The Deep Blue NATO 300 came in about a week ago so I've had the chance to wear it and give my impressions.
I watched a review of the NATO 300 on YouTube and it was mentioned that it was a Homage to the Seiko SKX007. I have owned several Deep Blues and have been very happy with them. I never considered the NATO 300 nor did I ever think of it as a Homage to the Seiko SKX007. I did own a Seiko SKXA35 which is basically the same watch with a yellow dial. The NATO I bought has the orange dial which would be a Homage to the Seiko SKX011. I was able to get a good deal from the Deep Blue website with a coupon it cost about $159 with the silicon strap. Good luck trying to get any of the Seikos for less than $200 new. I just went to the Deep Blue website and it looks like the NATOs sold out as there were none listed.

There are of course several similarities between the NATO 300 vs the SKX007:

- screw down crown at 4:00 with sturdy crown guard
- day/date at 3:00
- great lume
- unidirectional bezel
- the hands and dial layout are very similar and legible
- the bezel is easy to rotate, but is not too loose and lines up well with the markers

There are also several notable differences between the NATO vs the SKX007:

- 44mm case vs 42mm
- helium escape value vs none (really, who would ever use this)
- Sapphire crystal vs Hardlex
- Seiko NH36 automatic which hacks and can be hand wound vs the 7S26 with no hacking or hand-winding
- 300 meters WR vs 200 meters
- the orange dial is shiny vs more of a matte look

So my overall all conclusion is that they are both great watches.
- If money is an issue, the NATO is a better value
- 44mm may be too big for some
- Sapphire crystal vs Hardlex - preference?
- The NH36 is an upgrade to the 7S26 because it hacks and is hand windable

Nice watch and good review. I dig that orange dial! Fair comparison with the SKX. I actually paid more for my 009 new.

Nicely done... glad the lume is good, some guy on Facebook was complaining that the piece he just got had faded hour markers

Thanks guys for the comments. I should mention that the light box I use cuts down on reflections so the dial has a matte look, but is shiny under most lighting conditions. In any case the orange dial really "pops".

Hand winding/hacking movements are overated (not needed) imo.
Pick it up, set the date/time, give it a couple/few shakes and place upon wrist.

Nice looking watch.
Personally I would prefer something smaller unless it was used for actual diving (then orange wouldn't be the best dial color).
All that matters is you are happy with it.

Yeah, hand winding/hacking movements are a matter of personal choice. One thing is sure with Seiko – both movements will work impeccably and you’ll surely have one of the best movements out there, no matter which one you choose.

From a Hodinkee article:

"It turns out that the colors that stay visible the longest underwater are yellow and blue, but this is all a moot point because the legibility of a dive watch really has nothing to do with the dial color, but rather the amount of contrast between hands and the dial. And for that, nothing really is better than a black dial with big fat white hands, specifically the minute hand."

GeorgeH wrote:Yeah, hand winding/hacking movements are a matter of personal choice. One thing is sure with Seiko – both movements will work impeccably and you’ll surely have one of the best movements out there, no matter which one you choose.

From a Hodinkee article:

"It turns out that the colors that stay visible the longest underwater are yellow and blue, but this is all a moot point because the legibility of a dive watch really has nothing to do with the dial color, but rather the amount of contrast between hands and the dial. And for that, nothing really is better than a black dial with big fat white hands, specifically the minute hand."

YUP!

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/seven ... deep-sixed