Tissot Visodate Watch Review

The Tissot Visodate translates nostalgia into a contemporary timepiece dedicated to detail.

Blending many classical styling motifs – the day/date window, the logo, and minimal dial, — a prime example of modern Swiss watchmaking, the Visodate Heritage automatic is an excellent watch that offers good value. This is a elegant dress watch for men that will really pop with a black, pepper gray, or blue suit. It’s a popular watch for a number of reasons; it’s affordable (it is among the cheapest of Tissot’s automatic watches) and it’s seriously good looking. (Amazon has a lower price), there is no excuse not to pick up this watch. What’s special about this watch’s style is you don’t need to only wear it with a suit and tie, it pairs perfectly with formal and casual wear. It has some Steve McQueen appeal would look just as good with a white tee and your favorite jeans.

Back in the 1950s, Tissot celebrated its centenary with a series of innovations – one of which was the integration of a date function to the automatic mechanism in a watch called Visodate. A gently curved dial mirrors the domed sapphire glass, both geared to showcasing a clearly visible day, time and date. So, as you can see, Tissot hardly needs an introduction. Since 1853 they have contributed significant innovations to watchmaking, from being the first mass-produced pocket watch to developing the first anti-magnetic timepiece. This watch model was originally released in 1953, marking their 100th year anniversary. This 2010 remake stays true to that style with modern improvements.

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Its normal selling price is $650, but easy to find for around $450 on Amazon. For that price, you’re getting a quality movement, with quality materials, with great fit and finish. It’s comfortable to wear, durable, and built to last.

It looks elegant without being pretentious; inviting, but not ostentatious. It fits under your dress shirt cuff, or nicely on the wrist, and it will never go out of style. It’s hard to find fault in the modern Tissot Visodate Heritage.

Clean And Simple Look

It’s very hard not to like the Tissot Visodate at first glance. It has a just off-white dial, which is complemented perfectly by the silver stainless steel case. The stainless steel index markers and dauphin hands also added to the elegance of this watch. The dial does just works even though it’s a very minimalist style. The dial simply has the Tissot retro logo, “Visodate” and “Automatic” signature. There is also the very convenient day and date display, and that’s it. The phrase “less is more” is totally applicable here.

Style & Comfort

The Visodate comes on a leather strap with a rich cordovan-colored alligator pattern. Once you break in the strap, you will better appreciate the feel of it. It has a deployment clasp that you can see below. This clasp is in the vintage style from their first Visodate, just like the applied logo on the dial.

Dial & Case

The Tissot Visodate features a highly polished stainless steel case, which is tastefully sized at 40mm with beautifully long lugs and a thin bezel that allows the ultra-legible dial to be the star of the show. The face has an interesting shape that you will notice probably only when inspecting the watch closely. I’m not sure if any photos can do it justice, but the highly polished finish really compliments and suits the watch. There are no brushed or matte surfaces on this case. This however, means fingerprints will show up easier. The case isn’t scratch-proof so that’s a risk if the watch is dropped or bumped.  It has a slightly convex curve to it which will assist in deflecting glancing blows to some extent. At eye-level, you can see the minimally raised edge of the crystal. The case shape, when viewed from the side, is interesting. It doesn’t have a straight up-and-down design to it, but instead slopes down at a slight outward angle. At 11.6mm in thickness, the Visodate will fit under the snuggest of cuffs as a proper dress watch should.

Tissot Visodate Pros & Cons Pros: Simple, sleek and gorgoeus looking dress watch that you can wear anytime Moderate 40mm diameter is perfect for your wrist The non-existent bezel will make the modest 40mm diameter looks way bigger than it is Scratch resistant sapphire crystal is used for the dial dome Day and date function are very convenient to have Fine details are included such as signed crown and signatures on rotor Cons: Not the cheapest option but definetely a watch you can hand down The non-reflective dial window will make the watch harder to see from an angle In Summary The Tissot Visodate is a subtle looking, simple and clean watch and it’s design has proven to be timeless. The trusted and reliable ETA 2836-2 movement that comes with a very convenient day and date features will serve you well and provide a nice robust movement. It is very affordable for a totally Swiss Made automatic watch and without a doubt, it is the perfect choice for those just starting out in automatic watches and collectors alike. Ready To Buy? Buy It From Amazon! If you are looking to get your hands on the Tissot Visodate watch, check out Amazon where you can get the watch (it’s on sale) at just around $450 (MSRP is $650). Click the link below to go to Amazon for more details. Buy Tissot Visodate Watch NOW

Seiko SKX007 Review - Watch Review

Seiko SKX007 Review

The SKX007 is one of the most iconic divers now on the market. The SKX007 is generally the first watch budding collectors purchase after making the leap to mechanicals, but it’s also prized by experienced enthusiasts for its robust build and good looks, ISO-rated case, and heroic nighttime. It has a street price of around $150– depending on the vendor and availability–so it makes for a superb sound beater that you just don’t need to worry about. But price aside, it’s simply a truly well-made watch that’s equal parts versatile and identical parts utilitarian, all from one of the most respected businesses in the world.

SKX007 SPECS

Let’s get the specs out of the way. The SKX007 case comes in at approximately 42.5mm wide, and 45.5mm. The lug width 22mm -to-lug span is a quite fair and adapting 46mm, so it should wear on an extensive variety of wrists. It is a little thick watch at 13.25mm, a relatively common trait with Seiko divers. The watch wears quite well and doesn’t sit high off the wrist. The ISO-rated case boasts an impressive 200m of water resistance.

