sharkdive Heimdallr 42mm Stainless Steel SKX007 Dive Watches for Men, NH36A Movement C3 Luminous Mens Automatic Watches, 200 Meter Water Resistant

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They're keen to point out that they're an independent brand. They aren't linked to San Martin and other similar Chinese homage brands. They claim to be founded by watch fans, stating " we are not a Chinese factory brand". And Heimdallr uses reliable Japanese automatic movements in their watches. When you get a Heimdallr watch that mimics a Seiko watch, it is usually powered by a branded Seiko movement. There is no reason why they shouldn't be of good quality. China is one of the watchmaking giants. A lot of watches that you see in the West are made in Chinese factories.

Heimdallr has produced its own version. It’s slightly larger than the original but otherwise is faithful to the skin diver styling of the Seiko. Let's skip the ethical minefield of buying homage watches. I've covered that when writing about Pagani Design, Corgeut and others. In that regard, Heimdallr is one of the good guys. They use branded Seiko automatic movements, decent components and are competitively priced. So don't let the brand name confuse you. Let's jump in and learn more about them. Then we'll look at the best watches that they currently offer.

Are Heimdallr and Sharkey Watches Good Quality?

This is another homage to a classic Seiko. This time the 6105. A model made famous by the film Apocalypse Now and known as the Captain Willard. Secondly, this is an inexpensive way to get the Submariner aesthetic. It's very affordable and again offers decent specifications. It’s a Chinese watch, inspired by a historical Japanese piece and definitely the first place to start with this brand. All owners of Heimdallr watches can enjoy a 2-year official warranty in our store, as long as you have a warranty card and no matter where your buy. The Rolex Submariner is arguably the world's most copied watch. And it's not just Chinese brands creating homages of this model. You can see Submariner style watches on your local high street - many from big-name brands.

Finally, the watch came with a very good quality NATO strap, a bracelet adjustment tool and strap pin removal tool. All of this came in a very nice presentation box. Aside from the bold colouring, this is a fairly conservative watch. The Submariner style is nearly 70 years old and has been tried and tested. It's the watch James Bond wore. He keeps an eye out for invaders, using his keen eyesight and hearing. He has gold teeth and is described as the whitest of all the Norse Gods. And that's what I like about this brand. They're accessible and watch focused. It feels like they're reissuing iconic watches, rather than providing fashion pieces on a budget.

Who are Heimdallr and Sharkey Watches?

Ironically, the Heimdallr has a higher spec Seiko automatic movement than the original Seiko does. So it's another watch that represents good value for money. That's a good question. I own the Seiko so this watch wouldn't be for me. But if you don't already own the Seiko, and the watch is now discontinued, your options are shrinking. Firstly, it's the colour. This all green model is based on the Rolex Submariner Hulk. That watch is now discontinued, so a homage model is a realistic alternative.

Like the original, this is a mid-sized dive watch with both a green dial and bezel. And like the original, it has Mercedes hands and a cyclops lens over the date window.

I think there are certainly comparable or better options in how Seiko movements are cased up, so I agree in principle on certain models where Seiko cuts corners. The Sharkey watches in general seem well-reviewed, from everything I've come across, about them. Phoibos also gets a lot of compliments. As you say, however, it depends on the individual if a "better" version of a Seiko, even for less money, is a desired buy, or not, if it's not actually from Seiko. It’s not an obvious watch to replicate and is more subtle than a Rolex or Omega homage. The styling is vintage, but the watch uses modern watchmaking knowledge. It’s powered by a Seiko Japanese automatic movement and has a domed sapphire crystal. The 62MAS was Seiko’s first dive watch. Released in 1965, the watch now has a cult status. Seiko has recreated the watch themselves, but it’s not a very affordable watch. As you've seen in this piece, they're more likely to recreate a vintage Japanese dive watch than a contemporary Swiss design. Either way, they're an interesting company that produces some exciting homage models. They're particularly strong when it comes to recreating classic dive watches.

The final watch that I'd like to highlight is again based on a discontinued model. Seiko's SKX007 was a very popular dive watch that has been dropped by the manufacturer in favour of its Seiko 5 Sports line. They're keen to stress that they are watch enthusiasts and that their watches aren't just clones of Swiss luxury watches. It’s the first watch on my list because it’s one of my favourites. Most people who’ll see you wearing this watch will never know that it is a homage to something else. I like that.Seiko is a bit odd in their pricing and in what one gets -- uninspired bracelets with stamped clasp, DiaShield coating at some price points but not in other models that cost more, when one gets Hardlex or Sapphire, etc., so, for years, it was a difficult brand for me to appreciate, until finally finding one model I just loved and I became interested in the brand itself. So you get a pleasing mix of vintage styling and modern dive watch features. You also get this for a lot less than the price of a vintage Seiko 6105. In terms of specifications, it's as you'd expect at this price point. It has the ubiquitous Seiko NH35A movement, a sapphire crystal and 200M of water resistance. Personally, having bought a couple of Seiko 5's, I was surprised that much lower cost brands with the same movement are on par and superior in many ways. Then again, even if inferior in specs, a Seiko is a Seiko, haha, so that's a win for Seiko fans. Oddly, that argument falls apart at the high end, in some debates, where, no matter how grand a Grand Seiko is, it's still "just a Seiko" to some people, much like a Nissan with supercar skills is "just a Nissan" to some people, no matter how great the performance. Assuming you're ok with wearing a homage watch, then the question becomes more about which brands to choose.