This Seiko-Powered Affordable Chronograph Is Back with a Stealthy Revamp

The new five-link steel bracelet makes all the difference.

Black metal chronograph watch with beige markers and three white subdials on a yellow background.

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Published February 24, 2026

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Switching up the strap on a watch changes the entire appearance, physical feel and vibe. It’s the easiest and cheapest way to personalize a new watch and freshen up an old one.

While the Chrono Diver from Dryden Watch Company featured a crowd-pleasing vintage-inspired dial and a Seiko movement in a respectable 42mm stainless steel case, it couldn’t fit a steel bracelet or any strap with end links.

Black stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with beige markers and three white subdials on a yellow map background. — The Chrono Diver Gen. 2 features more traditional lugs that can accommodate end links, enabling a steel bracelet.

The major shortcoming of the sporty skin diver was the shape of the lugs. Dryden’s original design featured dramatically curved lugs that hug the wrist, which worked nicely with the provided rubber or leather straps.

Owners could switch to a NATO strap or any woven two-piece strap, but even flat-ended steel bracelets wouldn’t look right. This may sound picky, but I prefer a steel bracelet over any other option and can’t be bothered with rubber straps.

Black metal wristwatch with beige markers, three white subdials, and a tachymeter bezel worn on a wrist. — The Chrono Diver Gen. 2 comes on a five-link quick-release steel bracelet with a tool-less micro-adjustment clasp.

I’m clearly not the only one who feels this way, because the Kansas City-based indie watch brand listened to its fanbase and updated the Chrono Diver with more traditional lugs, along with a couple of other impactful tweaks.

Demonstrating the update, the Chrono Diver Gen. 2 comes on a five-link Jubilee-style stainless steel bracelet with quick-release pins and a micro-adjustable folding clasp. It is one of the most comfortable and classic steel options, and offers a substantial upgrade for a watch that still costs less than $500.

Back of a silver stainless steel watch case with an engraved sailboat and text including "DEWDEN WATCH CO," "SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL," and "100M. — The Chrono Diver Gen. 2 has an etching of a sailboat on the caseback.

The Chrono Diver Gen. 2 debuts with three references, including two stainless steel options. One has a black dial and black steel bezel insert featuring creamy off-white detailing. The other has a white dial with blue subdials and a blue steel bezel insert.

Last but not least, Dryden offers a limited edition version of the black dial with a faded black PVD coating on the steel case and bracelet. The darkened finish accentuates the vertical brushing on the case and outer bracelet links, as well as the polished center links.

Dive into the dark

The dial of the Chrono Diver Gen. 2 is unchanged from the original. It has a vague vintage Omega vibe without being a direct copy. The big arrow hour hand, small arrow seconds hand and alpha subdial hands all play well together.

Black Dryden chronograph watch face with glowing green hour markers and hands in a dark setting. — The Chrono Dive Gen. 2 has a fully lumed bezel.

There is a printed trapezoidal hour track and a ruler seconds track with a tachymeter printed along the outer rim of the dial. A date window tucked away at 4:30 has a color-matched disc and number track.

Elapsed minutes up to one hour are tracked at 9:00, there is a small seconds at 6:00 and the telltale 24-hour time dial of the Seiko Caliber VK63 meca-quartz at 3:00. In an interesting touch, the dials are labeled “min,” “sec” and “hour,” respectively.

Stainless steel Dryden chronograph watch with black dial, beige markers, and metal link bracelet. — The stainless steel version of the black dial Chrono Diver Gen. 2.

One more impactful update to the Chrono Diver Gen. 2 is the addition of recessed pushers. They retain the same classic pump shape, but cutouts in the midcase allow them to be sunken in, creating a sleeker look and reducing the risk of snagging.

Availability and price

Putting my personal gripes with the Seiko Caliber VK63 meca-quartz movement aside, Dryden’s Chrono Diver offers one hell of a bargain for its price. The retro skin diver dial is well executed, the steel bezel insert — which I think is underrated these days — is fully lumed and the new steel bracelet makes all the difference.

The Dryden Chrono Diver Gen. 2 is available now from Dryden for $450 with stainless steel and $475 with the PVD coating. To celebrate the launch, all orders placed before March 1 will receive a 10 percent discount and a complimentary additional rubber strap.

Black stainless steel chronograph watch with beige markers and three white subdials on a metal link bracelet.

Dryden Chrono Diver Gen. 2

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	Seiko Caliber VK63 meca-quartz
Water Resistance	100m

$475 at Dryden Watch Company

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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