Oceanus Watch: Seiko Men's SNL012 Arctura Kinetic Watch Review

Average Reviews:
4.5 out of 5 stars

(More customer reviews)There is no question that this watch is strikingly beautiful.For a watch that does not come from Switzerland you will find no better in the Looks Department. The picture here does not really do the watch justice; I saw this watch (the #SNL012 version, stainless with gold trim and white face) at a jewelers and couldn't quite get it out of my mind.I've been wearing mine for about three weeks now and have received more feedback on it than I've ever had on one of my Omegas or my Rolex GMT."Mod," and "Futuristic," are two descriptions I've heard which I think are true and fair.The watch is super heavy, but is not so bulky as to be a nuisance. The movement is made in Japan, which is obviously good; the bracelet is made in China, but I see no conspicuous compromise in quality.This watch has a see-through back, which is nice even though there are no glittering jewels back there.The front crystal is scratch-resistant sapphire, a signifacnt feature.Overall, the watch has awesome curb appeal and you'll probably be extremely pleased.

Next point: at the time of this review Amazon has the absolute best price on this watch.I went down to the L.A. Jewelry District, where watches are sold at bargain-basement prices, and this watch there was over $50 more out-the-door.And I'd rather buy from a reputable entity like Amazon than one of these jewelry vendors in the Jewelry District. Other brick-and-mortar retailers are not at present anywhere close to Amazon in terms of price, not to mention providing the free shipping.

Okay, the caveats: The watchunfortunately is of limited functionality.The form really precedes the function. The little subdial at the six-o'clock position: that is actually the watch face you'll be looking at to tell the time throughout the day.It is a small watch face to be sure, and if you are trying to glimpse the time in a subtle or fast fashion, good luck. Hopefully you won't be driving your car at the time. The little hands and the little watch face need more concentration to see and comprehend than a full-sized watch.That gets annoying quickly. I guess it does provide an excuse to gaze at the beautiful watch.

The next caveat: the so-called stop-watch function is very precarious.The minute register--which stops at 45 minutes--is so small that it is all but impossible to tell which minute the hand is pointing at: it would be very easy to misinterpret it by a minute, maybe even two.If you ever used this watch to time something important you would be setting yourself up to be sued for malpractice.You really would need a magnifying glass to see it close enough to be certain which minute-marker the hand is pointing at.But, again, that semi-circular shiny chrome subdial with the blued metal hand sure looks cool!But looks are as far as it really goes here, I'm afraid.

The final caveat: I was told by two different jewelers that these Seiko Kinetics have the "capacitors" go out on them after five to seven years.The capacitor is what holds the electric charge to run the watch. Can it be replaced?Yes, for a significant fee, unless the material inside the capacitor has burst out and ruined the other componenets in the watch. Then you have a complete throw-away. Apparently, and sadly, this happens with some frequency.Both jewelers emphatically advised me against a Seiko Kinetic for this reason.If this ruination of the watch occurs to me, I will be quite upset and letters will be promptly fired off to Tokyo (or wherever Seiko headquarters is located)!But the watch is so good looking I had to gamble and get it.

So far, I have no real regrets, but I wish they could have fine-tuned the concept a little more. At one-fifth the price of an entry-level Swiss watch you may find yourself content even if you only have the watch for five years or so.I want and expect more years (20 sounds reasonable), but I will have to wait 19 years and 11 months to tell you if that milestone is achieved!

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Product Description:
The Seiko SNL012 stainless steel men's watch blends artistic style, powerful timekeeping features, and the latest in watch technology. This kinetic-powered timepiece contains its own internal electrical generator--operated by natural wrist movements--making it independent of conventional storage batteries. The step-motion second hand will move in 2-second intervals when energy is reaching a level of less than 3 hours. It also features three chronograph subdials (stopwatch, minute, and 1/5 second), with a stopwatch feature that measures up to 45 minutes in 1/5 second increments.
This lovely silver stainless steel watch is highlighted by a polished gold-tone bezel that frames the white dial background. The case is fully integrated into the silver stainless steel bracelet band, which has brushed pieces bordering a highly polished center column of links. It's joined by a double-locking, push-button clasp. The skeleton caseback lets you see the watch's inner mechanics. Other features include Japanese quartz movement, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and water resistance to 100 meters (330 feet).
Kinetic: A powerhouse in technological innovation

Like mechanical and quartz, Kinetic is a platform. Over the past 20 years, SEIKO has created on this platform a suite of Kinetic movements, each bringing unique features to the consumer.

It was at the 1986 Basel Fair that SEIKO unveiled its first Kinetic prototype. Introduced under the trial name of 'AGM', it was the first watch in the world to convert kinetic movement into electrical energy. It was the first step in a development that, 20 years later, has made Kinetic synonymous with environmental friendliness, high performance and long-lasting convenience to a generation of users worldwide. From the launch in 1988 of the first commercially available watch (then under the new name AGS) until today, over eight million Kinetic watches have been sold (as of 2007).

In 1998, Kinetic Auto Relay was released, extending the 'at-rest' operating period of the watch to a remarkable 4 years. 1999 saw the launch of the Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph, a masterpiece which fused the very best of SEIKO's mechanical and electronic watch making skills, and in 2003 another Kinetic Chronograph was launched. At Baselworld 2005, the Kinetic Perpetual made its first appearance, combining Kinetic convenience and longevity with a perpetual calendar, correct to the year 2100. In 2007, SEIKO's emotional technology Kinetic Direct Drive is introduced.