Today, we’ll be looking at the Seiko Daytona. This is Seiko’s homage to the Rolex Daytona. It’s not technically called the “Seiko Daytona”. It’s really the Seiko SSB025 chronograph. But since this watch is clearly modeled after the Rolex Daytona, most people call it that. So for the sake of this article, that’s what I will be referring to it as.
Rolex has captured the minds and the attention of watch enthusiasts for many years. Rolex is known for their quality, and association with wealth. This has caused not only watch enthusiasts, but the general population to covet these watches. Some people just really like the look and quality, while others just want people to know they are successful. There is absolutely nothing wrong with either motive.
The Rolex Daytona is one of Rolex’s flagship models. Like the Rolex Submariner, these watches stand as the definition of classy watches. The trouble is, Rolex watches are incredible expensive, costing thousands of dollars. So for those of us who cannot afford the expense of a true Rolex, we will have to settle for a watch that looks like a Rolex. Enter the Seiko Daytona, Seiko’s Rolex Daytona styled chronograph.
Seiko Daytona Quick Summary
- Quartz movement
- Has an appearance akin to the Rolex Daytona
- Hardlex dial window
- Chronograph features
- Date window
- Luminous hands and markers
- Water resistance of 330 feet
- Competitive pricing
Seiko Daytona Review
In this review, we will look at several different aspects of this Seiko chronograph. We will be examining the build quality, movement, design, features, and price to find out if this watch is everything that you would want, in a Rolex Daytona Homage. First things first, however, let’s check out the specs.
Specs
- This is chronograph watch with an analog display
- It features quartz movement
- The case is 44mm in diameter and 11mm thick
- The band is men’s standard length
Build Quality
Starting off, both the case and band are made of stainless steel. The dial window is made of Seiko’s own in house hardlex material. Hardlex is a bit tougher than ordinary mineral glass windows, but it can still be scratched under the right circumstances, so keep that in mind.
The Seiko Daytona is water resistant to a depth of 100 meters. This means you can swim, bathe, and go snorkeling in it. So pretty much most aquatic activities except for deep sea diving. You would need a diving watch for that!
So it looks like the build is typical of a Seiko watch. Sturdy Stainless steel, with a hardlex dial window.
Movement
Unlike actual Rolex watches which feature mechanical, self winding movements, The Seiko Daytona utilizes quartz movement. Quartz movements are much cheaper to produce.
Now while many watch purists may scoff at quartz movements for being less refined and complex, they are actually more accurate than mechanical movements.
Design
Now we get to the real draw to the Seiko Daytona. As we already know, it has a sporty design that is strikingly similar to the Rolex Daytona. It has the tachymeter bezel, the 3 subdials on the watch dial, and the two buttons above and beneath the crown respectively. Those buttons control the watch’s chronograph features.
When you examine this watch closely, the first glaring difference here between the Seiko Daytona, and the Rolex Daytona is the Seiko brand name beneath the 12’oclock position. This is a homage, not a replica, so it will not have the Rolex brand name markings on it.
The second thing you’ll note, which is particular to homages, is the inclusion of a date window. The date window is located just beneath the 4 o’clock position. A real Rolex Daytona does not include a date complication.
Other than that, The Seiko SSB025 does a great job of mimicking the Rolex Daytona. It is silver in color, and this particular model has a white dial window.
Features
- Has luminous hands and markers, allowing for visibility in dark conditions.
- It features a tachymeter on the bezel.
- It contains a date window that shows the numbered day.
- Contains 3 subdials which display minutes, seconds, and hours respectively.
Pricing
The Seiko Daytona is competitively priced in the same vein as similar watches of the same quality. Usually, you can find Rolex Homage watches in prices ranging from dirt cheap, to slightly expensive. While Seiko chronographs vary in price overall, they are usually in the higher end of that spectrum.
The Seiko SSB025 has traditionally been moderately priced, but prices fluctuate based on season and availability, so it would always be better to check the pricing of online vendors.
So now that we know a little bit more about the Seiko Daytona, the next thing that is probably on your mind is whether or not you should go ahead and buy this watch. Well, I’ll give you my final thoughts on the matter.
Final Thoughts: Should You Buy The Seiko Daytona?
What we are looking at here is a pretty solid homage watch. It covers all the basics that you would expect to find in these types of watches. It checks all the boxes, but doesn’t do anything different. Nothing really stands out in particular about this one. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. No need to reinvent the wheel here.
So should you buy this watch? I would say get it if you are a fan of both the Rolex Daytona, and the Seiko brand itself. I say that because we did a review of another Rolex Daytona Homage in the Pagani Design Daytona, which I feel is an overall better deal. Yes I know that brand is not as renown as Seiko, but it is a quality watch, and I think it’s at least worth checking out.
But as I said before, if you love Seiko, or just want to go with a brand you know and trust, then The Seiko Daytona would be the better option.
And that’s it for this review. I hope you enjoyed it and/or got something out of it. You can check out some of the other luxury watch alternatives we’ve covered here
