Seiko Solar SUP880 Review & Complete Guide
There is certainly a Seiko watch for everyone. A lot of people may associate Seiko with long-lasting, durable, and affordable automatic sports and diver’s watches, but the fact is that the brand has a lot more to offer.
Regardless of your style and preference, you can find a Seiko watch that suits your taste. In this article, we are looking closer at a bit of a different yet classic timepiece from Seiko, specifically the Seiko Solar SUP880 Review.
Seiko Solar SUP880 Review
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
The Seiko Solar SUP880 is also known as ”Tank”, due to its similarity to the Cartier tank. Some even call it a Cartier Tank homage. But what we are going to call it is not a great deal of importance. It’s what this watch is all about that matters.
The watch is clean, refined, and an elegant dress watch for formal occasions and is particularly perfect for those who enjoy classy timepieces above large and bulky sports watches.
As the name suggests, it is also a solar watch, and this is a rather interesting combination as it combines classic and traditional design features but has modern technology.
Seiko Solar SUP880 ”Tank” case
Already at first impression, this watch will reveal itself as an elegant dress watch with a Cartier-inspired design. But of course, offered at a fraction of the cost.
If you enjoy the Cartier tank but are looking for something more affordable, this could be a perfect watch for you.
Or regardless if you care about Cartier or not, it’s still objectively a classic and elegant piece.
The watch is presented with a square-shaped case and flanks that extend from the square shape in order to create lugs for the strap to attach to.
The case measures 38.4x28mm and has a thickness of 6.3mm. With that said, the watch is quite small and sits discreetly on the wrist, and will slide under a cuff with no issues whatsoever. The case is gold-colored which adds to the classiness of this timepiece. The lugs are rounded off and the case has a nice polished finish.
Furthermore, Seiko has also sought inspiration from Cartier when it comes to the crown. The crown is also gold-colored and at the tip, it has a black stone. Cartier uses sapphire for the tip of their crown, but obviously not Seiko.
The watch has a Hardlex crystal and offers a water resistance of 30M. This is not a lot, but at the same time, the SUP880 is not a watch that you will go swimming with anyways.
Seiko Solar SUP880 ”Tank” dial
The watch is presented with a white dial with a striped pattern. Around the outer per of the dial, the watch has large Roman numerals painted in black, which is very similar to that of the Cartier tank. Inside this circle, the SUP880 has a painted black rectangular shape and for each hour marker, it has small gold-colored markers.
The vertical lines on the dial give it depth and make it appear more interesting and less boring.
Unlike the Cartier Tank, however, it does not have blue hands. Instead, it has black-painted leaf hands where the center of where they are attached is gold-colored. The lack of a seconds hand makes the dial appear more clean and more elegant.
Seiko Solar SUP880 ”Tank” movement
Being a Solar timepiece, this watch is powered by a quartz movement. The solar technology means that the movement has solar cells behind the dial which collect ambient and solar light and converts that to generate energy for the movement and charge the battery. It’s a clever piece of technology that is obviously very practical as it removes the need of having to replace the battery when it runs out of energy. In addition, it is also good for the environment.
The watch is powered by the V115 in-house solar movement. The movement has a power reserve of 6-7 months when fully charged.
Strap
The SUP880 is presented on an embossed black calf leather strap which goes very well with the elegant nature of this timepiece. It has a width of 23mm but tapers to provide better comfort.
The strap is comfortable and looks very good, so not much more to say here.
Specifications
- Movement: V115 in-house solar movement
- Power reserve: 6-7 months
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Thickness: 6.3mm
- Dimensions: 38.4x28mm
Conclusion
All in all, the Seiko Solar SUP880 is an elegant dress watch that works as an everyday piece, but most importantly works exceptionally well on formal occasions, and for those who are often dressed up.
With its elegant design and Solar technology, it’s certainly a watch that offers exceptional value at its price point. It’s simply a watch you cannot go wrong with. Especially if you enjoy the Cartier Tank but are just not prepared to pay that kind of sum for a wristwatch.
It’s simply a classic, elegant, formal timepiece that is a perfect classy everyday timepiece, or one to wear on more formal occasions.
The Seiko Solar SUP880 is available to order on Amazon.
I really appreciate this in-depth review of the Seiko Solar SUP880! As someone who’s been looking for a high-quality, affordable solar-powered watch, this post has been incredibly informative. I especially appreciate the detailed comparison with other watches in the same price range, as well as the thorough explanation of the watch’s features and how they work. Your writing style is clear and engaging, and I found myself wanting to keep reading even after the conclusion of the post. Great job, and thank you for sharing your expertise!