Which new Dive watch: Tissot Seastar 1000 or Nite Alpha 209?

Looking at these two.

https://www.nitewatches.com/store/gb/alpha/alpha-209-t100/

https://www.tissotwatches.com/en-gb/shop/tissot-seastar-1000-2.html

Does anyone own either of these? I don’t really know anything about nite, although reviews look good. Particularly interested to know the battery life on the Tissot and how comfortable the straps are? They vary so much, my silicone Aqualand strap is very comfortable, but the one that came on my Seiko had to go straight in the bin.

Both look nice enough, but I couldn’t wear a watch with nite spelt that way.

Depends what you’re going to use it for I suppose and do you want a plain watch or a chronograph, does it have to be quartz?

Of the 2 you’ve shown I’d probably go with the NITE – the GTLS lume is cool – had a Luminox which had it.

As alternatives I recently picked up a Seiko Solar Tuna:

(other variations available not just black/gold).

But then I also have one of these:

Precista PRS18

Or at the cheaper end of the scale how about the Divex Offshore 500m – £90

That Nite is way overpriced for a quartz diver. The Tissot too.

You can get something that is very close to a Rolex Submariner for $119 it’s a bloody bargain (available in blue too)

http://phoiboswatch.com/products/phoibos-px002c-300m-dive-watch-swiss-quartz-black.html

And also available in auto.,

Or the likes of Marc & Sons, Steinhart, certain Seiko (all autos with decent Miyota movements). I would not spend (what looks like over $700  AUD for a quartz Nite watch)

I nearly bought a Seastar a few months back – I think that one’s quartz if that matters to you, I was after an auto. Looking at their website, it looks like there’s a new auto one on the way.

I think I preferred the older Seastar faces, but I went for something second-hand in the end. Cases are quite big IIRC.

Seiko SKX007

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seiko-Analogue-Quartz-Watch-Rubber/dp/B000B5MI3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537519728&sr=8-1&keywords=SKX007K

add a custom fit Crafter Blue rubber strap in colour of your choice

CRAFTER BLUE Watch Straps

plus a nice stainless strap

https://www.amazon.co.uk/22-Metal-Band-SS221803b019-Watch/dp/B00KGPVO90/ref=sr_1_1?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1537519768&sr=1-1&keywords=SS221803b019

a classic automatic watch (with two good strap options) for less still leaving a fair bit of your budget for a cheap quartz such as a timex

I love STW:

Question: Which watch, A or B?

Answer: C, D, E, F or G

🙂

FWIW, the Nite looks nicer than the Tissot

Budget dive watch you say? There is no contest as @rene59 has already pointed out.

SKX007. The rubber strap is OK, the jubille bracelet is rattly but comfortable, and it looks great on a NATO strap.

Or go Pepsi face with a SKX009.

I already own

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seiko-Prospex-Powered-Chronograph-SSC663P1/dp/B078W2TSVG/ref=sr_1_103?ie=UTF8&qid=1537522640&sr=8-103&keywords=seiko+prospex+divers+watch

https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/brights/item/176048/

and a vintage Citizen promaster auto.

Not keen on metal bracelets except on dress watches, I like the integrated look of the strap on the two I have chosen and they look comfortable, unlike my Seiko.

I’m also looking at 300m+ depth rating for absolutely no other reason than I want one, I rarely dive anymore and certainly not deep anymore, but we want what we want!

I like the Mark & sons watch  on a rubber strap, but it is very big.

Cheers for that link aphex_2k , i’ve ordered the Phoibos dive watch in your link for a seemingly bargain price of £113 posted to UK.

Nice one. They’re a microbrand who turns out make many parts for some of the bigger companies. I’m really tempted too but the ceramic bezel’d date auto. YouTube reviews are great so let us know how it is when it arrives.

Don’t believe the claimed battery life on the Nite. The first battery in my MX10 lasted about 2 years, the factory fitted replacement even less. Claimed life is 4-5 years . I fitted the next one myself. Still love the watch.

I’m going to answer the OP’s original question:

I prefer the Tissot (purely from aesthetics).

Thanks Ross, probably what I will go for.

A couple of options from Christopher Ward might suit:

https://www.christopherward.co.uk/events/summer-clearance/30-percent-off-watches/c7-rapide-chronograph-cosc-limited-edition-897242

Costs a bit more than what you have linked to already but its a Quartz that is COSC certified too, supposedly with a 54month battery life.

Or quite a few options in there divers range:

https://www.christopherward.co.uk/watches/dive

I particularly like the C65 Trident Diver.

One thing with watch faces using tritium vials for illumination, the vials have a life of roughly ten years, they get gradually fainter over time, (ha, see what I did there?), which may be an issue. To be fair, though, most watch lume seems to get fainter as it gets older, my Yema, which is now nearly 50 years old, will glow for an hour or so, my 30 year old TAG night diver, which has a fully luminous face with extra lume on the 12, 6, and 9 markers will glow brightly for a couple of hours but is almost impossible to read after three or four, but my Seiko SPORK, which is about seven or eight years old is still clearly visible after seven or eight hours. It’s got one of the best and clearest faces around.

Seiko’s lume is pretty legendary. But newer Superluminova (I think its C3) is a lovely blue-green and looks stunning. Lasts well too.

Still, this is my usual watch. Pretty bombproof 6309. Looks better in sunlight.

I had a Luminox and I believe they had a tritium vial re-gas or replacement after a few years – probs on their site. I had that for 4 years and the trit was superb.