SEIKO Men's SNDC31 Classic Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch with Brown Leather Band

[Review by boyfriend]: Full disclosure: I returned this watch, as it wasn't something I really needed in my collection. That said, it's a fantastic piece, especially for the price. The dial has a classic aviation aesthetic, the size is just right, and the chronograph function works perfectly.Aesthetics and finishing: this watch, in classic Seiko fashion, has a beauty and a finishing quality that is commonly seen on watches double or sometimes even quadruple the price. While visible portions of the case are uniformly polished rather than a mix of finishings, it's done well. The dial does have a flatter appearance than some other chronographs, like the SNA411, but it's a $100 watch and an EXCELLENT value for the money.Functionality: As with any decent quartz watch, timekeeping is effectively perfect. The chronograph function is what sets this apart from other quartz movements, in my opinion. With the chronograph activated, the center seconds hand ticks once per second (no sweep unfortunately), but the sub-seconds subdial whirls smoothly at one full rotation per second - stopping with a precision of 1/20 of a second once finished - and it's a ton of fun to watch.The watch also features a quartz version of a "rattrapante" function, similar to a lap time - pause the chronograph to take a note of the stopwatch, and then resume timing to watch it quickly "catch up" to where it would have been without the pause, allowing you to take several split timings at once.If you can afford to spend more, I very much suggest taking a look at a mechanical chronograph or the sweep-second quartz movement of the Seiko SNA411 Flightmaster, but this is an excellent choice of watch for the price, and trounces other choices on the market that are over a hundred dollars more expensive.

I was looking for a 40mm-or-less diameter chronograph (who wants to wear a small salad plate on their wrist?) with a decent quartz movement that wouldn't break the bank, and this watch fits that bill almost perfectly. I say "almost" because, as other reviewers have noted, it *IS* difficult to read under low-light conditions because of the poor color contrast between hands and dial - although interestingly, if it's completely dark it's EASY to read because of the luminescence of the hands & dial blips. If the watch cost $500 or more I'd give it 4 stars because of the difficulty in reading it in low light, but I'm willing to live with that shortcoming because in all other aspects this watch is a *HUGE* bargain at this price point - great looks, keeps great time, and doesn't make my arm drag the ground, LOL! And I also think that the band is more reddish than brown so I swapped it out for a new one (and yes, the band is indeed 20mm wide and not 19mm as stated in the specs because I measured it).

NOTE: THIS IS THE SAME WATCH AS THE SNDC33:The only difference is a different color dial and band. Otherwise identical. Do not let the detail information fool you, almost all of the details listed on Amazon site for the SNDC31 are inaccurate…period!ACCURATE DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT:Case Diameter: 40.6mmCase with crown: 43.2Case Thickness: 10.1mmLug to lug: 46.3Weight w/ band: 59g or 2.08 Oz (+/- 1g)CHRONOGRAPH MEASUREMENTS/FUNCTIONS:12 O’clock eye: Measures 1/20 second6 O’clock eye: Measures Minutes & Hours (two separate hands)9 O’clock eye: Measure real time secondsLarge second hand: Measures timed secondsTHE BAND:It’s red. Sort of an oxblood color as some have mention. I’m not crazy about it! Just be aware, there is nothing “brown” about it.THE DIAL: The dial is recessed at the edges which gives a classy and more manicured design. I can read it fine. I do not have as much trouble with the main dials as some have reported. The problem is with the lower eye on the chronograph, which has 2 dials that are subsequently tiny and not the best contrast. It’s hard to read in any light. Stupid since the 1/20 window is relatively easy to read, and it’s the most useless feature on the watch for most users.DIAL AND HAND ILLUMINATION:The has 4 tiny dots that retain light from an external light source for a very short time. This is almost functionally useless. At night I never use this at all. The amount of time the hands retain light is meaningless. The hands are large and well illuminated for…a few minutes. After 5 to 10 minutes out of a bright light source you can no longer see the hands. This was a gimmick in 1965. Today it’s a crude useless technology to make you feel better about not having a backlight, which all analog watches should include today! Kudos to Timex for Indiglo. There is so much organic fluorescing tech and material available today…no excuse.CHRONOGRAPH BUTTONS:They are easy to push. Too easy to push. I am constantly hitting the chronograph button with the back of my hand when my wrist bends, stopping my chronograph. This is constantly happening and very aggravating. It needs a larger crown or chronograph buttons that are stiffer.CHRONOGRAPH EYES:The eyes are listed above as far as their functions.Be aware: The top eye for 1/20 second spins wildly, but only for a period of time then it stops, even though you’re still timing. I assume to reduce battery drain, which is a good idea. I think having it run all the time is stupid and a waist of battery power. In fact it’s a function that most people will NEVER use. Please give us that window for measuring hours or some other function Seiko! They should scrap the 1/20 window and move one of the lower dial hands up to that window. This is logical and practical.THE WEIGHT:The weight on the Amazon site of 1.28oz, is flat wrong. The weight is the same as the SNDC31. It is just over 2 ounces. This is still light for a chronograph, but nothing special. Most chronographs in this class are between 2 and 2.5 ounces, with a non-metallic band.QUALITY:The quality from materals, finish, design aesthetics, etc. seem about what you would expect for a watch around $100. It’s noticeably better than a timex weekender! As far as how it will hold up? I cannot say.PACKAGING:A minor point, but the packaging was nice, hard box, much nicer than the timex weekender which comes in a cheap cardboard box with a plastic holder on the watch. Much more protective and with Amazon, USPS and UPS shipping, you’re going to need it.Conclusion:I like this watch. There are things I wish they had done differently, but for a watch around $100, it’s as expected. If I had known this was the same watch as the SNDC31, I would have opted for the black dial and black band. The description led me to believe that this was a different watch and was considerably lighter than the SNDC31. It is not. The one I got came already opened. I know this because the small plastic pc that you remove from the crown was missing. Otherwise everything looked ok. It has a classic look. Looks are subjective, but I think the red band looks somewhat feminine, but it does look dressy which I like. Again, realize you have the option for a black and white version in the SNDC31 or change the band to a darker band, as many have done. The size is reasonable for a smaller wrist. The thickness is much less bulky feeling than a watch like the timex weekender. The dial contrast is not bad, but the bottom chronograph I cannot read without reading glasses. It is too small really considering the useless larger 1/20 sec dial is completely readable for me. This is one of the smallest and lightest choronograph watches I could find. If that’s what you’re after, you have very limited choices under 41mm. So, in that case I would consider it on that basis alone for a smaller wrist. Good luck with your decision, I hope this helps you.

