Seiko

Seiko Men's SNP017 Coutura Kinetic Perpetual Watch

• Kinetic movement; functions without a battery; powers Kinetically with the movement of your arm
• Strong scratch resistant sapphire crystal
• Case diameter: 41.5 mm

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Seiko Coutura where innovation meets refinement. Time is perpetual: Now there’s a watch to reflect it. 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. This masculine watch has a brushed steel case with a Black Ion Finish and is presented on an attractive link bracelet; polished steel bezel is accented with studded detail. The attractive black dial has Lumi Brite hands and markers with twelve month and twenty-four hour subdials. The calendar is accurate to 2100. 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.

The Seiko Story

From Humble beginnings, Kintaro Hattori’s Vision for Seiko has become reality. A consuming passion for excellence - imprinted in our Corporate DNA passed from generation to generation. Seiko, for 125 years committed to the art and science of time.

A culture of innovation connects a 19th century Tokyo clock shop with 20th century advances in timekeeping to an extraordinary 21st century "quiet revolution." Continually driven by dedication and passion, established a multitude of world’s first technologies… transforming the principles of timekeeping.

The first quartz wristwatch – changed the history of time.

The first Kinetic – marked a new era in quartz watch technology.

In 1969, Seiko Astron, the first quartz wristwatch - was introduced.

In an instant, Seiko exponentially improved the accuracy of wristwatches –And Seiko technology firmly established today’s standard in Olympic and sports timing.

1984, another celebrated first – Kinetic Technology – powered by body movement.

Kinetic – a quartz mechanism with unparalleled accuracy –the driving force behind more world’s firsts.

Kinetic Chronograph – the next generation of high performance timekeeping.

Kinetic Auto Relay – automatically resets to the correct time.

Kinetic Perpetual - combining the date perfect technology of perpetual calendar with the genius of Kinetic Auto Relay.

And now Kinetic Direct Drive – move, and the watch is powered automatically. Or hand wind it and see the power you are generating in real time.

In the realm of fine watches, time is measured by Seiko innovation – A heritage of dedication to the art and science of time.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00154SAKM
• Item model number: SNP017
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,241 in Watches (See Top 100 in Watches)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice looking watch, but one serious flaw..., May 25, 2009

By 

Mark E (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seiko Men's SNP017 Coutura Kinetic Perpetual Watch (Watch)

This is a very nice watch, but in my opinion it has some flaws; one serious. I returned the watch because of this.

One of the qualities I liked about this watch was its attractive black finish. It's made from anodized stainless steel, which should increase wear resistance (but not prevent it). In fact, one Seiko salesperson explained to me that scratches would hardly show because of this, as the metal was black throughout. This of course is not true, to my understanding anodizing does a lot of things, but in this case it's used to increase wear resistance and provides better adhesion of the top coat (If anybody knows more about anodizing, please feel free to comment).

Nevertheless, I expected the black finish would eventually wear off, but not so easily, or in the first week. Moreover, I only wore it in the office, and even kept it under my sleeve. Where the finish came off was on the band -- obviously caused from using a keypad and resting my arm on the desk. The links all the way from the latch up to the crown (on one side) wore down creating a silver streak down the middle.

The finish should not have worn off this easily, but as a warning to those interested in this color, I would not wear it while using a keypad if your arm rests on the desk, and definitely not for sports or outdoor activities.

The other issue, while not a big deal is the Kinetic function and the size of the watch, though I understand this is preference. Apparently, the Seiko Kinetic movement does not fit in small packages (that's why it's not offered in woman's watches). But another disadvantage is functionality of the sleep mode. Take in mind this is not an automatic watch, but a quartz (they call it an "automatic quartz"). It uses the automatic movement only to store energy in a rechargeable battery (or some type of capacitor) which then powers the quartz movement. After 24-hours of inactivity, it goes into sleep mode but continues to keep time. In sleep mode time is maintained not by the quartz movement, but by a microchip. In my opinion, this defeats the advantage of quartz accuracy over automatic movement watches because the accuracy may be lost each time the watch emerges from sleep, and just like an automatic may still need to be adjusted when woken up (as Seiko advises in the manual). However, the IC is rated at plus/minus 15 seconds per month, so it's not that big a deal but worth noting. I think a better design would be to kick into sleep mode only when the battery is running low. Better yet, they should just use a regular battery and be done with it (the rechargeable battery will eventually have to be replaced anyway - at a much higher cost). This would also reduce the size and weight. After all, it is a quartz. There's nothing wrong with a quartz (I prefer quartz), but if you want an automatic, get a real one. Seiko makes great auto watches for dirt cheap, and for about the same price as this watch, you can get a beautiful Swiss made Tissot, such as the PRS 516.

