ebiz4me
3T WIS
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Since I own both of these magnificent watches – thought it may be helpful to write a quick-and-dirty comparison. Both of these watches are very well made and a good value for the dollar IMHO. They are similar in many ways but also very different…hey, that’s why I bought both of them.
I’m going to give various parts of each watch a rating from 1 to 5 (1 is lowest and 5 is highest). We’ll then total the rating to see who wins. This review is strictly my opinion of the watches. Although one may win, I still love both watches. Currently they are similar priced with the bracelet..
- Case including crowns, lugs and back.
- Bracelet
- Bezel
- Glass (sapphire)
- Dial, including hands, marking and lume
- Movement (the engine)
I’ve included pictures at the end of the review.
Case – They both use the same basic case, but that’s where the similarity ends. Let’s start with the Enzo. The crown is huge and operation of the crown is very smooth. It does have a slight wobble – probably because of the size. The model I have includes crown guards. Some people don’t care for these…personally, I really like them. They’re a bit different than traditional and add to the personality of the watch. The Enzo uses connecting rods at the lugs. I believe this addd to the “high end” nature of the watch. I like em…but you sure don’t wanna loose one. The case back on the Enzo is beautiful. Very nicely done with the engraved ship. It just has a nice high end look to it. Now to the LM-3’s case. The crown is large, but not nearly as large as the Enzo. Operation is smooth but I don’t find it as smooth as the Enzo. The LM-3 uses drilled thru lugs. I like these. Makes it a snap to change from bracelet to strap quickly. The case back on the LM-3 is nice but really doesn’t compare with Enzo. I believe the LM-3’s case back is the same as on the Schaumburg Aquamatic and Nauticfish 1000M. Probably the standard case back that came from the manufacture.
Enzo = 5
LM-3 = 4
Bracelet – Not a lot to say here, except both have about the best bracelet I’ve ever had on a watch. Very thick, heavy and well made. The bracelets are identical except the signed snap is different. If you buy either or both of these watches, be sure to purchase the bracelet. Well worth the money.
Enzo = 5
LM-3 = 5
Bezel – The LM-3 has more of a functional bezel for a diver. Enzo is functional, but more a design element and gives the watch a unique look. I like the Enzo bezel on this model a lot. It’s different. There no slop in either bezel. The operation of the bezel on the LM-3 is a tad bit smoother. Probably because of the 120 click vs 60 for the Enzo. It’s also easier to turn on the LM-3. This is because of its traditional design and not being rounded on the sides like the Enzo.
Enzo = 4
LM-3 = 5
Glass – Both use Sapphire with AR coating on the inside. BUT the super thick 5.5mm, slightly domed crystal on the Enzo is breathtaking. Sorry but the 4mm thick crystal on the LM-3 is like every other 1000m diver out there. It’s nice, but it just doesn’t make you wanna sit there and stare at your watch and move it around to catch the full effect of that glass. The Enzo crystal just flows in nicely with the rounded bezel. Very nice indeed!
Enzo = 5
LM-3 = 3
Dial – I like both dials. I’m a fan of nice, simple dials. I like the Enzo a bit more. Even though the LM-3’s blue dial is very nice. Especially how the blue changes, depending on how you view it….that’s nice. But – don’t care that much for the non-solid hands. I think I would have preferred the date as black number on white. Seems to be easier to read on the Enzo. I find the hands easier to see on the Enzo, although an orange outlined minute had would have been nice, but never-the-less, when I just glance down to see the time….the Enzo wins. The dials were so close, this could have been a wash, but the lume on the Enzo won out big time. I find the lume on the LM-3 disappointing…not very bright and not enough of it. The Enzo lume is killer. Sorry I couldn’t take lume pics. The Enzo has a lume ring around the dial and in combination with the 5 minute marks and hands – it is quite beautiful. Makes the watch face look very deep at night.
Enzo = 5
LM-3 = 3
Movement – Both my Enzo and LM-3 use the very reliable ETA 2824-2. The both run around 5 to 8 seconds fast per day, which is kinda on par with all my 2824 watches. Probably just like they come from the ETA’s factory. I understand some LM-3’s come with the SW200 movement. I have no experience with that movement but would give a higher rating to LM-3’s with 2824.
Enzo = 5
LM-3 = 5 (4 with SW200)
THE WINNER IS
Enzo = 29
LM-3 = 25
So for me, the Enzo wins out. But, it was close. Both watches are very good values for the money and would compare well with watches costing much, much more. My recommendation is – if you like big, heavy diving watches – GET THEM BOTH.
A few more pics can be found here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Dennis.Rudy/EnzoVsLM3
Last edited on Tue Jul 10th, 2007 10:16 am by ebiz4me
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