Seiko Prospex Fieldmaster LOWERCASE Special Edition Reference SBDJ029 (similar to SBDJ027 & SBDJ028) - The Perfect Tuna for the Masses, A Review (plus Video)

Seiko’s Prospex watches is subdivided into Sea, Land, Sky and Run. Although most would be familiar with the dive watches from the Sea collection, the Land collection is also interesting. In my collection is the Seiko Prospex Fieldmaster SBDC011 (click here for more). It has been given the nickname "Field Tuna" by Seiko fans. It is an automatic watch that features a compass bezel and a shroud similar to that on Seiko's Tuna divers.

Since the introduction of the SBDC011 under the Fieldmaster sub-line in 2010, nothing else of substance was launched by Seiko to carry on the namesake. In 2017, Seiko surprised us with new Prospex Fieldmaster LOWERCASE watches which is similar to past models yet different at the same time.

Made in collaboration with the Japanese design consultants LOWERCASE, Seiko is able to bring something fresh and exciting to its design styling. Lead by Mr. Yuki Kajiwara, creative director of LOWERCASE, the Fieldmaster has been given a radical change in the design department.


Instead of using automatic movements for the new Fieldmasters, LOWERCASE designed the series to use solar quartz modules only. There are eight members to the new Fieldmaster series (more information is provided in a special section at the end of this review). Generally, the overall styling of these watches is similar with differences being in the dial, case finishing and strap.



Unfortunately, this series is designated as JDM (Japanese Domestic Models) models. If you want to get one, you need to source from a Japanese merchant or an on-line merchant with links to Japanese suppliers.

Out of all, I was smitten with the SBDJ029 with its vintage military styling. Its cream coloured “faux patina” dial plus the black PVD casing gives the SBDJ029 a gorgeous tropical effect. I was able to source it via Gnomon Watches of Singapore.


The Casing

The "Tuna" design is synonymous with Seiko's Prospex series. Mostly divers, there are some land based models that incorporate the same "Tuna" design. Generally called "Field Tuna" by fans, these Fieldmasters are tough cookies.



LOWERCASE decided to follow the same design philosophy with a casing of 44.5 mm wide and a lug-to-lug length of 44.2 mm. Despite it being a relatively large diameter watch, like most "Tuna", the short lugs that is place under the casing instead of the ends makes this watch suited for smaller wrists. The lack of a bulky automatic movement also helps keep the thickness to just 12.1 mm. Meanwhile, lug width is 20 mm.

Made out of stainless steel, the casing is protected by a high-impact plastic shroud. A screw-down crown is located at 4 o'clock. The solid case-back is a screw-down. As a consequence, the watch is water rated to 200 meters.

All in, the watch only weighs in at 69 gm.


The Dial

The dial has been given the 'vintage' feel. The cream coloured dial has a developing patina feel to it that radiates from the centre to the peripheral. The choices made for the markers and the hands also convey the same message.



The sloping chapter ring is painted off-white and marked with line minute markers in black. On the main dial itself, there are two sets of hour markers in Arabic numerals. The primary one is between 1 to 12 using a vintage font and framed in black. A liberal amount of LumiBrite paint is added within each frame. Next to it is another set of hour markers from 13 to 24 painted in red in a different font and size.

Unfortunately, the date aperture forces the designers to sacrifice the 4 o'clock as well as the 16-hour markers. To compensate, a red triangle is printed near the edge of the 4 o'clock position. It is a good thing that the date wheel comes with a white background which does not disrupt the visual pattern on the dial too much.



As for the texts on the dial, the brand is the only one present on the top half of the dial. On the bottom half of the dial, the Prospex logo and the words "SOLAR" and "20BAR" can be clearly seen. At the extreme bottom of the dial is a micro-size set of texts in code. All the texts are painted in black directly on the dial.

With the naked eye, I am unable to discern where the solar panels are situated. I suspect they must be underneath the dial where is it clear of any prints. This would ensure massive transfer of light through the dial and directly to the solar panels. Not knowing where the solar panels are situated is not a bad thing. It actually shows how good the designers are at hiding it and keeping the vintage look as authentic as possible. Thumbs up from me!

The large cathedral hands is reminiscent of the SARB017 Alpinist, a watch that I also own. The design of the hands provide a large surface area for LumiBrite to be applied. The long pointy ends on both the hours and minutes hands also facilitate unambiguous referencing. Meanwhile, the seconds hand has a small arrow-head shaped section painted with LumiBrite to provide illumination when necessary.


The Crystal, Bezel & Crown

Capping the dial is a dome Hardlex crystal that starts below the top edge of the bezel and gradually reach its peak height at the middle of the dial. The height of the crystal extends approximately 1 mm beyond the top edge of the bezel. Based on the reflection, I don't think there is any AR coating on the crystal.



Unlike the previous SBDC011 Fieldmaster, the SBDJ029 has a bi-directional “COUNTDOWN” bezel. The bezel does not use a ratcheting system as it need to move in both directions. Instead, it uses simple friction to keep it firm on the casing when not in use. Users can use their LOWERCASE Fieldmaster watches to time deadlines of up to an hour. Since the SBDJ029 has a 24-hour markers on the dial, it makes it feel like a military watch too.