As far as the pros:

1. The perpetual calendar is a great feature, I wish more watches had this feature (why I bought it).

2. Seiko quartz movements keep great time, though this ran a tad fast (about +2 seconds per week; though that's still good)

3. Great looking watch

4. Very well built and rugged (except for the finish on the band)

I would still recommend this watch if you like the style, but would suggest the silver, and only for those who don't mind a larger, and slightly heavy timepiece.

* * * * * *

UPDATE: See my photos added in customer images

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IMO the most beautiful watch money can buy, December 9, 2007

By 

Jason Rodgers (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I'm a man who does his research before purchasing, and I also like to think that I have good style. This watch was compared to watches ranging from $100 to $3000, and none had the styling that this one possessed. Talk about an every-day any-occasion watch! This will look just as stylish with a suit as it will with casual clothes. The price IS quite expensive for ANY watch, but here's my pro's and con's:

Pro's:

1) Beauty

2) Saphire crystal lens which can not be scratched unless done so by saphires, diamonds, or perhaps other gems(?).

3) Kinetic drive = never worry about a battery again.

4) Holds date and time if it goes into power-saving mode (up to 4 years if it were fully charged prior to power-saving mode) - just shake it and it will readjust itself automatically! Power-saving mode is only activated if the watch has not moved for 24 hours.

5) Perpetual calendar - Never have to adjust the date to account for leap years or 28-31 days in a month.

6) It's a Seiko!

Con's:

1) No timer, alarm, chronograph.

2) Cost (subjective)

The lack of anything but time and calendar was a huge disappointment to me as I often use a timer or alarm on my watches. However, I have a cell-phone that can easily double for such tasks, or I can use other items to fill this void. The watch was a graduation present from my parents (yes, I helped them pick it out for me ;) ), and I know I will cherish it every time I look at it - for many many years!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best, but not 100% perfect..., October 15, 2008

By 

M. Olson "bone jammer" (Olympia, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seiko Men's SNP017 Coutura Kinetic Perpetual Watch (Watch)

If it were possible, my actual rating would be somewehre between a 4.5 and 4.9. All other reviewers have hit the nail on the head! This watch does exactly what it says, and look beautiful.

While some gripe about a seemingly superfluous "Leap Year Dial", they fail to realize that it's this little dial that makes this watch such a marvel. In addition to the kinetic energy charge with power saving feature to ensure you'll never need a battery change, you will also never have to set the date again. How many watches actually have these two features?!

I only have a few minor reservations, so I'll list them first.

CONS:

- Weight: the watch is sometimes listed as "titanium" but is actually rather heavy (but not unbearable)

- Calendar features: no day of the week

- Finish: requires constant cleaning, as it's very prone to smudges. Also easy to scratch. This is not a good watch for outdoor activities :)

PROS:

- Impeccable timekeeping: in addition to excellent calendar, this watch doesn't miss a beat, and will go to "sleep" after 24 hours of inactivity to ensure it.

- Finish: looks gorgeous. Depending on the light, it's a nice black, or light shiny gunmetal.

- Size: I have quite a small wrist, and although this is a rather large watch, it still fits snugly around with a band adjustment.

- Bezel: virtually scratch free, clear, easy to clean, and shiny

- Price: while the list is $775, most places will sell around $450. I'd expect a watch like this to sell for thousands.

In conclusion, any watch aficionado will appreciate this watch for it's sheer beauty and features for it is a well crafted piece of jewelry. You'll just have to get used to cleaning & wearing a watch that's slightly heavier than most.