Seiko Prospex Solar Chronoghraph SSC081 Review & Complete Guide
Seiko is a watch brand that is appreciated by watch enthusiasts and people who are simply looking for a good watch to tell the time all around the world. Seiko is mostly famous for offering high-quality watches at affordable prices which makes them great value for money.
Watch enthusiasts especially tend to opt for the Seiko 5 collection, but the fact is that the brand has a huge offering of all kinds go timepieces to suit any taste. Seiko’s offering of watches is huge and includes everything from dress watches, dive watches, sports watches, and everything in between.
In this article, we are reviewing and looking closer at something different and unique, both in terms of design but also in terms of technology. This watch is a Prospex, a solar watch, and a chronograph. In other words, this sounds like a very interesting recipe for a watch. But let’s study this watch more in detail to understand what those words mean in practice.
Seiko Prospex Solar Chronograph SSC081 Review
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The Seiko SSC081 is a lot of things. What might meet the eye for the first impression is that it is different. At least if you look at its rather large and chunky case. It’s very evidently not a watch for everyone, both in terms of style but also in size. This is undeniably a large watch and not suitable for small wrists. In addition, it has a robust and rugged look to it which makes it look more like a tool than an accessory.
With that said, if you are looking for a sporty and rugged everyday timepiece that offers great value for money and also uses some clever technology, the SSC081 may just be the watch for you.
What makes it stand out from many others is not its design, but rather its interesting and appealing solar technology that powers this watch. The combination of tool-like design with solar technology makes this a real survivor’s watch.
Seiko Prospex Solar Chronograph SSC081 case
The Seiko SSC081 is presented with a stainless steel case with a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of 13.2mm. With that said, the case is relatively large, but not huge. As mentioned earlier, this is a watch for people who enjoy larger watches, or men with a wrist size of medium to large wrists.
Very quickly, you’ll notice that there’s more going on with this watch due to its four crowns. Apart from these, it’s evident that Seiko has focused on putting all of the focus on the dial. Seiko has achieved this by making the bezel very thin, allowing for a large dial. Still, the case is actually quite nicely finished for the price. The watch has a polished bezel but with a knurled edge. The lugs have a ”twisted” design, or lugs with heavy beveling, depending on how you see it. The bevelings have a polished finish, whereas the top/inside of the lugs has a satin-brushed finish. The sides of the case are polished.
At 3 o’clock, we have a push-pull crown that sits protected between two crown guards which extend from the case. On each side of the crown guards, we have simple polished pushers. At 10 o’clock on the other side of the case, there is an additional crown. This crown is not just there for pure aesthetics but actually serves an important purpose. More on this later further on.
Sitting on top of the case is Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex crystal. This is what we can expect for a Seiko watch in this price range.
Photo: Watchreviewblog
Seiko Prospex Solar Chronograph SSC081 movement
As mentioned, this is a Solar watch, which means it gets its energy from sunlight and ambient light. Quite an impressive piece of technology. Seiko has become a master in solar watches as the brand released the first solar watch In 1977 and has perfected the craft ever since. The quartz movement which powers this watch is the Seiko caliber V172.
The fact that this is a solar watch has its benefits. Firstly, it is good for the environment as it removes the need for replacing the batteries every other/third year or so. In addition, it is also convenient as you won’t have to take it to a watchmaker or try to track down the correct batteries, etc. As long as this watch has sufficient light to charge it, it will continue to tick and tick. When fully charged, the movement has a power reserve of 6 months.
The most devoted watch nerds may not find this watch too appealing since it doesn’t have a mechanical movement, but if you are just looking for a durable and reliable timepiece with great functions that is available at an affordable price, the SSC081 is the answer to those needs.
A benefit of the quartz movement is that it offers good accuracy, as a quartz watch should. This movement has a specified accuracy of ±15 seconds per month.
Seiko Prospex Solar Chronograph SSC081 dial
When looking at the dial of this watch, the first thought that comes to mind may be how busy it is and how much it has going on. With that said, it is not busy without a reason. This watch is packed with functions. All of the things presented on the dial of course serve a purpose.
The functions of this watch include the following:
- Alarm function (single-time alarm)
- Chronograph up to 60 minutes in 1/5-second increments
- Date display
- Overcharge prevention function
The above does not include the compass, chronograph, minutes, seconds, and hours.
The watch has a black background for its dial, and to some people, it may simply feel too busy and cluttered. The black is made in a slightly matte finish which is beautiful to look at and which adds depth to the watch.
Around the outer edge of the dial, it has a large beveled chapter ring on which we find the compass. This brings us back to the crown at 10 o’clock we mentioned earlier because this is actually what it is made for. The compass in this watch is not self-rotating, which means you have to rotate it yourself. With that said, you need to know how to set the compass in order to decide the north.
With the crown, you rotate the compass according to the sun to set it correctly. The way you do this is by placing south between the hour hand and 12’clock and then pointing the hour hand towards the sun.
The minute and hour hands are sword-shaped with a generous amount of Lumibrite applied to them. We have huge painted Arabic numerals for 12, 6, and 9. The other hour markers are indicated in the form of painted rectangles with Lumibrite on them.
At 3 o’clock, we have a small and discreet date function which can come in handy for everyday wear. The dial has three sub-dial counters. The sub-dial at 6 o’clock is for the alarm which this watch is equipped with. You can see that it is designed as a regular clock so you can set the time for when the alarm is going to go off. The sub-dial at 12 o’clock indicated 60 minutes.
The Lumibrite that this dial uses glows brightly and long. This ensures great legibility even in the dark.
Seiko Prospex Solar Chronograph SSC081 strap
The Prospex Solar Chronograph SSC081 is presented with a brown calfskin leather strap. This helps make the watch more dressy but also to wear smaller as it is already quite a big and bulky watch. It also contrasts the black dial really well.
Specifications
- Water resistance: 100M/10BAR/330 Feet
- Diameter: 42mm
- Thickness: 13.2mm
- Crystal: Curved Hardlex
- Power reserve: 6 months
- Movement: Seiko caliber V172
Conclusion
To conclude this article, the Seiko Prospex Solar Chronograph SSC081 is a sporty and “tooly” timepiece that is big, bold, and packed with functions. Its size and busy dial make it not a watch for everyone, but for those who are seeking something bold and unique, the SSC081 is definitely a watch worth considering.
The watch is packed with technology, not to mention the solar movement which keeps it charged and removes the need for a change of batteries.
The watch is perhaps not ideal for formal occasions and clothing, but it will look great with casual clothes and occasions.
At this price, you really get a well-made watch with high quality that is packed with technology and functions.
The Seiko Prospex Solar Chronograph SSC081 is available to order on Amazon.
