Seiko Ninja Tuna - good watch for the $?

kurtj29 · Jan 21, 2017

I wanted to add a diver to my current 2 chronograph collection. I was first looking at the 8500 and 2500 Planet Oceans. Then I thought I would pick up a 2254 Seamaster, I like the sword hands.

But now I have been drawn to the Seiko Tuna series of watches. I really like the history of the watch. The design is so different from any other diver out there. I was honing in on the Dark Ninja - SBNN035 but that is a quartz movement which I know is heresey - but I can pick up one for ~$850 US. I was also wondering if I should go all in and pick up a Spring Drive? Anyone here have a Tuna? Thoughts on Tuna quartz watches. Any comments on the Seiko Tuna series and recommendations would be appreciated. Here is a picture I picked up off the interweb...

It just says tool watch to me.

STANDY · Jan 21, 2017

Have you tried one on. This is a big watch.
Great watches,

I do not mind a Quartz in a dive watch as you get it re-sealed and tested every two years with the battery change 👍

Here is a history of them for you.

https://thespringbar.com/blogs/guides/the-seiko-tuna-collectors-guide

AveConscientia · Jan 21, 2017

STANDY
Have you tried one on. This is a big watch.
Great watches,

I do not mind a Quartz in a dive watch as you get it re-sealed and tested every two years with the battery change 👍

Here is a history of them for you.

https://thespringbar.com/blogs/guides/the-seiko-tuna-collectors-guide

I say a Seiko 7046 6040 100/150 Quartz is the only diver worth it in my mind

Foo2rama · Jan 21, 2017

Try it on first. It's a dive watch not a sport/dive watch. On some people it makes a ploprof seem dainty.

Fritz · Jan 21, 2017

Seiko divers.... there is no reason to worry about it.... bulletproof.

kurtj29 · Jan 21, 2017

@STANDY - that is a great link - thanks. Fortunately I have 7.25" wrists so I assume I could probably wear it. My 42mm Speedmaster is about as small as I would like to go. I have had a 42mm Rolex Explorer II, I tried the Sub and GMT and they were too small. The Ninja is supposed to be a couple of mm's smaller than that standard 1000 meter Tunas. It looks great, I think I am going to get it.

STANDY · Jan 21, 2017

Wear it like its stolen when you get it. The only thing better than a tool watch is a well worn one 😉

My current dive watch.

pascs · Jan 21, 2017

Love Seiko Tunas and have a few as well as some modified ones, you cant go wrong with these. The quartz movements are super strong and reliable too. The 300m ones are also significantly thinner than the 1000m ones which use the monocoque case

My modified Dark Tuna

And one of my favourite, 6159....now this is a big watch 😁

kurtj29 · Jan 22, 2017

pascs
Love Seiko Tunas and have a few as well as some modified ones, you cant go wrong with these. The quartz movements are super strong and reliable too. The 300m ones are also significantly thinner than the 1000m ones which use the monocoque case
My modified Dark Tuna

@pascs The Dark Tuna is great. I am torn between the black Ninja (SBBN035) and the SS (SBBN031). You get the SS bracelet with the 31 but I am really drawn to the all-black 35. Do you feel limited in strap selection with the Dark Tuna?

pascs · Jan 22, 2017

It is more difficult to get the right look with the black, I've tried a black Strapcode bracelet and didnt like it but they can look good on vintage leather.

kurtj29 · Jan 24, 2017

Thanks for all the responses. I am still in the investigation part. The Ninja Tuna SBBN035 is just an incredible value at between $700 - $900. My gosh how could you go wrong? On the other hand I am totally in love with the Spring Drive. It looks like you can get a good used Spring Drive SBDB013 somewhere in the $2,000's. I feel I would get the Ninja and always be pinning away for the Spring Drive. The more I learn about the Spring Drive the more I like it. For me - it is an Automatic. No different that putting electronic fuel injection into a sports car. Or maybe a better analogy would be the Porsche 918 Spyder? The technology around the Spring Drive is really cool. The value is amazing - top of the line diver for under $3K. You can't even touch a new Omega PO for that.

Jhh834 · Jan 25, 2017

kurtj29
Thanks for all the responses. I am still in the investigation part. The Ninja Tuna SBBN035 is just an incredible value at between $700 - $900. My gosh how could you go wrong? On the other hand I am totally in love with the Spring Drive. It looks like you can get a good used Spring Drive SBDB013 somewhere in the $2,000's. I feel I would get the Ninja and always be pinning away for the Spring Drive. The more I learn about the Spring Drive the more I like it. For me - it is an Automatic. No different that putting electronic fuel injection into a sports car. Or maybe a better analogy would be the Porsche 918 Spyder? The technology around the Spring Drive is really cool. The value is amazing - top of the line diver for under $3K. You can't even touch a new Omega PO for that.

It sounds like a spring drive it is for you.

stockae92 · Jan 26, 2017

The Tuna wears "small" for its size. They have no lugs so they are very wrist friendly even for their size.

The SD Tuna is big, but the biggest is the SBDX Tuna with automatic movement inside. Its not the size that worries me, its that combined with how thick they are.

The 300m (SBBN) Tuna are great value. They are tough as nail, will a high torque movement that's specially designed for the watch, 5 yr battery. And the new Tuna has even better lume than the other Seiko divers (which is hard to imagine). Also the 300m Tuna has a screw down case back that sits "flatter" on the wrist.

For SD technology, I would consider the Grand Seiko line up. Obviously, you can't go wrong with any of them ... if you have the wrist for it. 😀

C4L18R3 · Jan 27, 2017

The Tunas might seem large on paper but they actually wear quite small. I know for a fact that the new SUN series Kinetic GMTs are larger than a standard SBBN Tuna... and the PloProf dwarfs the SUN GMTs for sure. It has a lot to do with the thickness of the case and the short lugs, it really makes it wear much smaller than the size suggests.

Seiko Ninja Tuna - good watch for the $?

kurtj29

STANDY

AveConscientia

Foo2rama

Fritz

kurtj29

STANDY

pascs

kurtj29

pascs

kurtj29

Jhh834

stockae92

C4L18R3

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