Rolex Submariner Homage Fever - Oh Man!!!

Since I made the order few days back towards the purchase of the Japan-made Seiko 5 Sports model no. SNZF22J1, which was inspired by the Rolex Submariner's evergreen design, I seemed to have been bitten by the Submariner homage bug. I started searching online for homage timepieces with either the Green bezel or the Pepsi bezel, and 2 pieces that caught my eye were the following :

1) Seiko Kinetic model no. SKA369P2 with RRP : RM2,110;

2) Steinhart model no. T0205 with RRP : Euro 380 (app RM1,800), including shipping fees from Germany to Malaysia.

However, as I am consolidating my collection to encompass only Japan-made and Swiss-made timepieces only, and preferably mechanical pieces; that would give the upper-hand towards the Steinhart Ocean 1 Green. Moreover, it uses the Swiss-made 2824-2 movement with 25 jewels, which is known to be a reliable and dependable workhorse with hacking capability.

As such, this led to the following :

I searched online for reviews on the Steinhart Ocean 1, preferably from Rolex Submariner owners and the results have been largely positive. One particular opinion summed up as this :

"The Steinhart Ocean One has a width of 42mm, as compared to the Submariner which is 40mm. So the Steinhart is slightly bigger, which may or may not be a problem for you. Some people prefer the bigger size, some people prefer the smaller size if the Sub, some people don't notice.

Another difference is the overall shape of the cases. The Ocean One watches look more like the older versions of the Submariner. The 2010 Sub is more "square-like" in shape - again, some people hate it and prefer the older version, while some people love the new redesign.

I own a Vintage Red, and I've handled many Rolex Submariners. I will point out that they are quite similar in feel and quality. The Steinhart is a really sturdy and robust watch, and is extremely well made. Rolex does have an edge over Steinhart in quality and craftsmenship, but in my opinion, it doesn't justify the huge difference in price. I'd say, the Steinhart is $425 but feels like a $1000 watch. The Rolex is $7500, but feels like a $2000 watch"

 
Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming reviews on the 2 pieces that I am currently waiting to get my hands on ie the Japan-made Seiko 5 Sports Gold-Black "Submariner" and Swiss-made Steinhart Ocean 1 Green "Submariner".

And here's a Seiko 5 Sports model no. SNZF15J1 (Pepsi bezel) / SNZF17J1 (black bezel) modded into a Submariner homage :

May you wear your watches in good health!