The Sheffield Solar Steel and Diver 1 White

Article by Russ Michaud; photography by Brent Robillard

Value for money

Sheffield has quietly cornered the market lately with affordable quality in their dive watch lineup. Offering varying options of movements, colours, and price points, they’re bringing a degree of accessibility to a hobby often associated with much larger brands like Timex, Casio, Citizen and Seiko.

Two watches that stood out to me in the Sheffield diver lineup were the Diver 1 Solar Steel and the Diver 1W. Both are very similar in dimensions and wearing experience, but vary slightly in other areas.

Sheffield Diver 1 in White — Sheffield Diver 1 White @calibre321

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Sheffield Solar Steel

Starting with the Solar Steel, it presents in a minimalist but functional box with foam cutouts for the watch and steel bracelet. It houses all the good specs a solid dive watch should, with 200m of water resistance, flat saphire crystal with anti reflective coating, drilled lugs, and a 316L stainless steel case that measures 40mm across and 48mm lug to lug. Its overall thickness sits right at 13mm and the case houses the Japanese Miyota 2070 Solar quartz movement.

The dial is a nice flat black with applied indices filled with bright green Swiss lume that appear white in regular lighting conditions. I found the lume to be more than adequate and last well past midnight without a dedicated torch to charge it up with.

Caseback of the Sheffield Solar Steel Diver — Miyota 2070 @calibre321

The orange lollipop seconds hand ticks around the dial and contrasts nicely with the minute and hour hand. Overall this is a very legible watch, and with no date, it’s easy to set, screw down your crown, and start your day with whatever you want to throw at it.

The Sheffield Solar Steel Diver in hand — Orange Lollipop Seconds @calibre321

On the bottom of your wrist, the steel clasp secures the watch perfectly and offers 4 levels of (tool required) micro adjustment. The end links are hollow stamped steel, but it’s not obvious that’s the case until you take them off. They’re very well made in that regard.

Sheffield Solar Steel Diver among diving gear — Stainless steel bracelet @calibre321

Sheffield Diver 1 White

Moving onto its polar faced cousin, the Diver 1 White, you’re presented with a more tropical, sporty feel. The orange second hand from the Solar steel turns a stark red, and the dial a bright white. The dimensions and specs stay the same as the Solar steel, but the movement changes to a non-Solar variant of the Miyota known as the 2035.

Sheffield Diver 1 in White on wrist — Diver 1 on a tropic-style strap @calibre321

The Diver 1 White comes on a soft rubber tropical strap with quick release spring bars and overall, is very comfortable to wear. The other major difference between the two watches is the bezel insert. While both are black and have lumed indices, the Diver 1 White sports a full lumed minute track, while the Solar Steel has only indices every 5 minutes. Personally I’m a fan of the full minute track as it helps me really dial in the timing bezel when cooking my eggs in the morning. If my watch gives me a function, I’m gonna use it.

Sheffield Diver 1 in White with lumed dial and bezel — Lumed bezel with full minute track @calibre321

Final Thoughts

One thing that’s immediately noticeable when strapping on one of these watches is just how easy it is to grab and go. There were times when I’d put on the White dial Diver 1 and three days later I’m still wearing it. Whether taking my toddler to the grocery store, or wrenching (and swearing) on my Land Rover, it’s just a great beater. The white or black goes with any outfit, and never feels out of place.

Sheffield Solar Steel Diver on wrist with stainless steel bracelet — The Solar Steel looks great on wrist @calibre321

While neither of these watches sport any amazing technology or functions, it’s their affordability and no-nonsense approach that makes them such an easy buy. It never ceases to impress me when a new Sheffield comes across my wrist. There are no rough edges, crooked indices, crunchy bezels, or quality concerns of any type. You get exactly what the specs and dimensions suggest. And for many, these Sheffield divers are an easy one and done dive watch that will last for years and look great doing so.

Close up of the Sheffield Solar Steel Diver — Value proposition @calibre321

Pricing & Availablity

The Sheffield Solar Steel will set you back $234 CAD, while the Diver 1 White retails for $170 CAD. Both represent incredible value and are available through the brand website.

About the Author

Russ Michaud is a husband and father to a young daughter, living in a charming 1800s farmhouse in New Hampshire. A veteran of 11 years in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force, he now works rotations in the offshore energy industry in the Gulf of Mexico. When he’s home he restores vintage audio gear, tinkers with his 1966 Land Rover Series IIA, teaches himself the art of film photography, and retreats to the family’s quiet lake cottage. Watches have been his constant companions from silent submarine depths to noisy rig helidecks; reviewing and writing about them is simply the latest chapter in a lifelong obsession. You can follow him on Instagram or through his own blog.

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