CWhatWatch

I was recently fortunate enough to go on a family trip to Japan. Of course, I had a nice list of watches to look out for (see my last two articles). However, watch shopping with a 3 year old in tow turned out to be more challenging than I expected. Who knew he would rather play with his Hot Whe.. er, Tomica cars than go store to store looking for watches? I ended up picking up one watch from my original list, on the final day no less. I was in the duty free shops of Narita Airport ready to give up hope when I finally saw it, like a salmon colored flash of lightning. The watch I chose was the SPB467/SARX125, part of the Presage line.

What do you look for in a good watch? An interesting dial? A nice bracelet? Good form factor and fit? These are all things that the Seiko Presage SPB467 offers. Generally speaking, the first thing you notice on any watch is the dial, and what a fantastic dial this watch has. Salmon colored dials have always been popular on watches, but, after looking into the marketing materials, Seiko describes this watch as having a “araigaki” colored dial. Araigaki, according to Seiko, is a washed and bleached persimmon color. Fair enough, it’s still a gorgeous color. The dial furniture is pretty standard fare for Seiko at this price, with beautifully polished hour markers and hands. The smooth markers really compliment the grainy dial. This grainy, sandy texture is meant to invoke the luster of a silken fabric.

This watch also features one of the best bracelets I’ve experienced on a Seiko. Sure, there is a butterfly clasp instead of a fold over, so finding a perfect fit is tough. But, the 7-link construction ensures a comfortable fit. The metal simply drapes onto your wrist so very nicely. Thankfully, the watch doesn’t feel heavy, so finding an exact 1-to-1 fit is not that important. While there are definitely some cost saving measures, it is a far cry better than the faux 3-link bracelets that saturate the market. I can see myself swapping the bracelet for a nice leather strap to dress it up, but for now I will be keeping it on this very serviceable metal option.

Featuring a 40mm case, the watch wears very well on my wrist. The watch has good presence due to its finishing and not an overly large case size. The polished surfaces exude the same outstanding detailing as many Seikos across their range. While wearing the watch, every so often you will catch the glint of the case or bracelet out of the corner of your eye. Rounding out this offering is the movement, a 6R55. The main draw of this movement is the 72 hour power reserve. I’ve already had a few instances where, after not wearing the watch for a day or so, I would be pleasantly surprised to see the watch still running when putting it on. I can see this watch as being a great model to wear to the office on weekdays, as it has the power to run through the weekend when not on the wrist.

In conclusion, Seiko is offering a really solid package with the SPB467. While definitely leaning more on the dressy side, the watch makes a great argument for a “go anywhere and do anything” watch. More importantly, Seiko offers this imminently wearable watch while performing their usual trick of offering a gorgeous dial that recalls Japan’s heritage in superb craftsmanship.

Reference	SPB467
MSRP	$950
Case Size	40.2mm
Lug-to-Lug	46mm
Lug Width	20mm
Materials	Stainless Steel, Sapphire