ADDIESDIVE 41mm Quartz Diver Review: a cheap ‘Sub’ style beater that punches above its price

I bought this ADDIESDIVE 41mm quartz diver mainly out of curiosity. Unknown Chinese brand, around £50, and a design that clearly copies the Rolex Submariner style in green. I went in thinking it would feel like a toy and I’d probably send it back after a few days. Instead, I ended up wearing it almost every day for a couple of weeks, at work, in the shower, and for a couple of swims at the pool.

My wrist is about 17.5 cm, so I’m always a bit careful with 41 mm watches. Some of them feel like dinner plates. This one sits more compact because of the classic diver shape and 20 mm bracelet. Right away, what surprised me was the overall heft: it does not feel hollow or rattly like a lot of cheap fashion watches you find in malls or on Amazon. It feels like an actual watch, not a toy.

During testing, I treated it like a beater: banged it on door frames, wore it while carrying groceries, typing all day on a laptop, and under the shower. I didn’t baby it at all. The mineral crystal has picked up no obvious scratches yet, and the bezel still turns fine. It’s not luxury level, but for the price, it holds up better than I expected.

So this review is basically: what you actually get for roughly £50-60, where it’s clearly cutting corners, and whether it makes sense compared to other cheap divers like Invicta, Pagani, or random fashion brands. Spoiler: it’s not perfect, but as a daily knock-around watch, it’s pretty solid for the money.

For roughly £50–60 (prices jump around on Amazon), this watch offers quite a bit: 316L steel case, ceramic bezel insert, 200 m water resistance, screw-down crown, solid lume, and a reliable Miyota quartz movement. On top of that, it looks like a much more expensive diver from a distance. When colleagues asked me about it, a couple of them assumed it was a few hundred pounds, not fifty. For a cheap daily watch, that’s already a win.

Now, where is the money saved? Mainly in the bracelet, the mineral glass instead of sapphire, the basic packaging, and the fact that this is an unknown Chinese brand with zero prestige. If you’re the kind of person who cares about brand name and resale value, this makes no sense. You’re not going to impress watch snobs with an ADDIESDIVE. But if you just want a decent-looking, functional dive-style watch that you can knock around, the value is actually pretty strong.

Compared to an Invicta Pro Diver or similar homages, I’d say this is at least competitive. The Invicta sometimes has better bracelet finishing, but the design can be louder and the cases can feel bulkier. Here you get a cleaner look and very solid lume. Compared to random fashion brand quartz divers at the same price (Guess, Lorus, etc.), I’d pick this every time just for the 200 m rating, screw-down crown, and overall tool-watch vibe.

So, is it the best thing ever? No. But for a low-budget, grab-and-go diver that actually handles water and looks decent, it offers good value. If you’re okay with the unknown logo on the dial and maybe swapping the bracelet, you get a watch that does its job well without draining your wallet.

Design-wise, this thing is not trying to be original. It’s a straight Submariner-style homage: 41 mm case, dive bezel, Mercedes hands, date with cyclops, and the classic dive layout. If you hate homages, you’ll hate this. If you just want the Sub look without spending a fortune, this is exactly what you think it is. For everyday use, I actually like that it’s familiar and easy to read at a glance.

The green dial on my unit is more olive/matte than glossy. It doesn’t have that deep sunburst effect you see on higher-end watches. In practice, this makes it pretty legible in most lighting because you don’t get too much reflection. The white indices with C3 lume are bold, and the contrast is good. The ceramic bezel insert has BGW9 lume in the markers, so at night the dial glows green and the bezel markers glow blue-ish. It’s a bit of a light show in the dark, which is fun if you’re into that.

The date magnifier (cyclops) is aligned properly on my watch and gives decent magnification. It’s not razor sharp like on a luxury watch, but I could read the date clearly even with tired eyes at night. The bezel font and layout are very classic diver style. The bezel itself is unidirectional, as it should be on a dive watch. It feels a bit stiff but not in a bad way. I’d rather have stiff than loose and misaligned.

On the wrist, it looks like a normal 40–41 mm diver. It doesn’t scream “cheap” from a distance. Up close, you can see some finishing shortcuts on the bracelet and case brushing if you’re picky, but nothing shocking for the price. If you like classic dive watch design, this ticks the box. If you want something original or dressy, this is not it.

