Seiko Presage Sharp Edge GMT "SPB223J1" 6 months review
A little backstory about why I chose this watch. Well, it was never the watch I wanted to purchase. Went to a Seiko store to see if they had the SPB143 and ended up picking this one instead. The store didn't have stock of the SPB143 and the salesperson interested me in the 140th-anniversary collection which had the 63mas colour rendition. While I tried it on, he also showed me the GMT version, and I was sold after seeing the dial. I never had a GMT in my collection so I did not have second thoughts.
My wrist size is 19cm/7.5in
Case Design:
It is all about the angles in the sharp edge series and this watch with all the angled surfaces and beautiful case design is a looker. The sides of the watches are polished and the top surfaces are brushed vertically which against the white dial, keeps the light play on the surface to a minimum. The blue bezel is fixed and also angled to incorporate it into the case. I am still not sure if the bezel insert is steel or ceramic cause I have ding this watch many times and not a single scuff or mark on the bezel insert. The overall dimensions of this watch considering it is a 42mm case, wears much like a 41mm case on the wrist. The lug-to-lug is 49mm and it is 13.7mm thick, but being a Seiko, the wearing experience is smaller and pleasant on the wrist.
This series has the diashield coating so the steel has a dull look compared to other models in the presage lineup and is quite scratch resistant, 6 months of use and I only have a few hairline scratches on the buckle.
Bracelet:
For a Seiko, it is one of the best ones they make. The lug width is 20mm and the bracelet tapers to 18mm at the clasp. There is no play in the end links and the bracelet integration is seamless. It is a 5-link style bracelet, well technically 4 links, the outer link is a single piece H-link embedded in the middle link. The design works in long term, where you don't have to worry about the bracelet sagging over time since the outer links are a single-piece, neat design. The bracelet is primarily brushed with the inner two links polished, giving it a nice contrast and premium look. The push button clasp is nice, milled with beveled edges which is a small touch but works well in terms of comfort. However there is a lack of micro-adjustments, just two but you do get two half links which help in getting a good fit, I had no issues in getting a proper fit. I personally like the small clasp, which maintains a uniform look with the bracelet.
The Dial:
I think it is the main character in the design. The dial mimics the Japanese hemp leaf pattern called asanoha. In Seiko's words "The rich texture of the dial’s geometric pattern creates an infinite variety of shades at different angles as the light moves across it", and it is true. The dial plays with the light beautifully along with the mirror-polished hands, for a white dial watch, it is surprisingly legible. The white dial especially is very sparkly under bright light. The dual-coloured chapter is also a nice touch to show the difference between day and night. It is a Seiko, no surprise the lume is great. Plenty of lume on the hands and markers.
The one thing which bothered me was the date subdial, which feels like an afterthought or they did it to keep the overall thickness of the watch less. It bugged me but I got used to it after a week or so. If you prefer a cleaner dial, the only date 39mm sharp edge series is there.
Movement:
The watch has a 6R64 movement, it is a 4hz movement unlike most of Seiko's 3hz movements and the second sweep in this watch is so smooth compared to my other watches with 4hz movements. All the smooth sweep comes at a cost of 45 hours of power reserve but that is a good trade-off. The accuracy out of the box was about -8 seconds a day on average but after breaking in the movement for about 2 months, I regulated the watch myself and now the watch runs between +1 to -2 seconds which is petty impressive and it has been almost 5 months and it is running at the same accuracy. The service interval for this movement is shorter too because of the higher beat frequency, Seiko recommends every 3 years but I will find out that in the future.
Verdict:
For the last 6 months...almost 7 now, I wear the watch almost every day to work and I have had no regrets about buying it spontaneously. I got a good discount of $200, and it was a good deal compared to the other options I saw. The GMT function is useful, the dial is a conversation starter (the only watch that I own which has got compliments and attention probably because the white dial shines under the bright light in my office lol) and a solid build quality.
It is on the bigger side, the date subdial is annoying, and the movement may not be the accurate one out of the box but if you are looking for a true GMT for around $1000, this watch is a great option considering other options like Mido Ocean Star GMT and CW GMT.
This specific reference model may not be still available for sale because it was a limited edition from 2020 but you may still find it in some dealers considering it was 3500 pieces limited (Seiko duhh). There are also blue, green, brown, champagne and a couple of new limited editions with navy blue and eggshell dial colours.
This is my first review here, feel free to say if I missed any information about the watch anyone would like to know and suggestions too.
Specs:
Crystal: Sapphire with AR | Case size: 42mm diameter, 13.7mm thick, 49mm lug-to-lug | Lug width: 20mm| Movement: 6R64 | Power reserve: 45 hours | WR: 100m | Price: $1400 (may vary based on your location and models)
Seiko Presage Sharp Edge GMT "SPB223J1" 6 months review
Yes
No
- Dial
- Overall design
- True GMT
- Diashield coating
- Date complication placement
- Lack of micro-adjustments
Welcome to my WatchCrunch profile.
Hi it’s so nice to have a review of this watch in the website finally.
Its a shame this post doesn’t have more comments because the review was incredible.
I also bought one a few months ago for my 18th birthday and I must admit it’s a gorgeous watch.
