The watches that are featured on this blog are usually automatic watches and occasionally, I do post some battery operated quartz watches. This time round, I handled a very nice Solar powered chronograph diver made by Seiko and would like to share with you. The model number is SSC017P.
There are several colour variants and this one I handled comes with black dial with blue/black bezel combination.
I believe this will become a popular model because it has the classic chronograph diver design with a case diameter that would fit most people.
In the dial shot below, you can see that it uses a “3-6-9″ layout with the second hand sub-dial at the 9 o’clock position. The 24 hour sub-dial and chronograph register are at the 3 and 6 o’clock positions respectively. The hour markers have pretty thick lume material applied and each marker has a chrome outline around it.
It comes with the familiar hour and minute hands that are used in the classic SKX007/009/011 models.
The watch comes with screw in crown and screw lock pushers. You need to unscrew the locks on both pushers in order to use them.
The pushers are easy to push but they definitely feel different from the automatic chronographs. I hardly feel the ‘click’ with the start/stop pusher on this watch.
Below are a couple of pictures showing the side profile and lugs of the watch.
The caseback has polished finishing and bears the Seiko tsunami logo.
The watch comes with a solid link bracelet with push button lock and catch as shown in the pictures below. It also come with wet suit extension. The bracelet has polished center link and brushed outer links. It is attached to the watch with fat spring bars and a pair of folded end links.
Wet suit extension released:
Below is the front and back of hang tag. You can see that the watch uses Hardlex crystal.
This watch is distributed in Singapore by Thong Sia Group. The list price is SGD585.30 inclusive of GST. (For info only. I’m not a watch seller)
Diameter of bezel: 43mm
Diameter including crown guard: 48mm
Lug width: 20mm
Thickness: 14mm
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Seiko SSC017P featured in this post is provided by:
Authorized Seiko dealer
K2 Watch Company
845 Geylang Road, Tanjong Katong Complex
#03-K1. Singapore 400845
Tel: 6746 0270
Thanks for posting this. I have been in the market for affordable chronograph divers for some time, but have made no purchases because most of them are automatic and of course very expensive – also, I have come to appreciate the solar technology in, for instance, the GF-1000BP Frogman G-Shock (which I bought). I still think that quartz is the better choice for a diver’s chronograph (if you use it for what it’s intended for), and with the solar charging added, the SSC017P has become very interesting. Will be on the lookout for this one.
Hope you find your ideal chronograph diver soon. This is definitely something worth considering.
I bought the model featured in the pictures yesterday. Awesome watch! I have several watches and do a lot of diving….extremely happy with all the features. The price shown in the picture for $595.00, is a bit high. I negotiated with the store, Marina Bay Watch Co, and paid $295.00. Great purchase, great watch!
Congrats on your purchase.
The price shown in the picture is the list price of this watch in Singapore. It’s in Singapore currency.
This would be a solar watch i would buy, I do like it!
Thanks Yeoman
I am tempted to buy too
.
Wow Thomas,
Beautiful Chrono from Seiko! Thanks for the review and the awesome pictures.
Looks the part too. I have the quartz version and this solar model is all the more a greater temptation . . proposition than the quartz model!
Thanks for sharing and really enjoy the wonderful pictures. How’s the lume on that thing!
Best regards,
Ian
Here’s a q&d lume shot taken with my cellphone. Actual lume looks brighter.
With micoseconds displayed I would guess the blue second hand has a smooth ie not jumping movement? Very nice time piece – now to justify acquiring another Seiko diver after my Monsters and Sumo!!
Not extremely smooth. You can see it jumping in small steps.
Is there a pvd version?
No PVD version seen in the market so far.
Cool looping chrono
For a décent price too :>)
absolutely.
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Wow that is a winner!
Better looking than the black yellow version shown previously, just noticed the drilled lugs too, very nice.
A god mod would be to replace the bracelet with one from seikos other solar diver (the one with the marine master style ratchett clasp and solid end links.
Not sure if any solid end links out there would fit perfectly into the lugs though.
I love that model. I hope Seiko comes out with several more variants.
PVD and orange dialed variants would be good.
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/60732298@N08/6735838223/][img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6735838223_d5c667cd31.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/60732298@N08/6735838223/]Image00005[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/60732298@N08/]circuitedge[/url], on Flickr
Hi Yeoman,
here’s a pic of the Pepsi Blue SSC019 that I bought. Quite happy with it.
Thanks for the picture, Andrew. Nice watch.
Got mine, an all black and rubber strap version, for S$425 at Lucky Plaza from a small watch counter on first floor.
Congrats!
bought dis particular model at $380 (aft disc.) @Bencoolen yesterday… i like e weight of it on my wrist, it feels ‘heavy’… my second Seiko watch aft e ‘Atlas’, going to put it to test of its “power reserve”… a pity its not “Sapphire Crystal” at dis type of price range…
Congrats, Tang. Let me know your test result. Thanks.
Hi Yeoman, I always enjoyed reading your articles.
I realised not much has been said about the solar technology powering the watch esp. on local websites/forums.
Actually I have been consider the SBDQ solar watch for a while, I like the cleaner look compared to this one (which is nice too). But the SBDQ has been around for some time, not sure if the solar technology has improved in leaps since then (in terms of power reserve, accurancy etc.).
Please let me know if you have some useful info regarding this, thank you and keep up the good work!
Sorry Yeoman, it’s SBCB003/007 not the SBDQ series… mixed them up. thanks.
Hi Yong Cheng,
The SBCB models have been replaced by SBDN001/003/005. The movement has been changed from V145 to V147. However, the latest solar movement they used in their divers watch is V158 found in SBDJ001/003. I’m not sure what improvements the V158 has over the V147 though.
Best regards,
Thomas
isn’t dis V175? cant find e caliber details to download on seiko web-page… only found this details here : http://www.watches88.com/pd-seiko-solar-chronograph-diver-s-200m-ssc017p2.cfm
Try here
http://www.seikowatches.com/support/ib/index.html
or here
http://www.seiko-watch.co.jp/support/download/index.php
Thanks for your reply Yeoman.
I just taken a look at the PDF of the instructions, seems like V147/158 is the same. The differences noted in the instructions between V145 and V147/158 is the time taken to charge and accuracy. Seems like V145 is quicker to charge but not as accuracy when compared to V147/158.
Thanks for the info, Yong Cheng.
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I just purchased the black/blue option with bracelet. The fact that the case never has to be opened to change a battery is reason enough for me to get one. Previous Seiko quartz chronos have be problematic once the case is opened regarding getting the pushers back in place.
This is a very nice watch and should be a popular model for the company, especially if offered with other dial/bezel colors.
Congrats, Rusty. This watch has a very nice design but surprisingly, there isn’t a blue, orange or yellow dial variant.
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