Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop
1) It really is a very nice watch. The satin, beadblasted finish is good looking and makes a nice change from the polished finish of my other watches. The green color is dark and handsome. It definitely doesn't look or feel like a budget watch. It feels like a quality piece.
2) at 42mm, it's slightly larger than my ideal size of 40mm, but it doesn't overwhelm on my 6.8" wrist
3) The dial is very clean and legible. I don't know if the hardlex crystal has an anti-glare coating. I suspect it does, at least on the inside. Reflections are present but not overwhelming. I do wish manufacturers would nut up and make a decent sized date window. It might be fine for 20 somethings with 20/20 vision but i'm older now and like many watches, the windows is too damn small. Commit to a readable size, or commit to removing it. I'm looking at you too, Citizen...
4) The kinetic movement has been keeping good time, as good as my other quartz watches. The watch arrived with about 6 months of power reserve on it, probably from all the bouncing around during shipping. I should mention that to check the power reserve, you press a button in the 2 o'clock position on the dial. The manual recommends doing this at the top of the minute, which does make taking a reading easier. I should note that the second hand will remain stopped for a a number of seconds after the reading is taken. This is normal. The first time I tried it, I waited for the second hand to resume and i waited and waited. I was almost ready to think the watch had stopped when the hand resumed again.
5) The rotor makes a LOT of noise as it moves, far more than my mechanical watches. At first I was concerned that perhaps something wasn't working properly, but if you search, you'll find this is a thing with Seiko kinetics. The sound, which is not unpleasant, sounds a bit like a very tiny ratchet...like little gears meshing together and you don't have to hold the watch up to your ear to hear it. Move your wrist quickly in a quiet room and you can hear a small little ziiiip! sound.
6) You would think from the nice thick hands and bold font on the numbers that this watch could have the potential for fantastic lume, but sadly it does not. The numbers themselves do not glow. Only the hands and a very small pip for each hour around the outer ring of the dial. It is neither torch-like nor particularly long lasting. You expect this on a dress watch with thin numerals, but here, it's disappointing.
7) The woven band is good looking and despite appearing stiff and uncomfortable in photos is actually anything but. It is very comfortable to wear, and I especially appreciate the addition of a leather/pleather strip in the center of the band to reinforce the the buckle holes so they don't fray. At first I was disappointed that the holes themselves weren't grometted, but i think if they were, it might detract from the look and possibly the feel of the watch. Time will tell how well it will hold up, but for now...it looks nice and it's comfortable.
So, in summary. The watch looks as good or even better than it does in the pictures. The band is nicer than I expected, soft and comfortable despite appearances. the case itself is very handsome and the dial is supremely legible, with the exception of the date window which is, in my opinion, too small for older eyes. The lume is genuinely disappointing. There isn't enough of it for my taste, and it does fade rapidly...but this is not a $500 Hamilton Khaki either, so adjust your expectations accordingly. Lastly, the rotor does make a lot of noise, which you can hear if you move your wrist quickly in a quiet room, but again...the sound isn't a bad one, merely one you notice more easily than on a traditional mechanical. The watch keeps good time, at least so far.
I am very pleased with this purchase. It's a lot of value for very little money. As with many Seikos, it DEFINITELY punches above its weight. I have to remind myself this is a $130 watch. It surely doesn't feel like it.
One last note, I have not yet tried it on my watch winder. I have heard that many winders won't work with kinetic movements. With 6 months of power reserve, it's not a big problem for me. When i want to charge it, i'll simply wear it for a few days, which isn't a hardship given that I like it so much.
If you're considering this watch on a future drop, i'd say...go for it. It's a very nice piece and I think you'll enjoy it.
All The Best,
David R.