Hello and welcome to our new segment, Top Gear! Cars are’t just about the drive, they are a way of life and watches are part of that lifestyle.
For our first ever watch review, we will be looking at the Seiko SPC155 Chronograph.
Let’s talk about chronographs then. You have probably noticed that they have three smaller dials within. Those allude to the basic purpose of a chronograph which is to be a stopwatch as well as a display watch. Apart from telling the time according to the 12 hour clock and being a stopwatch, this chrono also has a dial for the 24 hour clock along with a second and minute timer dial. Not to forget the date window at the 12 o’clock position. Chronographs are synonymous with racing because you can just take the watch off your wrist and use it to time your mate’s lap around the track.
About Seiko then. You would have no doubt heard about them even if you are not a watch enthusiast. Founded in 1881, the Japanese brand has been bringing high quality watches to the masses for a long time now. They are a name you can trust and they have a huge variety of watch styles so no matter your taste, Seiko will always have something for you.
This Seiko Chrono comes with a dark brown leather strap to compliment the stainless steel casing and the white dial. The use of blue Arabic numerals on the white background is a stunning combination and one that I am a big fan of. It’s not a very popular style on watches for reasons that I cannot fathom but it makes this watch even more eye catching.
The addition of the sunray pattern on the dial of the watch give it a very premium look and it means that this is one photogenic timepiece. Perfect for all you ‘Instagrammers’ out there! I did say that Seiko make high quality watches and this one is no different. Having a play around with the crown (that button on the side) will tell you more about the quality of this watch.
The cherry on the cake is the curved hardlex crystal that covers the face of the watch. This combined with the high build quality of the case makes it look much more expensive than it actually is.
This timepiece is powered by Seiko’s famous Caliber 7T04 Quartz movement which is mostly found in their chronographs. In plain English that means that the watch is battery powered and you will need to replace the batter once every year or two depending on your usage of the stopwatch.
At 42mm wide and 12 mm thick, the casing is a little large because of the curved crystal which means it may not suit smaller wrists. This is probably the only downside of this stunning chronograph.
I have owned this timepiece for over a year now and have absolutely no complaints with it. The leather strap is easy to break in and it goes well with the dial and casing though you may feel like changing it to a NATO strap. If you do, a dark coloured strap will go well with the dial.
I paid around $160USD for this watch which roughly translates to $267NZD depending on the exchange rate on the day. It is no doubt a very reasonable price for an extremely well made watch that will grab the eye of all your friends and colleagues.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed our first watch review! Next time, I will be reviewing the Seiko 5 SRPC53 Automatic.
