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Seiko SSB031 Chronograph Review & Complete Guide
Seiko is known and appreciated all around the world for offering watches that offer exceptional value for money at affordable prices. As a matter, of fact, if you are looking for high-quality affordable watches, Seiko is often one of the best alternatives out there. Their range of affordable watches is extremely wide, so you can be sure to find something that suits your taste and preference.
If you are looking for a sporty and stylish affordable chronograph, the Seiko SSB031 may be the watch for you.
Seiko SSB031 Review
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The Seiko SSB031 is a sports chronograph with a very tool-like appearance and timeless look. With a price of less than 150 USD, it offers exceptional value for money. In this price range, there are not many sports chronographs like the SSB031 that have the same build quality, reliability, and finish.
In this article, we are going to look closer at and review the Seiko SSB031 chronograph.
Seiko SSB031 case
The Seiko SSB031 has a 40mm stainless steel case with a lug-to-lug measurement of 47mm. This is very reasonable and not insanely large, but still has some wrist presence as you would expect from a sports watch. The case has brushed lugs contrasted by polished sides and quite sharp contrasting edges which adds to the sporty nature.
The different angles on the lugs, however, improve the feeling and perception of quality. Positioned at 3 o’clock, 23 have a crown that is protected by crown guards. Sitting on each side of the crown guard is a chronograph pusher. The chronograph pushers are easy to operate and give a reassuring click when pressed. The crown nor the pushers are screw-down which naturally affects the water resistance of this piece. With that said, this watch still has a water resistance of 100 meters/330 feet/10 atm. This means that this sporty watch is suitable for swimming but not diving.
If we turn the watch around, we have a simple screw-down solid metal case back. Bear in mind that this watch is quartz and doesn’t need a see-through case back.
Sitting on top of the case is a flat Hardlex crystal. This is not as hard as sapphire crystal, but it has still proven to be much harder than regular mineral glass. Plus, at this price point, we can’t expect the watch to have a sapphire crystal.
The bezel of the case has a large tachymeter scale with the numerals printed in white. The bezel is made of steel but is ion-plated which gives a black finish that almost looks like ceramic. The black finish of the bezel really adds to the sporty look of the watch and also provides excellent contrast for easy reading of the bezel.
The black finish of the bezel also matches the dial of the watch well. This brings us to the next point….
Seiko SSB031 dial
The Seiko SSB031 is equipped with a black dial and a black chapter ring which blends in really well with the bezel and almost looks like one integrated piece.
The chronograph sub-dials are positioned at 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock which is a common layout for chronographs. This layout creates a nice symmetry that is pleasant for the eyes. The sub-dials display 24-hours at 3 o’clock, a 60-minute chronograph at 9 o’clock, and a seconds counter at 6 o’clock.
Hiding away discreetly integrated is a date window positioned between 4 and 5 o’clock. Since the background of the date window is black, and the printing is white, it blends in well with the rest of the dial design which is also mostly white and black. With that said, it is a really well-integrated date window as it is a practical feature that is almost not noticeable. This really is the best of both worlds.
The dial is mostly monochrome, but the chronograph hand is made in bright racing red, and each 15-minute marking on the chapter ring is also made in red to match.
The hour and minute hands are sword-shaped and have a generous amount of luminous Lumibrite applied to them which provides great legibility. The dial also has large hour markers applied which also glow in the dark.
The dial has a relatively large chapter ring which is angled and on. The seconds (and split seconds) are printed in white. The chapter ring adds depth to the dial and complements the sporty nature of this timepiece well.
At 12 o’clock, we have a large applied Seiko logo, and beneath it,” chronograph” and ”100m” are indicated.
The chronograph hand is made to be used for the tachymeter scale and to measure the speed at which you have traveled a specific distance.
If the goal of this watch is to be a sporty chronograph, the dial design really succeeds with this.
Seiko SSB031 bracelet
Like essentially all watches in this affordable price range, the SSB031 compromises with the bracelet build quality.
Overall, the bracelet looks nice and fits well with the design of the watch. It is a satin-finished brushed three-link bracelet with a dual push deployment clasp. The clasp also has micro-adjustment for the size. What affects the feeling of quality of this watch is its hollow end links. The links also do not feel solid and have a lot of play and rattle.
The good news is that, like most sports chronographs, this watch looks great on a leather strap.
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Seiko SSB031 Movement
The Seiko SSB031 chronograph is equipped with a quartz chronograph movement. This can scare away the most devoted watch collectors and enthusiasts since it is not mechanical. However, quartz also has its own set of benefits.
Firstly, a quartz movement is much more accurate, which of course is a benefit for a quartz watch. And secondly, it is much more affordable to maintain and won’t stop when the power reserve runs out. The battery only needs to be changed every other year or so. For this watch, the battery lasts for approximately 3 years.
However, for the watch enthusiasts, we have some good news, which is that the caliber used is the caliber 6T63. This is a so-called mecha-quartz movement. What does this mean?
It means it is a quartz movement with mechanical features. One important feature of this is that the chronograph hand ticks 5 times per second as opposed to the standard 1 time per second, which naturally creates a sweeping motion reminiscent of automatic watches.
The 6T63 has flyback which means that the chronograph has no visual effect when it is reset.
Specifications
- Lug-to-lug: 47mm
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet/10 ATM
- Diameter: 40mm
- Lug width: 20mm
- Movement: caliber 6T63. Mecha quartz chronograph movement.
Conclusion
All in all, at a price of around 150 USD, the Seiko SSB031 chronograph is a watch that offers impressive value for money. It has a very appealing and well-made dial and case design and a reliable, long-lasting, and durable quartz movement.
At this price point, there are few alternatives for a chronograph on the market that are as good as the SSB031. The mechanical quartz movement adds to the appeal and may just make it attractive for watch enthusiasts who are deterred by the thought of quartz movements as well.
For someone who is looking for a stylish, high-quality, and affordable chronograph, this is definitely a great choice.
The Seiko SSB031 Chronograph is available to order on Amazon.