At the 4 o'clock position is the screw-down crown. The crown is sizeable and textured all around, including the top of crown. Honestly, the size is not that relevant since this is a quartz powered watch and the likelihood that you need to use the bezel to readjust the time periodically is very low.




The V157 Module

The watch comes with a solid screw-down case-back. Unlike the SBDC011 where the case-back is full of graphics (a few ground-to-air signals in graphical form), the SBDJ029 is sterile of any graphics apart from some texts about the watch.



Underneath the case-back is the V157 module. This module is a solar powered module with three hands and a date complication. On a full charge, the battery will have enough energy to power the watch normally up to 10 months. Seiko has stated that the movement has a standard accuracy of ±15 seconds per month. The frequency of the crystal oscillator is 32,768 Hz and the integrated circuit used is the C-MOS-IC. The module also has an instant-start function, energy depletion forewarning function and overcharging prevention function. The rechargeable battery used is a manganese-titanium-lithium type.



Using the Toolwatch app, I was able to record an accuracy of -0.4 seconds per day (or -12.0 seconds per month). This is within the manufacturer's stated accuracy rate.

For more information on the V157 module, please refer to the manual attached at the end of this review.


The Strap

Paired with the casing is an olive green nylon NATO strap. The strap is sufficient long enough to fit a 200 mm circumference wrist. It has two thin metal strap guides and a simple signed buckle. All metal components of the strap is PVD in black.



My only feedback about the strap is the lack of thickness on the nylon. I believe it should be thicker. As it stands, the 'thinness' makes it feel sharp and it pinches the skin sometimes.


The Illumination

There are two colours of illumination on the watch, green and blue. As you can see in the photo below, the bezel pip, the hours and minutes hands, the seconds arrow and all the hour markers (except for 4) are lit up in the dark. For this photo, I only powered up the paint using my torchlight for just 4 seconds before I took the photo.



Again, I would like to emphasis the need to understand why it is not advisable to replace a primary marker with a date aperture. At night, if the dial is equipped with luminous paint, you will find dark patches. At other times, the dial would look asymmetrical. To me, the best location to put a date window is above the 6 o'clock hour position.


The Wearing Experience

The SBDJ029 is the most sensibly sized Tuna currently in the market. It is small enough to be worn with formal wear. For guys, wearing a cuff shirt with this watch is not a problem (relatively speaking).



Although not as bulky as other Seiko Tunas, the vintage inspired dial is an eye-catcher. Having it solar powered makes it a true grab-and-go watch without the need to wind and adjust periodically.

Even though the watch is not ISO6425 dive watch certified, it is capable to withstand 200 meters of water pressure. As a field watch, the SBDJ029 is well suited for any eventuality. 



My only beef about the watch is just three. The first is the placement of the date aperture, the second is the JDM classification and the third is the strap choice. I believe I have been very explicit about the first and third issues. The second issue is easy to remedy. Just allow it to be sold to the whole world. The three non-limited edition models would be sold out in no time. What is not to like about the watch? It's a Prospex and a Tuna that is better proportion to the wrist.

If Seiko's market intelligence is decent enough, this request will be seen by the powers-that-be. By next near, I suspect a new global release of something similar could be on the cards.


The Series

There are eight members to the Seiko Prospex Fieldmaster LOWERCASE series. All eight are JDM models and only available for sale in Japan. These watches come with NATO-style fabric straps, except for two – the SBDJ031 and SBDJ032 – which come with leather NATO-style straps.

All comes with large cathedral hands and large hour markers. They also come with a  “countdown” bezel. Some models even have 24-hour markers on the dial.

Five of the models are limited edition timepieces allocated to a specific Japanese retailer.


The Journal Standard version is the SBDJ033 with 700 examples; the BEAMS version is the SBDJ031 with 700 examples; the United Arrows version is the SBDJ032 with 300 examples; the Freemans Sporting Club versions are the SBDJ023 with 300 examples and the SBDJ025 with 700 examples.

The case-backs for these five should look something like these examples:
 

Meanwhile, the SBDJ027, SBDJ028 and SBDJ029 are not exclusive to any retailer and are not limited edition models. However, Seiko will only keep the production run short i.e. for a limited time. Seiko doesn’t say for how long they will be available.

SBDJ027: YEN37,000    SBDJ028:YEN42,000    SBDJ029:YEN42,000

Specifications

Powered: Solar
Caliber: V157
Case Material: Stainless steel with plastic shroud painted black
Band Material: Seiko military green NATO strap
Glass Material: Curved Hardlex glass
Bezel: Unidirectional 120 clicks full rotation
Dial: Vintage cream with applied markers
Illumination: LumiBrite paint of hands and indexes
Crown: Screw-down
Power Reserve: Approximately 10 months (when fully charged)
Accuracy: ±15 seconds per month
Water Resistance: 20 bar
Size: H44.2 mm x W44.5 mm x D12.1 mm
Lug: 20 mm
Maximum Bracelet Circumference: 200 mm
Weight: 69 gm
Release date : 27 October, 2017
MSRP: YEN42,000
Merchant: Gnomon Watches of Singapore
Purchase Date: 5 September 2019
Purchase Price: RM1,395.79 (USD370 list price - USD50 discount = USD320 net)

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