Seiko Chronograph SNDC33 Review & Complete Guide
If you are looking for a durable, affordable, and reliable everyday timepiece which combines reliability with style, Seiko is a brand that has a lot to offer.
Seiko is a brand that offers the best value for money when it comes to affordable timepieces, and it is impressive to see that Seiko proves that affordable does not necessarily have to mean cheap.
In this article, we are going to look closer at one of these timepieces, specifically the Seiko Chronograph SNDC33.
Seiko Chronograph SNDC33 Review
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If you are looking for a reliable everyday timepiece, you are probably looking for a timepiece that works just as well for casual occasions as it does on formal. You are probably also looking for a reliable timepiece that helps you keep track of time in an accurate way.
Ever since the first Seiko quartz watch was released in 1969, the brand has continuously improved and refined its quartz movement in order to make them more reliable and more durable. With the Seiko SNDC33, that is exactly what the brand has accomplished.
The most devoted watch nerds may be scared away by quartz movements as they do not have the same mechanical piece of craftsmanship as mechanical watches have, however, quartz watches do have some practical benefits, namely affordability, maintenance, and accuracy.
With the SNDC33, Seiko has, in our opinion, struck the perfect balance between sportiness and elegance, and successfully executed a reliable and sporty automatic timepiece that works just as great for everyday wear as for formal occasions. Regardless if this is the only watch in your collection, or if you have multiple, this is a great and affordable addition to any collection.
Without further ado, in this article, we are reviewing and looking closer at the Seiko Chronograph SNDC33 and what it has to offer.
Seiko Chronograph SNDC33 case
The watch is presented with a diameter of 40 mm and a thickness of 10mm. With that said, it is quite standard-sized when looking t men’s sports watches, which are usually in the region of 40mm. This watch will be perfect for men with medium to large wrists, and can even work for men with small wrists. A good thing in our opinion is the fact that the case back is flat, which allows it to sit slim on the wrist, allowing it to slide under a cuff with ease.
The case is clean, simple, and elegant. It has more or less straight, rectangular lugs which extend from the case. The bezel is thin and polished. This leaves a lot of room for the dial, which takes up most of the watch’s property. Positioned at the classic 3 o’clock position, we have the push-pull crown. There are no crown guards, simply because of the fact that this is not a sports watch, and it shouldn’t be necessary. The chronograph pushbuttons are placed on each side of the crown.
The pushers are quite small and rather discreet.
On top of the case, Seiko uses its proprietary Hardly crystal, which is to be expected in a watch of this price range. The crystal isn’t as tough as sapphire crystal, but this is, as mentioned, not something we can expect at this price range either.
The SNDC33 offers a water resistance of 100m/330 feet which makes it suitable for swimming and handling water splashes, although it is not recommended to go swimming with this timepiece. Especially considering the fact that it is presented on a leather strap. At the very least, it should not be used for prolonged immersion or scuba diving.
The case combines brushed and polished elements, which simply goes to show that Seiko has paid attention to the details and finish of this timepiece, which is very impressive for a watch in this price range, to say the least.
Seiko Chronograph SNDC33 dial
The watch is presented with a clean and elegant black dial.
The chronograph sub-dials are positioned at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock. In other words, they are not symmetrical, but still, they look very good on the dial and do not make it feel cluttered.
In this watch, Seiko has added a stopwatch counter, a minute counter for the stopwatch, and for the third sub-dial, the seconds counter for keeping track of the seconds, seeing this watch does not have a second hand. Worth noting is that despite the fact that this watch has a chronograph, it does not have a tachymeter scale.
The hands are sword or diamond-shaped with point tips. They have polished metal frames around them and Lumibrite applied for better legibility in the dark.
Another nice feature of this timepiece that makes it more practical for everyday wear is the fact that it has a date function positioned at 3 o’clock. A date function can be truly helpful as it is a feature that can be convenient in everyday life. A good thing about the watch is the fact that the date window has a black background and the date is printed in white. This allows the date window to blend into the dial very well. In fact, at first look, you may not even notice it.
Around the dial, it has Arabic numerals which add to the sporty nature of this timepiece and makes it appear more intriguing, without looking cluttered. You can say that the Arabic numerals add a classic look to this watch.
Working together with the Lumibrite on the hands, the watch also has applied luminous markers at 3,6,9, and 12.
Seiko Chronograph SNDC33 movement
The watch is powered by the in-house caliber 7T92. As mentioned, this is a quartz timepiece, which means it is powered by batteries, but this does not necessarily have to be a bad thing, especially considering the fact that it is more or less built as an everyday watch. A quartz watch is, after all, far more accurate and affordable to maintain than automatic or mechanical movements.
With that said, it is highly suitable for this watch to feature a quartz movement, and not just for keeping the price down.
Seiko Chronograph SNDC33 strap
The watch is presented on a black embossed leather strap which adds to the elegant look of this timepiece. The leather strap also helps it it wear smaller compared to a stainless steel bracelet, which would make it bulkier on the wrist.
The watch has a lug width of 20mm, which is the standard for timepieces. This means that shall, you want, there are plenty of strap alternatives out there to choose from, for changing the strap. The black leather strap has a stainless steel buckle that matches the case very well.
As a leather strap should, it is comfortable and sits very well on the wrist. With the different holes, you can be sure to find a size that fits you perfectly.
Specifications
- Movement: Seiko in-house quartz caliber 7T92
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Water resistance: 100M/330 feet
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Thickness: 9 mm
- Lug width: 20mm
Conclusion
With its black dial and elegant leather strap, this watch is a great dress watch. But together with the sportiness of a chronograph, it strikes the perfect balance between elegance and sportiness which makes it great for everyday wear. Regardless if you are wearing formal or casual attire.
The Seiko Chronograph SNDC33 is available to order on Amazon.
