notice they’re large in size, like the Sea Urchin. This is to allow for ample space for the lume to act on.
In terms of the dial, the display is black. This contrasts with the red hands of the watch and the slight greenish hue of the circular markings.
So far, this is probably the only watch that looks identical to the Seiko Sea Urchin. So, how will it fair?
Movement
The SKX009 is an automatic watch. It has a power reserve of 41 hours, so it’s somewhat similar to the Sea Urchin.
Like the Urchin, it doesn’t have a hand-winding option. It won’t let you hack it as well. It’s jeweled too. It has 21 of them in there.
Water Resistance
The watch can last up to 660 feet (200 m) underwater. In fact, it’s an ISO-certified dive watch so you know it’s the real deal: ISO-6425.
It uses LumiBrite, making it easy to see when submerged. Its bezels are marked very clearly; these sharp indentations help with diving.
Of course, its bezel rotates.
Dial
The SKX009 comes with a Hardlex Crystal mirror that’s pretty much in all Seiko watches. Hardlex is a good material but it isn’t the most thorough.
The Hardlex Crystal window has been anti glared. This makes it easy to use the watch even in the sunniest environments.
When you look at the display, you’ll notice that its hands are quite pointy. This is a cool add-on.
Case
The case is made from stainless steel. The same can be said for the bezel. You’ll notice that its crown is placed at 4 o’clock. Once again, this is to avoid jamming your finger in.
The bezel of the watch is the most eye-catching. It has the Pepsi gradient that we all love. It complements the stainless steel strap greatly.
