In recent years if you are a watch aficionado you may have noticed two brands that make very similar watches. Steeldive has been around for nearly two decades, but over the past couple of years I started noticing Addiesdive. Both brands have an ample amount of watches on Amazon. Both brands primarily make copies of Seiko dive watches.
When you look at both brands on the surface they seem to be the same company. They have nearly the same product line, their watches look identical, they use the same movements, they are both made in China.
However, when you dig a little deeper Steeldive and Addiesdive are not the same company.
Steeldive has been around since 2008 as far as I can ascertain. Addeisdive is a much newer company. Rumor has it that Addiesdive started making their watches in the Steeldive factory, but in 2021 they moved out and as of now are a completely separate company. This is evident when you really look at the details of their watches.
Just looking at their copies of the Seiko “Captain Willard”, both brands have copied this watch, and it’s probably their best seller. They are both very similar, they both feature the Seiko NH35 movement, are both made from 316 grade stainless steel, the cases appear to be nearly identical, they both have sapphire crystals.
The differences are slight. The Steeldive “Willard” now has a milled clasp with six micro-adustments that comes standard. The Addiesdive “Willard” still uses a stamped clasp. Addiesdive recently came out with this gorgeous wave pattern dial. So when you dig deeper they are not the same company.
Steeldive has a more expansive lineup, pretty much all of them are copies of Seiko, Omega, Squale and Rolex watches. Addiesdive mainly produce copies of Seiko watches, although they do have a Rolex copy.
Are They Any Good?
The real question for me at the end of the day is are Steeldive and Addiesdive watches any good? For me the answer is yes, they are very good watches, especially for the price. Again, look at their copies of the Seiko Captain Willard, which for the real Seiko retails at well over $1000. You can get the Steeldive or Addiesdive copy of that watch for about $100. This is an incredible value.
For $100 you get a Japanese automatic movement with hacking and hand winding capabilities, a sapphire crystal, 316 stainless construction, and a stainless bracelet if you choose. These are features usually found on much more expensive watches. Even at $200 this would be a great deal.
Is Steeldive or Addiesdive Better?
For me this is a matter of personal preference, when you look at their construction of different models and the components they use it is a toss up. I personally like a milled clasp which Steeldive offers on some of their models, but Addiesdive does have some nice dials they have put together.
Either way you are getting a copy of another watch, if this doesn’t bother you and you want a great value watch pull the trigger and buy one. If you would rather have the real McCoy, prepare to spend 10x the amount at minimum.
If I’m being honest I would like to see these companies come out with their own designs like some of the microbrand watch makers. I’m guessing they could put out an original, very well made watch for a couple or few hundred dollars.
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