I'm not a dress-up kind of guy. To me a watch is like any other tool - meant to be durable and functional. That being said, this thing really doesn't look too shabby. I could see it going just fine with a decent suit if it wasn't too banged up and you dressed it up with an oyster band.

Appearances aside, this watch is actually a replacement for my Timex Expedition 4 WS. I wore the Expedition for almost three years, and it served me well, but certain things about it were annoying, not least the weird proprietary watch bands. I also tried other ABC watches (including the meteorically popular Suunto Core) and had the same issues, more or less. I realized I didn't actually want a wunderwatch, and that all the bells and whistles were typically more of a hassle than they were actually worth. Having to calibrate the barometers was a real pain, the compass, while decent, was actually never used except as a party trick, and about the only advanced feature that really got any button-presses was the extra timezone, which saves only a brief mental calculation when trying to figure out what time it is at home when I'm abroad.

I decided to get back to basics, and go with a watch that really just does one thing really well - telling time legibly and reliably. Some reviewers have complained that this Seiko diver loses or gains a minute or so in a week, or is difficult to exactly synchronize because the second hand continues to sweep while setting the time.

Listen: Get real. It is not meant to be, nor is it advertised as, a precision chronometer. If that's what you really need, or even just want, in a wristwatch, go get one that is. Even scrambling around out in the middle of the boondocks on a tight schedule, when my life can sometimes depend on having an accurate timepiece, even an entire minute in 24 hours is not distressing to me, let alone a minute a week. In fact, checking it against the atomic clock it was set by a week ago tells me it is less than a minute off, which is unsurprising given that I didn't synchronize the second hands when I set it.

This Seiko keeps good time, has had no hiccups, and is very legible in the dark. The bezel is sturdy and not obnoxiously loud when twisted into place. My only criticism for legibility is the amount of time it takes for the Day/Date to fully switch over. The date knocks over first, starting around 22:30 and clicking in just a hair before midnight, and the day moves over a period of about 3.5 hours between midnight and 03:30, making a brief stop on the alternate language's day (in this case, Spanish). It's not really a big deal, since the likelihood is high that you'll be sleeping while it's clicking over, and that it's easy to tell what day it is after the first few times you look at it in such a condition.

Now, one of the really excellent features: The luminous markings are fantastic. They're painted with a new, non-radioactive compound called LumiBrite and are actually quite a bit better than the Promethium used in older watches. They do require a bit of light to "charge", but will do so reliably even indoors under artificial light. They are BRIGHT, and the luminous properties are supposed to have a useful lifetime many times longer than Promethium or Tritium based paints, which fade to unusability over a period of 5-10 years depending on the isotope and concentration.

One of the best and probably most overlooked features is the offset crown. If you work with your hands, you'll appreciate it the first time you notice the callous on the back of your hand has faded away.

A few words of warning:

If this is your first Seiko automatic, particularly with this movement ("movement" is watch terminology for the mechanism that makes the hands spin around!) be sure to read the instructions carefully when setting the time. If you don't, the Day/Date function will not operate properly, leaving you very confused within a matter of twelve hours or so of first getting your new watch. The instructions aren't difficult, just a little bit involved. Take it slow the first time, read the instructions twice before fussing with the watch, and think before you act. A few tries and it'll be second nature.

Next: This is a gray market watch when bought from K.G. Company - the warranty card is included, but is not stamped or filled out. If you're not sure what "gray market" means in regards to watches, look it up and be sure you're okay with that before you order. I don't know for sure about ones ordered from Amazon.com, but I would suspect that they are gray market as well based on the price. I took the gamble based on the fact that I know several folks with Seiko divers nearing 20 years of hard use.