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TweetEmailThe Seiko SBDC line, dubbed the “Sumo” or “Shogun” by online collectors communities, have been out for a couple of years. Nevertheless, they are worth a detailed review. Today we will be takeing a closer look at the SBDC005, which is the orange version of the Sumo. This particular example was purchased with the bracelet that is normally only available on the black or blue dialed models. The Sumo represents Seikos response to the modern dive watch, the SKX series and their 7S26 movements have been staples of the dive watch world for years, but movements and manufacturing processes have improved. Seiko responded by making a Prospex dive watch with the venerable 6R15 movement from the Alpinist line. How does it stack up against the competition or even its cheaper SKX siblings?Automatic 6R1550hr Power Reserve44×13.3mm20mm lugsHardlex CrystalScrewdown Crown200m WR The head on the Sumo is very nice, it is a definite step forward compared to my trusty SKX007 (see photos – black dial). The Sumo has some very nice finishing on the sides of the case, mixing vectored lines, brushed and polished surfaces and even lug holes (!). The bezel action is smooth and clicky but the notched edge of the bezel is useless. Water or sweat will make using this bezel difficult without gloves. So much about the Sumo seemed to be designed with the intention of owners using it for diving that the bezel is a definite disappointment. While I think calling the SBDC a “tool” watch might be a stretch, it has the calling cards of a tool diver. Big hands and markers, an excellent screw down crown, and lug holes. I know many Seiko fans didn’t like seeing lug holes on such a dressy looking diver, but it makes strap changes a blast and I love lug holes on any watch. Many divers have used the SKX (007 or 779) as dive watches and I believe the Sumo would easily be up to this task. The orange dial on the SBDC005 really pops, it is bright and rich and really makes this watch feel like a dive watch. I generally prefer black dials on my dive watches but have very much enjoyed the orange dial, especially on a black rubber strap. The hands are sword style, like those seen on the SBDA005, and have a black border. This last point brings us to my biggest problem with the watch – the hour markers are outlined in a shiny chrome but the hands are outlined in black. This is a small inconsistency that I am reminded of every time I look at the watch. While we don’t know why they made it like this, I think the markers would have looked awesome outlined in black. My guess is the chrome accents are to remind buyers of the upmarket Seiko SBDX001 Marine Master. All other marks, writing and even the border of the date window (at three o’clock) are black. On the SBDC001 and 003 (black dial, blue dial respectively) the hands are outlined in chrome, so this issue is only present on the orange dialed model. The lume on the Sumo is excellent and lives up to the repoutation set by its siblings. The bracelet is very nice, the 20mm width that the lugs is odd at first as 22mm would be more standard for both Seiko and the size of the watch. That said, the bracelet is of standard Seiko quality: it’s quiet, doesn’t pull hair, and has solid end-links. The clasp is a push button fold over style with four micro adjustments and a safety. These links are secured by standard push-pins and there is a simple wetsuit extension hidden under the clasp. In the end, the SBDC005 is a classic Seiko dive watch and there is very little to complain about. The movement is an upgrade from the more commonly seen 7s26, and the build quality is great. The Sumo will cost you quite a bit more than a SKX series watch – on bracelet the SBDC001 retails around $600. For your money you get a classy but dive-capable watch that will keep up with most styles, and may just make a perfect daily wearer. By James Stacey

TweetEmailIn 1969, Seiko introduced one of the most disruptive technologies in the history of watchmaking: the quartz movement. Quartz movements are more accurate than automatic or mechanical movements, generally less temperamental, and are far cheaper to produce. Since then, the Japanese watchmaker has continued to innovate and help the industry evolve with inventions like the kinetic watch, the kinetic auto relay, and now, the Spring Drive.To understand the significance of the Spring Drive, it probably helps to have a little background on more conventional watch movements.Mechanical WatchesMechanical watches contain a main spring, the tension from which drives the watch. The main spring is wound by hand (usually by twisting the crown), at which point it slowly unwinds at a regular rate over the course of a couple of days. Mechanical watches use devices call escapements which provide the friction necessary to cause the main spring to unwind at a rate consistent with units of time (otherwise the main spring would simply unwind all at once). Escapements are the most intricate, delicate, and expensive components of mechanical and automatic watches.Automatic WatchesAutomatic watches typically operate just like mechanical watches, except they use a small weight or rotor to automatically wind the main spring. The weight winds the main spring by pivoting around shaft as you move your arm during your everyday routine. Most automatic watches can also be wound like mechanical watches, though there is seldom a need to do so. Automatic watches are far more common today than mechanical watches (when was the last time you saw someone wind their watch?).Quartz WatchesQuartz watches operate entirely differently than automatic and mechanical watches. A quartz watch uses electricity from a battery to osculate a tiny quartz crystal at a very high and very predictable frequency. Those vibrations are counted and add up to seconds, minutes, hours, etc. Quartz watches are almost always more accurate than their automatic and mechanical counterparts, usually gaining or losing no more than 15 seconds per month, and in some cases, as few as 20 seconds per year. (It’s usually acceptable for automatic watches to gain as many as 6 seconds per day, or 3 minutes per month.)Seiko Kinetic WatchesKinetic watches are sort of a combination of automatic and quartz watches. They contain a weight like automatic watches which responds to arm movements, but rather than winding a main spring, the weight powers a tiny generator which stores power in a capacitor, or a rechargeable battery. That power is then used to power a standard quartz movement, thus giving you the accuracy of a quartz watch, but without a battery that needs to be replaced. It’s worth noting that kinetic watch capacitors do occasionally need to be replaced, but much less frequently than standard watch batteries. I have a Seiko Kinetic watch that is over 6 years old, and the capacitor still works beautifully.The Seiko Spring DriveThe Seiko Spring Drive actually contains a main spring like an automatic or mechanic watch, but it is made from a material which provides more elasticity than your typical main spring, providing a power reserve of 72 hours as opposed to the more common 40 hours. What is really unique about the Spring Drive, however, is that it does not use an escapement to regulate the unwinding of the main spring. Rather, it uses a “Tri-synchro regulator” which regulates the energy generated by the main spring, and uses that energy to power a crystal oscillator. In other words, the Spring Drive is an even tighter integration between automatic and quartz movements than even kinetic watches because the crystal is directly powered by the main spring rather than a rechargeable capacitor. The result is accuracy of about one second or less per day, and a completely smooth, sweeping hand movement.The Seiko Spring Drive should be available all over the world (including the US!) sometime after September of 2005. No information on pricing as of yet, but you can bet I’ll be reviewing one of these as soon as I can get my hands on one.By Christian Cantrell