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Monday, October 21, 2019

Head-To-Head: Seiko Prospex Fieldmaster LOWERCASE SBEP001 "Digi Tuna" versus Seiko Prospex Fieldmaster LOWERCASE SBDJ029 "Field Tuna"

For old companies designing consumer products, there will come a time when a fresh injection of ideas is required to revitalise the design philosophy and thinking. Take for example brands such as Samsung, Volvo and many others. In the last few years, exciting designs by these brands have caught market interest which have translated to increased sales. The same is not lost to Seiko.

SBEP001 "Digi Tuna" (L) and SBDJ029 "Field Tuna" (R)



Enter the collaboration between Seiko and the with the Japanese design consultants LOWERCASE. Incorporating the basic design of its iconic Tuna casing, the collaboration has be able to bring something fresh and exciting to an otherwise sterile styling. Lead by Mr. Yuki Kajiwara, creative director of LOWERCASE, two basic design was introduced; the Digi Tuna series and the Field Tuna series. I was lucky enough to be able to acquire one from each series. In the collection I have the SBEP001 "Digi Tuna" and the SBDJ029 "Field Tuna".

As tabulated, below are some of the specifications of both watches.

SpecificationsSBEP001 "Digi Tuna"SBDJ029 "Field Tuna"
Power/ModuleSolar, S802Solar, V157
DisplayDigital Analogue
Case MaterialStainless steel with plastic shroudStainless steel with plastic shroud
Band MaterialSeiko silicon diver strapSeiko military green NATO strap
Glass MaterialMineral glassCurved Hardlex glass
BezelBi-directional friction controlUnidirectional 120 clicks full rotation
Power ReserveApproximately 5 monthsApproximately 10 months
Accuracy±20 seconds per month±15 seconds per month
Water Resistance20 bar20 bar
SizeH49.9mm x W49.5mm x D14.1mmH44.2 mm x W44.5 mm x D12.1 mm
Lug Width22 mm20 mm
Weight80 gm69 gm
ControlsFour pushers and one touch screenScrew-down crown
Case-backSolid plate with four screwsSolid screw-down
IlluminationLumiBrite bezel pip and back-lightLumiBrite painted hands and indexes
MSRPYEN28,000YEN42,000
Bracelet Parameter Max. 210 mmMax. 200 mm
Functions
  • Time & calendar (including DST)
  • Dual time display 
  • World time with 44 cities
  • Stopwatch, timer & recall functions
  • Solar monitor 
  • Power safe & sleep functions
  • Alarm (3 different times)
  • Sound demonstration function
  • Back-light
  • 3-hands; hour, minutes, seconds
  • Date
ProductionJDM (Japanese Domestic Market)JDM

Although both watches came from the same base DNA of the Tuna, they are different like night-and-day. The SBEP001 "Digi Tuna" is a digital watch with a number of electronic complications programmed into a computer chip in its heart whereas the SBDJ029 "Field Tuna" is a quartz watch with basic analogue display.



In terms of dimensions, the SBEP001 is much bigger then the SBDJ029 in many ways. The size difference is visually striking.



Both watches offer differing functions and should not be compared against each other. In reality, the SBEP001 is a watch best suited for extreme users whereas the SBDJ029 is a watch best suited for typical adventurers. Below are some of my observations regarding these two watches.

SBEP001 "Digi Tuna"SBDJ029 "Field Tuna"
An issue I have is the bi-directional bezel. It is designed more like a Marinemaster instead of a Fieldmaster. A cursory look will cause anyone to come to the wrong conclusion that the watch is a diver when it is clearly not.  As it is, this series has created some confusion with fans (myself included).An issue I have is the location of the date aperture. The designers sacrificed the 4 o'clock as well as the 16-hour markers for the date window. This styling disrupt the symmetry of the dial unnecessarily. Why can't they just locate the date window where it does not need replacing anything else?
Another issue I have with this watch is the strap provided. The standard accordion silicon strap of the SBEP001 is generally provided to dive watches which further confuses the true purpose of this watch. Moreover, the accordion section of the strap is too 'bunchy' for my taste. A simple strap would have been sufficient.Another issue I have with this watch is the strap. Paired with the watch is an olive green nylon NATO strap which is too thin in my view. I believe it should be thicker. As it stands, the 'thinness' makes it feel sharp and it pinches the skin sometimes.

As highlighted in the first table, both watches are JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) 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. This is unfortunate. With internet, everyone can see such an offering by Seiko. Courier services have also reached a level of sophistication that anything can be sent anywhere on the world. Keeping it only to a specific jurisdiction would riled up a lot of people as it feels as it Seiko prefers to sell only to a specific group of people (can we define this as 'business racism' perhaps?).


Conclusion

A good start by Seiko to inject new blood into its design philosophy. Although it appears to stumble a bit in terms of some design elements and marketing strategy, it can be remedied without much effort by Seiko. Honestly, I can't wait for more collaboration going forward.




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