My main problems are the size ( maybe because my wrist is a little bit smaller), the dial sometimes feeling a little bit too busy with so much information and details at the same time and, finally, the fact that my bezel came slightly misaligned… I sometimes just give the excuse that mine is different than any other because of this misalignment , so that is what makes it special just to not feel bad about it ahah.
Talking about the bezel I believe it is steel and not ceramic, at least the reviews on YouTube said so.
I bought a leather strap from Strapatelier and it will arrive in the future. If you want to I can send you a picture of the watch with the strap if in the future you want to buy one as well (if you already haven’t. in that scenario if you could share a photo of the watch with a strap I would love to see it)
I think I have nothing left to add so I wish you are enjoying your watch as much as I am and if you want to have a conversation about it or other watches I would really enjoy it ;)
Thanks for appreciating the review. Nice to see a fellow owner with the same watch.
Yeah, the size is on the larger side but it is manageable on smaller wrists. If you try it on a strap, I feel it would feel much smaller without the male endlinks from the bracelet. I have noticed alignment issues in these models, even when I was purchasing a blue dial version had its bezel towards the right. Slight misalignment won't be noticeable unless you force yourself (just an excuse you say to yourself, I feel you). That's why I purchase Seikos directly from an AD after seeing it myself.
The 2022 version came SPB303 with a ceramic bezel and it felt almost the same as this, except they made it slimmer and changed the design slightly. But Seiko's bezel always had a different feel to it even when they are made out of steel.
I have only tried it once on a thin leather strap. I realised it need a thick padded style leather strap to go along the chunky lugs to look nice. I also have one ordered from Etsy this month, a custom blue padded strap which I hopefully will get next year by Jan end, festive season order placement was not a great idea. Strapatelier straps are nice, I bought a couple to gift one and I kept a pueblo strap in Juniper green myself for my Seiko 5. Great quality straps for a reasonable price. Do send me a photo when you get yours for the GMT.
Of course, I would like to have conversations about watches. Thanks again.
I also bought mine from an AD but at the time I wasn’t aware of Seiko‘s QC issues so I assumed the watch was in perfect conditions ( specially because it’s not a very cheap watch). Unfortunately when I noticed the misalignment was too late to return so I asked politely to try making it a little bit less to the right (it worked but not correct still… either way now I can say my watch dial was hand assembled ahahah so that is another excuse I give myself to make it special 🥲)
By the way that Seiko 5 you are showing ITS GORGEOUS can you please send me the ref number? The combination with the green strap is just perfect (despite being a guy o prefer blue tones).
I will make sure to post a picture with the strap when it arrives…maybe even make a review as well after a while.
Btw the strap is half paded so I believe it will fit nicely on the watch ;)
The QC issues have been a plague with some Seiko models, especially the chapter ring or the bezel alignment. Lately, it has been less, at least from my experience and the reduced posts about QC issues subreddits. People pick on Seiko's alignment issues because it is visible but many companies have QC issues in many other areas of the watch as well. I bought a Tudor BB58 this year's start and the watch had quite a bit of issue, there was dust on the dial which was visible under the light, the lume plots were not filled evenly and the clasp was loose after two days of use, I got it fixed but sold it within a month cause I never connected. I put that money into two this Seiko, PRX and recently got a Seiko SPB239.
That Seiko model in the photo is SNKL23, it's an old Seiko 5 model I bought from Amazon for $120. 38mm, very slim and that dial for that price is pretty special. Its 18mm lug width so I don't have many straps but it looks great on many straps because of the black dial. I keep it on bracelet these days. If you dont find this model, then there is SNKL41, SNKL43, SNKL45 or SNK361.
Thanks. That's nice, always remember to get a thick or padded strap if the lugs are chunky.
I just discovered this review after considering writing my own. I agree with your points, although I don't mind the date wheel and I was lucky enough to find a good fit despite only having two pointa of micro-adjustment. My biggest complaint is the weight. It's my heaviest watch, even more than my Willard. It does bother me at times, but not enough to stop wearing it.
I just discovered this review after considering writing my own. I agree with your points, although I don't mind the date wheel and I was lucky enough to find a good fit despite only having two pointa of micro-adjustment. My biggest complaint is the weight. It's my heaviest watch, even more than my Willard. It does bother me at times, but not enough to stop wearing it.
I got used to the date after a week of use and I don't have any issues since, but a date window would have have easy for a quick glance.
No complaints about the fit too since the bracelet came with half links, getting a proper fit was easy.
My Willard came on the rubber strap so it feels light and currently my most comfortable watch to wear. This Presage is heavy, no doubt about that. The bracelet is lighter and thinner too compared to the case so you get the heavy feeling.
I just bought that 2022 SPB303 model you mention and the bezel is, in fact, ceramic, and also ever so slightly misaligned.
The watch is gorgeous, wears well on my 7.25” wrist and will be a pleasure to wear when I travel.
I just tried this on recently and went with the non-GMT sharp edge. I am just in love with that dial and I’m impressed with how accurate it runs. What a lovely piece and thank you for the review. When you mean serviced it yourself, what exactly did you do to make it run more efficiently?
I think I might buy this one, but I am not sure which color.