Seiko Men’s SUN007 Kinetic GMT Black Ion Watch Review
Seiko initially released its “Kinetic” Movement almost a decade ago and, over the years, they’ve repeatedly upgraded the technology. While I understand that some early movements had ‘issues’ (like short-life capacitors, excessive gear-train backlash, etc.), I have to ‘give credit where credit is due’ and add that Seiko effectively addressed and resolved these problems. In my honest opinion, they now have an outstanding and quite practical (plus relatively-inexpensive) alternative to regular, battery-powered, quartz watches!
Indeed, my new SUN007 (that I purchased from Amazon) efficiently (and elegantly) combines the impeccable accuracy of a quartz watch with the auto-winding capability of a mechanical design. The result is a watch that has the best of BOTH worlds; i.e., a +1/sec. per month accuracy and NEVER needs a battery! For what it’s worth, I really like the fact that, with the SUN007, at least, I’ll never have to put everything on hold and make a trip to the jewelers for a ‘quick fix!’
By the way, for reference, Seiko’s “Kinetics” utilize a rather normal-looking swinging rotor (visible through a case-back window on the SUN007) to charge up a capacitor in the movement’s internal “Kinetic Energy Storage Unit” (K.E.S.U.) via a straightforward gear-train. The K.E.S.U., in turn, ‘activates’ a quartz ‘resonator’ (like a regular quartz watch) that essentially replaces the ‘escapement’ in a mechanical watch. This gives the “Kinetic” the extreme accuracy of a regular quartz, but, of course, it also means the Seconds Hand increments in 1-second steps!
Regardless, unlike a regular automatic mechanical watch, the SUN007 has a ’shelf life’ that, depending on the state of the charge when you put it down, could be as long as several MONTHS! This means that you just pick it up, give it a shake, and you’re “good to go!”
The SUN007 also incorporates a rather unique ‘power reserve’ indicator that’s activated by depressing a pusher at the 2 o’clock position. In a watch that costs less than 0 (on Amazon), these features alone should make any watch aficionado set up and take notice, but, there are still more ‘features and enhancements’ that deserve mention.
Consider, for example, that the fit & finish of my SUN007 is incredible and, with a Ø=45mm bezel, it has a wonderful ‘wrist presence!’ The “Hardlex” crystal appears to be quite resilient and Seiko’s “LumiBrite” fluorescent ‘paint’ is better than anything I’ve ever seen – and I own dozens of watches! Indeed, when I ‘charge’ up the ‘lumi’ with a U/V flashlight at 11PM, the watch shines like a firefly ALL night long and is still quite readable at 7AM the next morning!
Combine these qualities with an all-over TiCN (Titanium Carbon Nitride) PVD coating and you have a REAL winner on your hands, er, wrist! By the way, I should mention that the TiCN finish on my SUN007 is silky-smooth to the touch and has a wonderful dark-brown, burnt umber, color ‘temperature.’
The case and bracelet are predominantly brushed, but there are several carefully-polished ‘highlight’ areas that are, for the most part, in depressed ’shadow surfaces’ not likely to be scratched! (How’s THAT for thoughtful, yet subtle, elegance?) By the way, the TiCN feels very much like Teflon® and, due it its hardness, I suspect that it’ll keep the watch looking like new for years to come!
And speaking of ‘wrist presence’, the SUN007 fit my 8.5-inch right out of the box! I did, however, use the ‘micro-adjustment’ on the single-fold, push-button, deployant diver’s clasp (w/lock) to ‘fine tune’ the comfort level slightly!
So, is this watch ‘a keeper?’ You bet it is! In fact, after wearing it for a few weeks, I’d have to say that the “Kinetic” Technology is so revolutionary that it may, over time, undermine the (perceived) value of “Swiss-Made.” I hasten to add that, according to the Swiss Watch Federation themselves, the term “Swiss-Made” actually allows for the integration of as much as 49% foreign parts (and labor) which, of course, these days is mostly Chinese! (Frankly, I’d rather buy a Seiko and know what I’m getting than spend a LOT more for something with a perceived value that, in reality, is something quite less! But I digress!)
Regardless, Seiko appears to be quite committed to the “Kinetic” Technology and has a plethora of products that build on the ‘platform.’ For instance, if a shelf life of ‘only’ a few months isn’t long enough, you can always upgrade to one of Seiko’s “Auto-Relay” Models that automatically place the gear-train in a sleep mode (to preserve energy), but stay “awake” just enough to internally increment the time! After letting it sit for as long as four years (!), you can pick it up, give it a shake, and watch the hands twirl around as the watch automatically re-sets itself to the exact time!
And, as if all this weren’t impressive enough, you can always spend another couple of hundred dollars or so and buy one of Seiko’s new “Direct-Drive” ‘Velatura’ Models that utilize an enhanced K.E.S.U module! I say ‘enhanced’ because, unlike the SUN007, these ‘Direct Drives’ are capable of being hand-wound! And they incorporate an even-better power-reserve indicator that immediately shows the ‘impact’ of your hand-winding and, then, when you stop twisting the crown, it reverts back to a ‘dynamic’ readout of the total power reserve! Again, incredible, simply incredible – and elegant!
And, speaking of incredible, I’d be remiss is I didn’t mention Seiko’s exquisite NEW “Spring Drive” Models that, in the “Ananta” Product Line, combine a stunning 50-Jewel mechanical column-wheel chronograph with a ’super-resilient’ coil (that’s wound by a freely-swinging rotor) to feed energy to a even-better K.E.S.U.! Indeed, in the “Spring Drives”, Seiko refers to this power module as the “Tri-Synchro regulator (that) controls the speed of the glide wheel and the hands by electro-magnetic braking.”
In other words, toss the escapement, baby, and watch how Seiko makes that Seconds Hand progressively float around the dial! In my opinion, Seiko’s ‘Glide Motion’ (as they call it), with its total lack of ANY ‘herky-jerky’ motion whatsoever (however slight), is unlike ANY other watch in the world – no matter how expensive and ‘haute horology!’ I think it’s a revolutionary achievement!
Frankly, I get a little ‘light-headed & misty-eyed’ when I look at Seiko’s new (and stunningly-elegant) Cal. 5R86 Movement through the case-back of their LE Titanium “Ananta!” But, then again, I AM a hopeless “Watch Idiot Savant” collector of fine timepieces!
NOTA BENE: Per Seiko’s website, “you should always purchase your new watch from an Authorized Seiko Dealer.” Otherwise, you run the risk of buying a ‘gray-market’ watch with something less than a factory warranty! Personally, on a watch that costs less than 0, I don’t think this is much of an issue, but, when it comes to a timepiece costing several thousand (like the stunning “Ananta”), it’s an entirely different matter! CAVEAT EMPTOR!
Seiko Men’s SUN007 Kinetic GMT Black Ion Watch Feature
- Kinetic movement; functions without a battery; powers Kinetically with the movement of your arm
- Strong Hardlex crystal protects dial from scratches
- Case diameter: 45.5 mm
- Stainless steel case; black dial; date function
- Water resistant up to 330 feet (100 M)
Seiko Men’s SUN007 Kinetic GMT Black Ion Watch Overview
Contemporary styling with advanced technological features, this GMT flight computer features Seiko’s Kinetic technology; By the simple movement of your wrist, the rechargable battery charges itself. Once fully charged, it captures and stores energy up to six months. Kinetic- the most advanced electronic watch technology. Environmentally friendly. Features include- Black Ion Finish case and bracelet, black dial with date display and screwdown see thru caseback. 100 meters water resistant.
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.
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