Steinhart Ocean One Diver 39mm Review
There is a controversial topic ahead….
This is the Everyman’s Swiss dive watch.
I personally am not a huge believer in the idea of a nearly identical watch to another being called a “homage” watch. To me a homage is taking bits and pieces of history, heritage, and design. Then molding that into a blended design that pays homage to that particular piece, era, or style. Now sometimes this rule can be broken in my mind. One such example could be if the watch is not made anymore or is not readily available on market. There are other reasons too, but long and short of it is that the Tudor Marine Nationale snowflake Submariners are not made anymore, and the vintage ones are beaucoup amounts of money. So due to this, I picked up this Swiss / German made Steinhart Ocean One 39mm. What I have have learned from owning this watch is a couple things.
The first is that Steinharts are very well made. This isn’t some sub par, barely thrown together with Swiss stuck in this dial. This is real deal quality.
The second is that Steinhart as a brand has a real Marmite effect. People either see the the brand for what it is, a quality watch that is Swiss made and a good value for money. On the other end, people see it as a company that got successful from nicking designs from Rolex. The idea that they have no heritage or effort to make designs of their own.
The third important thing is that Steinharts don’t hold their value well. Due to the mentioned above perception of Steinhart being a “copycat” brand to some, their ability to hold their value once purchased is greatly diminished compared to even more entry options from brands like Seiko (my favorite) or Orient.
The fourth thing is that this isn’t the only “premium” or Swiss brand watch at this price point. For around the same price you can get a brand I have so much love for and has about as much heritage and history that you can get. I’m of course talking about Squale. They made the case for Blancpain. So they are the Genisus of the dive watch. Another incredible option is the Glycine Combat Sub. Another watch with loads of history and value as a military dive watch. Then there are countless microbrands now that offer exceptional quality, designs, and sometimes exclusivity.
I think all things considered above, the Steinhart is still a great option. Steinhart has showed that it is a brand that is going to stick around. If there’s an issue, there’s a clear place that you can go to get help. I also feel the Steinhart is a great balance between a tool watch and something that does feel a little bit more luxurious. Usually you can find a new Steinhart at the $500 range. If you look hard enough on the secondary market, it’s not surprising to find a used Steinhart around $350. This makes its an obtainable, respectable, and reliable option and any level. Rather you have a Timex and Casio collection, or you have a couple Rolex, APs, and thrown in an H. Moser & Chi. I truly do believe the Steinhart is the every man’s Swiss dive watch.
Steinhart Ocean One Diver 39mm Review
Yes
No
- Fitment and finishing
- Swiss made
- Good Value
- Sellita SW200
- Low resale value
- Lack of respect from some watch enthusiasts
- Lack of brand heritage
Hey! The name is Jade. I run a little channel on YouTube where I review Everyday Carry items. My biggest passions in life are my family, food, music, and of course my hobbies. Watches are my favorite...
I'm a fan of Steinhart. I've sold a couple Steinharts and they held their value well.
I have a couple of Steinharts and agree with you for the most part. I have the Ocean One Titanium below which utilizes the more original hand design elements. I also have the Ocean One with the Mercedes hands (Submariner homage). I do get a little confused about the ripoff label for using the MB hands when plenty of brands use the same non-patent hand design TAG, Citizen, etc. Both are great watches and have solid builds with great movements. A good way for enthusiasts to get into the hobby without Rolex prices. I bought both used and the resale market seems to hold value pretty well.
Lovely review!
But I want to discuss on the whole "homage" concept.
Let's take a step back and consider this thought experiment: you are presented with 2 virtually identical products, except one is multiple times more expensive than the other; should there be any moral issue with choosing the economic one? As consumers, I think personally we should pay for the value of the products. Sure, I can earmark 5-20% more for history and heritage and whatnot. But at the end of the day, if a producer can't differentiate their products from competitors, I don't see a reason to pay so much extra just because they thought of it first (worth remembering that the original designers have already cashed in their originality a few times over...)
Furthermore, to my mind, 2 major things are worth considering. First, there are more innovations than just coming up with a new design. Supply chain can use some innovations. Production methods, too. Second, I can also buy into the story of a plucky newcomer going against the entrenched industrial player, too. It is just as good of a spirit and story as the century of heritage. But then, maybe I am way too Americanized...
Finally, think about the "original" brand. There are actually 2 other things to consider. First, how... original are they? I am of the school of thoughts that nothing is completely original. Everyone learns/copies from everyone else. Second, how much of the originality is left? With some exception (Rolex, I guess), most brands have seen multiple owners. What's in a name? Call a rose anything else and it still stinks as much, I meant smells as sweet, right? It's a case of "Ship of Theseus," right? How much is left of the original Longines in the current Longines, except the name?
Long long essay short, I don't think we should ever look down on homage just because they are homage. My opinion is that we should encourage them. Keep the big industry players on their toes! Those brands have lived for centuries or something. They should feel pressure to be relevant for another few centuries 😜
Great review. I have had Steinhart on my radar for some time. From what I hear they are very well made and finished. From more than one person I have been told that they are 90% Rolex/Tudor quality for a fraction of the price. I am not sure this is true of course as never handled or lived with one. I am not bothered at all by homage watches. Practically every company does it, one way or another. As for lack of respect from some people that would not bother me at all, in fact it might be a selling point for me. It would be rare for someone to come up and be disrespectful about a watch, but I would laugh at them or ignore them if it did happen. With resale, I never buy a watch to sell, but of course some watches just dont gel, if that happens if I get 40% or more back I am very happy. If its less than that then nevermind. I would love a Steinhart one day.
Steinhart makes a great watch period! The ocean one is a great value for the money and the Ti version is.... perfection. The Apollon is another great piece that has no ties and cannot be confused as a homage.
The blasted Ti case is exquisite and with interchangeable bezels from bronze, stainless, black DLC stainless.
My Brother, who got me into watch collecting and described the hobby as a disease or an addiction, gave me this Steinhardt because he knew I was looking in that direction.
This watch blew me away!
I put the watch on a RIOS leather strap.
https://rios1931.com/
OEM the watch has an OK bracelet and leather strap - the movement is OK as well.
The dial is black as black which is outstanding.
The case shape and detailing is outstanding.