The movement of the SKX007 is wholly unique to Seiko and represents a natural progression of the layout going back several versions.

The complete design of the case is fairly soft; there are transitions and no hard lines between sections or finishes. The sides of the case with the tops of the lugs featuring a fine -brushed finish. There’s a slight bevel where the case meets the bezel, and it extends all the way down to the lugs. The large crown is positioned at 4 o’clock, and it’s flanked by a set of notable peak guards superbly integrated into the flow of the case. As a result of height of the crown guards it can be very difficult to use, although the unsigned crown is rather large and features coin edging. Sitting atop of the case is a chambered crystal made from Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex stuff, though it’s more scratch prone than sapphire, a sort of tempered mineral crystal that offers greater resistance against shattering.

The 120-click bezel is incredibly well made. It features a two-tiered groove pattern that allows for a sure hold, and the bezel is truly impeccable. At this price point you usually get some wobble or less than stellar activity. It’s smooth, with positive clicks and without any significant play. It feels like the bezel of a substantially more expensive watch. The insert is black aluminum with silver markers for each minute. The lume pip, centered at 60, is shielded.

Flipping the watch about, you’ll see the screw down case that is solid back with Seiko’s stamped Tsunami medallion. The technical specs are etched along the perimeter of the case back.

Dial and Hands

The no frills dial is utilitarian designed, though not without some of Seiko’s trademark charm. It features a matte black base with rounded white hour markers. The first is the beveled day/date window at 3 o’clock, and the second is the inverted triangle at the 12 o’clock spot. The markers are large and legible, necessities on any professional dive watch.

I don’t find the markers overly bothersome here, although I’m usually the first to whine about white date wheels against black dials. While I would still favor a fitting date wheel and may mod my bit in the future (more on “modding” after), I find the white aperture, elongated to adapt both complications, does a superb job at fitting the longer mark at 9 o’clock, thus retaining a sense of symmetry on the dial. The brand insignia is placed in the traditional place below the 12 o’clock marker, with the word “AUTOMATIC” right below “SEIKO.” Above the 6 o’clock position is the depth evaluation, and it reads “DIVER’S 200m” with a nice splash of colour in red on the dial. The face of the watch is stretched a great deal by the sloping chapter ring, also black but with silver hash marks signifying the minutes/seconds.

The hours and minutes hands are your usual trademark Seiko style and pull from the brand’s tradition. The hours hand is sword shaped and the minutes hand is a stylized arrow with a broad foundation; both are needle tipped. They’re also generously full of lustrous material and trimmed in chrome, the latter of which offers a look that is warmer than what one would get from stainless steel. The seconds hand is a departure for Seiko, in that it’s a significantly long counterbalance with a lumed lollipop end bordered in black trimming (Seiko divers traditionally featured lumed circles or segments on the front end of the seconds hand). I like this unique attribute, not because it offers any type of utility that is real, but just because it’s trendy to see a “floating” disk move across the dial. The rest of the seconds hand is painted white.

Speaking of lume, the SKX007 features Seiko’s patented LumiBrite remedy, known for its impeccable night luminescence. Markers and that hands are nicely packed with the items, and it lasts well into the night on a complete charge.

Movement

Seiko’s 7s26 movement is a prized workhorse constructed around 4 primary moving parts, making it one of the most straightforward automatic systems. It features a quickset day/date display, automatic bi-directional winding (via Seiko’s patented Magic Lever system), 21 jewels, a beat speed of 21,600 bph, and it is non-handwinding and non-hacking. Overall, there’s not much to say about this movement other than that it’s inexpensive and dependable. When it comes to correctness however, the range is rather big, rated at approximately -20 to 40 seconds per day. The movement can be adjusted to attain greater accuracy, however, and they sometimes come comparatively accurate right out of the carton (my unique piece runs about 4 seconds quick a day).

Straps and Wearability

As already mentioned, the SKX007 is an incredibly versatile watch. It can be bought on a number of different straps, including a rubber two-piece, a stainless steel oyster bracelet, and a stainless steel jubilee bracelet. I’m not the biggest fan of the alloy bracelets Seiko uses with their affordable timepieces, so I opted for the rubber choice. Though it is a little stiff, it wears comfortably enough. Being a dive watch, the SKX007 would look on a nylon military slip -through strap, an excellent alternative for the summer.

Modding

You might not take note of modding if you’re new to assembling watches. You can read our take on it here, but it’s basically what it sounds like. Built around specific watches and movements, one of the most notable being the SKX007, is a little community of brands furnishing aftermarket parts that can be used to change the general look of the watch. It is often quite fun as the mixes truly are endless when you really get into.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading our Seiko SKX007 Review. If you’re making the leap from quartz to mechanicals and aren’t looking to break the bank there are very few watches I ‘d recommend before the SKX007. Even if you’re simply buying well-rounded diver to take on your own next vacation, there actually is no better choice. It’s versatile and robust, and with a couple additional straps you’ll have a watch you can match to nearly every occasion. And remember, you can mod the watch to just about any configuration imaginable, so it can be for creating the watch you truly desire a solid base.

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