This watch uses a standard battery-powered Japanese quartz movement (Miyota 2115), and it ships with a battery already installed (LR44 type, according to the listing). I obviously haven’t run it long enough to drain the battery, but with this kind of movement you can generally expect a couple of years of life before you need a replacement, assuming you’re not constantly running any extra functions (which this watch doesn’t really have).

For daily use, the quartz setup is just practical. You put it on, it runs, no winding, no shaking your wrist to get it started. I left it on the bedside table for a few days without wearing it, picked it up, and it was still on time. If you’re used to automatic watches that stop overnight, this feels very low maintenance. That’s probably why some people are buying this as a work beater: you don’t have to think about it.

Battery changes on cheap watches can be a bit of a gamble if you go to random kiosks, but since this has a screw-down caseback, any basic watch repair shop should be able to swap the battery easily. The only real downside is that you’ll need to open the case every few years, which technically can affect water resistance if the gasket isn’t seated properly afterwards. If you actually care about the 200 m rating, it’s worth asking the shop to check or replace the gasket and pressure test it, though many people won’t bother at this price.

If you’re comparing this to the automatic version of the same model, the big trade-off is: quartz gives you better accuracy and less hassle, automatic gives you the mechanical vibe and no battery changes. Personally, for a cheap dive-style watch I’m not emotionally attached to, I’m fine with quartz. I just want it to tell the time correctly and survive water, and it does that without fuss.

On the wrist, comfort is decent, but there are a few things to know. First, the size: 41 mm case, 13 mm thick, and around 163 g on bracelet. On my 17.5 cm wrist, it sits well and doesn’t overhang, but if you’ve got a very small wrist, it might feel a bit chunky. It wears like a typical diver. You feel it’s there, but it’s not a brick. After an hour or two, I mostly forgot about it while working and walking around.

Out of the box, the bracelet needed sizing. The total length is about 220–228 mm, so if you have a big wrist, you’re covered. I had to remove a couple of links and then fine-tune with the three micro-adjust holes on the clasp. That micro-adjust is actually useful; I could dial in a fit that wasn’t too tight in the heat. The downside is the bracelet doesn’t feel as smooth or flexible as higher-end ones. It’s a bit more “clunky” in how the links articulate, but not to the point of being annoying.

The caseback sits flat and doesn’t dig into my skin, even after a whole day. The crown at 3 o’clock is protected by crown guards and didn’t bite into the back of my hand. No weird hot spots from the lugs either. I wore it while typing for long stretches and didn’t feel the need to take it off, which is usually my test for whether a watch is comfortable enough for office use.

If I compare comfort to something like an Invicta Pro Diver, I’d say this is on similar or slightly better level. The watch head feels more solid, the bracelet is on par or a bit better, but still not what I’d call super comfortable. If bracelet comfort is a big deal for you, plan to throw it on a rubber strap or leather. On a softer strap, this watch would be very easy to wear all day.

On paper, the materials are pretty standard for this price range: 316L stainless steel case and bracelet, mineral crystal, ceramic bezel insert, and Superluminova C3/BGW9 lume. No sapphire crystal here, which is the first obvious cost cut. For a watch that’s meant to be a beater and not a heirloom, I can live with mineral, but if you’re rough on your watches, expect scratches sooner or later.

The 316L steel case feels solid in hand. No sharp edges that dig into the wrist, and the brushing is consistent enough. It’s not luxury-level finishing, but nothing looked sloppy. The caseback engraving, as one Amazon review mentioned, is a bit rough to the touch, but you don’t feel it while wearing. I’d call it “good enough” for a budget diver. Weight is around 160 g on bracelet, so it has a reassuring heft without being a brick.

The bracelet is also 316L, but this is clearly where the watch saves money. It’s not terrible, but the links feel a bit cheaper than the head of the watch. The clasp is a double locking foldover with micro-adjust holes, which is practical. No milled clasp parts like you’d see on pricier pieces, more of a stamped feel. It works, it locks, it just doesn’t feel premium. Several buyers swapped to Jubilee or leather straps, and I get why: the head deserves a slightly better bracelet.

The ceramic bezel insert is a pleasant surprise at this price. It gives a nicer look than painted aluminum and should resist scratches better. The lume is honestly one of the strong points: the hands and indices charge quickly under light and stay readable for several hours. You’re not getting dive-computer-level brightness, but for a £50 watch, the glow is pretty solid and clearly above random fashion brands.

