SEIKOSSG010 Watch for Men - Coutura Collection - Radio Sync Solar Chronograph, Two-Tone Stainless Steel Case & Bracelet, Black Dial with Lumibrite Hands & Markers, and Date Calendar

First, I rarely publicly review purchases and I'm offering this only after owning it for 6 weeks. The reason I chose to take the time to do this is because this watch hits a homerun for me..."Your experience may differ."Second, for context, I'm a Seiko-kinda-guy. This is probably my 15th-ish of the brand, starting with my first "nice" watch as my wedding present a couple decades ago. I've added a couple Astron GPS' (incl. 2012 1st Edition and 2014 Limited), Premier, Arctura, Kinetic, Recraft, etc. I've sold a few and I'm learning to discipline my purchases...sorta. I'm also a collector of world timers and GMTs (JLC, Nomos, Frederique Constant, IWC, Omega, Ocaeanus, Citizen, etc). I appreciate practicality, beauty and value but I've traveled a lot and have latched onto the convenience and wonder of a unique world timer.What I love about the SSG019 in particular: 1) multi-time zone with cities around the thin-but-legible black bezel that are pretty subtle; 2) gorgeous multi-patterned dial with THE deepest royal blue and silver silver accents. It's absolutely stunning in direct sunlight. Seriously, how this practical (solar!?!) and stunning dial did not get more attention in horological media is beyond belief but hopefully that just keeps prices down; 3) the dial is not overly busy. The day/date/24hr/time zone indicators are just the right amount for efficient travelers. Me, I don't need a chrono or moon phase on a travel watch; 4) speaking of, the asymmetric real estate of the day-of-week indicator is unexpected from Seiko and cool. Screw symmetry--it might be one of my favorite aspects of any watch that I own!; 5) Solar AND Radio Wave--no muss, no fuss! No winding, no time setting, and no need to rebuild every 5-10 years. (In contrast, I'm seriously dreading the cost of overdue service on my JLC Master Geo). 6) The blue flourish on crown is not quite Cartier Ballon Bleu but it's a nice and unexpected touch on a sub-$1k quartz watch.Conversely: 1) I love bracelets and this is better than average for a (non-Grand) Seiko but I wish I had the option of a strap if I'm feeling squirrely; 2) I it's pretty big (44mm x 13mm) and you have to like a medium-weight watch. I get used to my titanium daily-wearers and I really feel the weight of this, which is good for a change, but I don't know if I want to have this on my 7.5" wrist every day; 3) The hands are of great design but the lume sucks. Face it, you're going to look at your phone or Fitbit if it's dark anyway.Bottom line, I think Seiko nailed the design and execution on this one. Why a drop-dead-gorgeous tech-enabled-but-simple solar/radio sync watch like this isn't premium priced is absolutely beyond me. In a parallel marketing universe, this is easily a $4,000-$5,000 watch. Would I want it as my one and only? Quite possibly, but I like variety too much. I can, however, definitely see this as a 1-of-3 or "desert island" watch due to the practicality, beauty and affordability.

This is just flat-out a gorgeous watch. It has a dress appearance and is best used as a dress watch, although I am sure some people use it for everyday wear. It has a black face with all gold hands and markings, and then a mixture of gold and silver for both the case and the band. The method of coloring on the case and band make it so that the watch will look either more gold or more silver, depending on which angle you are viewing from. If you look carefully at the out ring of the black face, you will see concentric trace markings which add an elegance to the watch but are probably also part of the antenna system the watch uses to keep time. Yes, that's right, this particular model, once you set it up, connects with the nearest official time broadcast and keeps itself adjusted to that signal, the reason why this particular model is more expensive than other Coutura watches which look almost identical but do not have this radio function. And, yes, hooray, that same timing function keeps the date accurate month-to-month as well!The watch has a nice heft to it, but its bracelet is comfortable due to the use of soft curves, and this makes the weight less of an issue. It has one of traditional Seiko clasp functions where you squeeze the outside of the band to unlock the bracelet, and then a double-fold mechanism angles out, allowing you to remove the watch while reducing the possibility of dropping it since the band always stays connected (great design). The stem is a screw-down type so that you unscrew it first before engaging it, and then screw it back down when you are done making adjustments.This is a beautiful watch that really does seem worth more than you pay for it, and it has an elegance that is squarely in the mid-range Seiko line-up. It's terrific. But I would be remiss if I did not mention that this is a complicated watch to set up when you first receive it. There are four case buttons plus the stem that you must use in a very specific order to set the time zone, then ensure you are picking up the radio signal from your area, and making minute first adjustments. It's not impossible, but it's not for those in a hurry, either. You have to take your time to read the instructions very carefully and follow the procedures exactly as stated, or you won't get the watch into its initial state. And it really is a bit complicated: you basically end up using all the controls to do different things, need to set the watch next to a window for 12 minutes at a certain point in the sequence (I'm not joking), and then make sure you press the correct buttons in the correct sequence. I must say it took me about 30 minutes of studying the instructions and then about 30 minutes to actually follow all the procedures, a couple of which I had to re-do because I had done them incorrectly. But the ultimate payoff after that is that the watch keeps time by itself from that time on, and all you have to do is ensure it gets some light now and then (the battery is solar-powered, but has a very long cycle to it and can be charged even with indoor light). I wouldn't let the complications at the beginning make you hesitant to purchase it, but just be aware that you need to do the startup procedures at the beginning.A truly beautiful watch, it's one that you will want to try to take care of because you'll want to keep it for a long time. Five stars.