I purchased this watch because of its looks not so much for the features, although they do come in handy. I was a little hesitant at first, because I thought I might have trouble reading it being that the hands are the same color as the face. This has not been the case, because the hands illuminate in dim places. I have not tried it in bright sun-light yet, but I'll keep you posted. To me, this watch is the perfect size not too small, not too BIG. The case is a little thicker than I would like and made from that Gaudy shinny metal that makes the watch look like the cheap Chinese import. The dial are pretty smooth(they work), but the crown feels a little cheap as if it might break off if you pull on it too hard. Other than that this is a great looking watch, especially with the alligator tan leather band it came with. This is why I gave it a 5-star, all subjective...

Me gustó el producto, si es lo que esperaba por la calidad y precio, el servicio fue bueno, llego 4 días antes de la fecha prevista.El cristal es resistente, no es para traerse como un G Shock, pero tuve una caída en bicicleta y aguanto bastante bien, ni un rasguño.

Orologio al di sopra delle mie aspettative, perfettamente funzionante, preciso, bello e della misura giusta (a mio parere gli orologi sopra ai 40mm sono sproporzionati e questo, da 38mm, è perfetto per i miei gusti personali). Consigliatissimo a chiunque voglia un buon cronografo, di bella presenza e di qualità ad un prezzo molto inferiore alla sua concorrenza in base a ciò che offre. Continuerò ad acquistare seiko e possibilmente da questo venditore (acquisto effettuato ieri sera alle 21 ed è stato consegnato oggi alle 16/16:30).Non aggiungo altro e non vedo l'ora di riacquistare di nuovo un altro prodotto...

J'ai acheté cette montre pour avoir une montre de ville alors qu'habituellement j'utilise une montre de plongée en inox.J'ai bénéficié d'une super promotion et je me suis acheté cette montre. Elle est magnifique ! C'est un mouvement quartz Seiko, gage de qualité. J'ai déjà eu une montre de cette marque qui a fonctionné sans aucun problème pendant plus de dix ans. La précision de la montre est remarquable.

Ich habe die Uhr heute bekommen, einen Tag vor der angekündigten Zustellung.Sie wird im Originalkarton geliefert, der aus zwei ineinander geschachtelten Boxen besteht.Im Aussenkarton liegt im Boden die Garantiekarte und die Bedienungsanleitung, darauf der Karton mit Schnappdeckel, in dem sich die Uhr auf einem schwarzen Kissen befindet.Die Uhr macht einen wertigen Gesamteindruck, ist nicht zu groß und lässt sich besser ablesen, als es die Bilder glauben lassen. Das Zifferblatt ist in hellem cremeweiß gehalten und wirkt trotz der Chrongraphenanzeigen nicht überladen. Das Datum auf 3-Uhr Stellung ist jedoch sehr klein, besonders die zweistelligen Tage sind fast nicht zu erkennen. Sehr wichtig ist für mich eine korrekte Zeigerposition, gerade bei einer Quartzuhr mit Stoppfunktion. Da setzt SEIKO Maßstäbe, alle Zeiger springen genau auf den Punkt.Einen Wermutstropfen gibt es doch, was die Garantie betrifft:Es liegt zwar eine originale SEIKO Bedienungsanleitung und Garantiekarte bei, aber sie ist nicht vom Händler abgestempelt und damit wertlos. SEIKO lehnt in solchen Fällen Garantieansprüche ab.Ich habe schon einige SEIKO Uhren, teilweise schon über 30 Jahre, die auch heute noch problemlos laufen.Aus dieser Sicht sollten keine Problem auftreten, falls doch, weis ich noch nicht, was passiert.Ich werde diese Uhr trotzdem behalten, diesen Preis ist sie allemal wert, auch wenn sie heute nochmals im Preis gesenkt wurde.Von mir eine Kaufempfehlung für Uhrenliebhaber und solche, die eine elegante Uhr für jeden Tag haben möchten.

Nice looking watch and matches the display picture. Light on wrist. Value for money.