In terms of durability, I treated this watch like something I didn’t mind scratching. Over a couple of weeks I wore it at work, around the house, in the pool, and in the shower. I knocked it against a few door handles and metal railings (not on purpose, just normal clumsiness). So far, the case and bracelet show normal light marks you’d expect from brushed steel, but nothing deep or ugly. The mineral crystal hasn’t picked up visible scratches yet, though long term it’ll be more vulnerable than sapphire.

The bezel action stayed consistent: still firm, no extra play, and the ceramic insert didn’t chip or show marks. I didn’t baby the bezel when turning it with wet hands, and it handled that fine. The screw-down crown still bites properly and doesn’t feel loose or gritty. That’s one of the things that often goes first on cheap divers, and so far this one is holding up okay. Obviously, I can’t speak for multi-year use, but short-term it feels reliable enough.

The bracelet is the weak point in terms of feeling durable. It’s not falling apart or anything, but the tolerances and feel of the links are more basic. When you shake the watch in your hand, you can hear a bit of that cheaper bracelet rattle. It’s not awful, just typical of this price range. If you plan to really abuse the watch (climbing, construction work, etc.), I’d probably throw it on a NATO or rubber strap and not worry about the bracelet at all.

Given the price, I’d call the durability “good enough for a daily beater”. It’s not bombproof, but it doesn’t feel fragile either. Compared to an Invicta Pro Diver or similar Amazon brands, it’s on the same level or slightly better, especially with that ceramic bezel insert and solid-feeling case. If you want something you can forget on your wrist and not stress about, this fits that role pretty well.

Performance is where this watch quietly does its job. The Japanese Miyota 2115 quartz movement is nothing fancy, but it’s reliable. Over about two weeks of use, mine didn’t drift in any noticeable way. Other reviewers mentioned almost zero loss in a week, and I saw the same: I synced it to my phone when I got it, and a week later it was still basically spot on. If you’re used to mechanical watches that gain or lose seconds daily, this feels very easy to live with.

Time and date setting is standard quartz stuff: pull the crown to the first position for date, second for time. One buyer said it took a bit of figuring out, but honestly, once you’ve set one analog quartz watch, you know the drill. The hands line up well with the indices on my unit, which is important. Misaligned hands are a pet peeve of mine on cheap quartz watches, and this one passes that test. The second hand hits the markers cleanly, which makes the watch feel less cheap.

Lume performance is better than I expected at this price. I charged it under a lamp for 30 seconds and then turned off the lights: the hands and indices were bright and very readable. After a few hours, it fades, but you can still see the time in a dark room. The BGW9 on the bezel gives a blue-toned glow that helps you see the 12 o’clock marker and the timing scale. If you actually dive at night, you’d still want a proper dive computer, but for swimming, camping, or just walking into a dark cinema, it’s perfectly fine.

Water resistance is rated at 200 m (20 bar) with a screw-down crown and caseback. I obviously didn’t take it to 200 m, but I did wear it in the shower multiple times and in the pool for swimming. No fogging, no condensation, no weird crown feel afterwards. I wouldn’t take it into hot springs or saunas, as the brand itself warns, but for normal water use (swimming, snorkelling, showering), it behaves like a proper dive-style watch and not a fashion toy.

Out of the box, the presentation is pretty basic. Don’t expect fancy packaging. The box is light, does the job, and that’s about it. Inside you get the watch on its metal bracelet, a small manual (English isn’t perfect, but you can figure it out), and a couple of micro-adjust options on the clasp. No extra straps in my case, no fancy tools. It’s very “Amazon watch” style: minimal but functional.

The watch itself, though, doesn’t look cheap at first glance. The green dial has a matte, slightly olive tone, not the bright metallic green you see on some more expensive pieces. If you’re expecting a shiny Rolex-style green, you might be a bit surprised. In person it’s more muted, which I actually liked because it looks less flashy and more like a tool watch. The silver bracelet looks standard brushed steel, nothing crazy, but it matches the case well enough.

One detail I checked right away was alignment: bezel pip lining up with the 12 o’clock marker, minute hand hitting the indices, and the date cyclops sitting straight over the date window. On my unit, all three were fine. The bezel clicks are firm, no weird wobble, and the crown screws down without cross-threading. These are the kind of things that are often messed up on cheap watches, so it was a good surprise. It matches what other reviewers said about the build being better than the price suggests.

Overall, the presentation is simple: box is cheap, watch looks a lot better than the box. If you’re buying this as a gift, you might want to manage expectations on the packaging, but once the watch is on the wrist, it looks more expensive than what you paid. For me, that’s a decent trade-off.