Review: SEIKO SPIRIT SCVS015 AUTOMATIC

[moeharri]

SEIKO SPIRIT SCVS015 AUTOMATIC
List Price: $385
Purchase Price: $324
Movement: 6R15B 21 jewel automatic with 50 hour power reserve
Dial Color: Black
Case: Stainless Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Back: Hardlex
Hacks: Yes
Handwinds: Yes
Lume: No
Water Resistance: 10 Bar (300 feet)
Bracelet Micro Adjustments: N/A
Purchased: April 2009
Purchased From: Seiya Japan

DIMENSIONS
Width: 36.50 mm
With Crown: 39.75 mm
Lug Width: 20.00 mm
Height (lug to lug): 43.55 mm
Thickness: 11.55 mm

WHY I PURCHASED THIS WATCH
I wanted to try an automatic watch as I had never purchased one before and also wanted an exhibition back. I wanted to purchase a dressier watch to wear at work; my previous daily work watch was the Seiko SLC033 which I still own and plan to keep. I decided to go with a Seiko watch and looked through approximately 10,000 search results on Ebay over the course of a month looking for something to catch my eye--and this was it.

QUALITY (fit, crystal, lume, bracelet)
Upon receiving this watch from Seiya, I was very pleased with the quality. I had read some complaints about the strap quality being cheap, but I quite like it. My main complaint about the strap is that I wanted a deployant clasp, but I knew that one wasn’t included when I purchased the watch. I purchased a generic deployant clasp off of Ebay for about $30.

I love the simple design and extremely high contrast “chalk white” hour and minute hands. I like the simple applied hour markers and bordered date window. I am pleased to have a sapphire crystal and exhibition back. However, the sapphire crystal is a fingerprint magnet! I cannot keep it clean for more than 5 minutes at a time and find myself cleaning it constantly while I wear it. Even when I seemingly haven’t touched the crystal, I see fingerprints all day long. I don’t know what it is about this watch, but I don’t have this problem with any other watches--perhaps it is the black dial? As this is a dress watch (for me), I wish the watch was a little more slim (than 11.55 mm).

Being that this is a Japanese-market only watch, the price was discounted very little. This is currently my most expensive watch by a wide margin. This may be my biggest complaint about the watch second to the fingerprints issue above.

ACCURACY
My unscientific observation is that the watch currently runs about +/- 15 seconds per day--acceptable for an automatic in my opinion.

HIGHS
Design
Movement

LOWS
Price
Thickness for a dress watch
Fingerprints on crystal driving me insane

SCORES
Fit/finish: 10/10
Crystal: 4/5
Dial/Bezel: 5/5
Lume: N/A
Bracelet/Strap: 3/5
Accuracy: 4/5
Value: 8/10
Overall (not an average): 9/10















Comparison to SKA387


MY BACKGROUND
Here is some background information about me. This may help clarify my point of view and what shapes my opinions. If there is anything I can do to help you with more information about the watches in my reviews, if you’d like more photos, etc, please let me know and I’ll try to help.

I am a computer programmer/analyst from a very small town in central Wisconsin. I am a husband and father to two boys, ages 3 and 1. My interests include digital photography (Canon SLR’s), watches (Japanese mainly), Apple computers, cars (Japanese and German), and LED flashlights. I am a self-professed perfectionist and appreciate an extreme attention to detail and like to have a sense of value for my money. I believe this is what draws me primarily to Japanese watches. I have written my reviews in an attempt to provide information that I found difficult myself (at least before finding WUS) to obtain. I typically research a new watch purchase for about 20 hours in an attempt to make sure I’m happy with my purchase.

TECHNICAL INFO
My measurements were all performed with a digital caliper accurate down to .01 mm and rounded to the nearest .05 mm. I believe these to be as accurate of measurements as I have seen anywhere and may differ from official specs and other websites. For reference in the photos, I have approximately a 6.5 inch wrist.

[DavidSeattleWA]

Great review and stunning photos! Can't ask for better photos than that.

Odd that you would have issues with fingerprints ... ? Weird.

The only thing that's kind of a bummer is the case size. 38mm would be perfect! It's really hard to tell, even with your great photos, how that would look on me.

Good review!

[jbdan]

Excellent review and pictures! Thanks for your time and sharing

[Barry H]

Great review and stunning photos! Can't ask for better photos than that.

+1. Classic watch and excellent photos! Having accurate measurements is always a bonus - and something that people don't always remember to include.

Both the SCVS015 and the 013 are just stunning watches (prefer the white dial myself). Take no notice of the naysayers regarding the diameter. I think Seiko have managed to excel even their ridiculously high standards of design with this one.

[moeharri]

I agree about the white dial also being stunning. I do plan to buy that one some time next year (hopefully). I have an Orient Star planned prior to the white dial Seiko though!

[MINIDriver]

Beautiful time piece. I see one of these in my future.

Enjoy it in good health.

PS: I am an IT person, enjoy watches, cars, cameras, computers, traveling,etc. Happily married and have a two and a half year old toddler boy.

[W123]

Nice! I am going to buy the white one later this month...the black one is awesome too though but I just love a good white dial.

[yuber5]

I'll see mine end of this month, yeah...

[Wannaduck]

Does this have an anti-reflective coating on the crystal? If so, that's probably what is making it a fingerprint magnet. The Lum-Tec I have that's AR coated (both inside and outside) has a bluish tint when looking at an angle.

[miike501]

Very handsome watch. Thanks for sharing.