Back in February I reviewed the Pantor Sea Lion, a watch that I found to be surprisingly great. Now Pantor is back with the new Pantor Seal, a massive diver with a lot of Sea Lion attitude but with its own unique tricks. I got to spend a little time with this bad boy and as far as looks go, it pretty damn cool. Lets see if the looks matches its functionality.
The Dial
The Pantor Seal is a simple three hander with date. The dial color is matte black with contrasting white hands and hour markers. The hands are mounted to a Swiss-made automatic movement. The hands are large and filled with lume. The bulky case does make the dial feel a bit small and crowded in its space. I do like the simplicity of the dial. Everything is very legible at all times, even during my limited attempts to test it in water.
The Case
I really like the style of the case on this Pantor Seal. Everything looks so machined. I can just imagine the CNC machine cutting this out of a solid chunk of 316L stainless steel. The bezel is very large and turning it is actually very difficult. Even if it loosens up over time there is no good way to get a grip in it. The edges of the bezel are very smooth so if you are planning to dive with this then good luck marking the time. This case is made for some serious diving. The water resistance is 1,650 feet and there is a helium valve for those saturation divers out there. I would probably have to remove some weights in my weight belt when diving because this watch is one heavy beast. Even after removing six links to fit my wrist this watch weighs in at 265 grams. That’s a lot of weight on the wrist.
The Bracelet
The look of this bracelet on the Pantor Seal is great. Made from 316L stainless steel like the case this bracelet is quit heavy. It has a locking clasp which is signed with the Pantor name. This bracelet does not have a divers extension which is an issue if this is truly made to be a true diver. To be honest though most people who don’t dive will not care at all about not having the divers extension. One issue I have that could bother some is that this does tend to be a hair puller when moving around on the wrist.
The Lume
I would say the best part of this Pantor Seal is the lume. Using Swiss BGW9 Super LumiNova the glow is fantastic and take very little time to charge up. In the light this lume is totally white which looks great on the matte black dial. The glow from the bezel marker also really stands out so there is no way you can’t see the marked time… as long as you can get that bezel to move.
Overall Impression
As far as looks go this Pantor Seal is very cool. It big and bold and has that machined industrial look that will appeal to a lot of people. As a diver, however, this is a fail. The bezel with nothing to grip onto is useless. I struggle to turn it with dry hands so in the water forget it. There is no divers extension to fit this over a dive suit. If you are not planning on diving with this and just want a cool-looking watch, and you don’t mind the weight, this is pretty cool. Price on this is $599.00 USD and you can find them at pantorwatches.com.
Review Summary
- Brand and model: Pantor Seal
- Price: $599 USD
- Who’s it for?
- Would I wear it? Like it but its just too heavy to wear.
- What I’d change: Reduce the weight.
- The best thing about it: The case design
Tech Specs from Pantor
- Movement: Swiss Made Automatic Movement
- Date calendar
- Case with high quality finishing
- 44mm case diameter, moderate size fit for men and women
- 500m water resistant professional diver watches
- Screw Helium Valve at 10H
- Dial: 1-12H with Swiss BGW9 Super LumiNova
- Hands: Swiss BGW9 Super LumiNova
- Bracelet: Stainless Steel Bracelet
- Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
- Screw Crown: 316L Stainless Steel
- Case Diameter: 44mm
- Case Thickness: 17.25mm
- Bracelet Wide: 24mm
- Sapphire Crystal: 5.2mm
