Momentum Sea Quartz 30

[Styles Bitchley]

Wow. Great review and photos. So grateful for the side by side comparison. Interesting to hear that the tropic is the harder material, like the one I have from Uncle Seiko. Interestingly, mine did get a lot more comfortable after time and the hot water/coffee mug trick.

[eagle]

Thanks for the kind comments. I don't know the hot water/coffee mug trick, but I think I can guess: wrap the strap around a coffee mug, and pour hot water into it, and repeat several times... is that it?

And, maybe I misspoke... the name-brand Tropic Strap is softer than the tropic-style strap that came with my Momentum. The Momentum one is harder.

[308GUY]

Great review and pics eagle!

I put mine on a jubilee mostly for the ease on/off, but I like the way the tropic strap feels on my wrist better.

With the obvious success of this model, I'm wondering if Momentum will come out with their own pepsi GMT?

Their quality seems to be top shelf for the price range. If they do, I'd probably spring for one!

Nice shirt too!

[Pahonu]

Very thorough review, thank you!

I’ve been through many Tropic straps on an old Casio dive watch I’ve had for over 30 years, going back to college in the late 80’s/early 90’s. I have to add that in my experience, they haven’t all been uniformly flexible over that time. Perhaps it was just because I was comparing a worn strap with a new one, but I recall at least once or twice thinking the new strap was much stiffer. It’s very subjective, I suppose. I’ve also beaten the crap out of that watch over all those years. Now I pretty much only wear it when I’m camping or hiking or doing some project around the house because I don’t care if it gets more banged up. Still works great though, but I wouldn’t trust it underwater any more. I fairly recently got rid of the last of many Tropics and decided to put a NATO strap on it for the first time. I’m curious to see how its durability compares.

[eagle]

I have been wearing mostly this watch since I got it, but I have also worn my Apple Watch a little too. The more I wear this Momentum watch, the more I like it. This one and my Steinhart Pepsi GMT are now my favorites in my collection.

The strap still feels tight, and the watch feels heavy, but that heaviness is probably because I've been wearing the Apple Watch almost exclusively for a while, and it is very light.

[Raykv423]

Very thorough review, thank you!

I’ve been through many Tropic straps on an old Casio dive watch I’ve had for over 30 years, going back to college in the late 80’s/early 90’s. I have to add that in my experience, they haven’t all been uniformly flexible over that time. Perhaps it was just because I was comparing a worn strap with a new one, but I recall at least once or twice thinking the new strap was much stiffer. It’s very subjective, I suppose. I’ve also beaten the crap out of that watch over all those years. Now I pretty much only wear it when I’m camping or hiking or doing some project around the house because I don’t care if it gets more banged up. Still works great though, but I wouldn’t trust it underwater any more. I fairly recently got rid of the last of many Tropics and decided to put a NATO strap on it for the first time. I’m curious to see how its durability compares.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of Casio watch is it? I have two Casio dive watches, one is a MRW-200H-1BV and the other is the MRW-210H-1AVCF.

https://flic.kr/p/2phj8Gp

[Styles Bitchley]

Thanks for the kind comments. I don't know the hot water/coffee mug trick, but I think I can guess: wrap the strap around a coffee mug, and pour hot water into it, and repeat several times... is that it?

Take the strap off and put it in the bottom of the mug. Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ5Q-BYZZCI

[Pahonu]

Very thorough review, thank you!

I’ve been through many Tropic straps on an old Casio dive watch I’ve had for over 30 years, going back to college in the late 80’s/early 90’s. I have to add that in my experience, they haven’t all been uniformly flexible over that time. Perhaps it was just because I was comparing a worn strap with a new one, but I recall at least once or twice thinking the new strap was much stiffer. It’s very subjective, I suppose. I’ve also beaten the crap out of that watch over all those years. Now I pretty much only wear it when I’m camping or hiking or doing some project around the house because I don’t care if it gets more banged up. Still works great though, but I wouldn’t trust it underwater any more. I fairly recently got rid of the last of many Tropics and decided to put a NATO strap on it for the first time. I’m curious to see how its durability compares.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of Casio watch is it? I have two Casio dive watches, one is a MRW-200H-1BV and the other is the MRW-210H-1AVCF.

https://flic.kr/p/2phj8Gp

I don’t know off hand, but I posted a pic for Styles on one of these threads. I’m out of town currently, but can check after the holiday. It’s a metal case, not black plastic though.

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

I just received my watch yesterday. It looks great and I’ll be I’m really looking forward to getting it into the rotation. I ordered it with the black tropic and the jubilee. I’m currently wearing the tropic and it looks great. I also love the shirt that was shipped with it. Very soft material. Once I wash it I’ll be a mini Magnum

[eagle]

Finally got my shirt washed and dried today, and boy is it soft! Fits great, and very comfortable. It's definitely going into the rotation!

[Styles Bitchley]

I don’t know off hand, but I posted a pic for Styles on one of these threads. I’m out of town currently, but can check after the holiday. It’s a metal case, not black plastic though.

Here's Pahonu's Casio and Invicta Submariner homage. The Casio has a really bad ass well worn patina. I believe the model is an MD-502, which also came with a Pepsi bezel option!

[Nikita70]

That Casio looks great. That would definitely be in my rotation.

[Raykv423]

I don’t know off hand, but I posted a pic for Styles on one of these threads. I’m out of town currently, but can check after the holiday. It’s a metal case, not black plastic though.

Here's Pahonu's Casio and Invicta Submariner homage. The Casio has a really bad ass well worn patina. I believe the model is an MD-502, which also came with a Pepsi bezel option!

Aye they look very cool. That Casio watch on the right honestly looks a bit like the Sea Quartz 30. I can imagine it’s a type of watch Selleck/Magnum would actually wear.

[Styles Bitchley]

That Casio looks great. That would definitely be in my rotation.

Looks like it originally came with a two-tone jubilee.

I think I'd throw it on one of the vintage rubber straps Uncle Seiko does. Maybe the GL831 or the Waffle.

[Pahonu]

Thanks Styles! You know the models of my watches better than me.

It does have a heavy “patina” as you say. I just keep it as a beater watch now. I can’t believe it still keeps great time and I never cracked the crystal. It’s closing in on 35 years old. After badly cracking the crystal on another dive watch that I had, and the watch shop giving me a repair bill close to the price I had paid, I got the Invicta and started the swapping watches routine. I wear the Invicta to work and other nice places. The old Casio is out for the weekends working on my boat or the Westy or camping as I mentioned.

I remember buying the Casio at a watch store near college and it had the bracelet option and a plastic strap option. I didn’t have the money for the bracelet. After several years the plastic strap broke and I was recommended a Tropic by a fellow diver. This waslong before I joined this forum or learned that TM had used one, maybe the mid 80’s or so.

I also remember that I used to have the battery replaced at a shop along with the seal, just to keep it water tight. I gave that up long ago. After several Tropics, I tried the one you see in the photo, but it was a little too snug. I’m a very big guy, if you remember. Not long after that it photo I got the NATO strap, just in black. I keep things pretty simple most of the time.