Seiko 8M35-6010

This watch was my first "serious" watch. I know that Seiko hasn't got the same brand reputation as Rolex, Tag Heuer and so on. But Seiko builds top quality watches, super reliable and with a price-quality relation that not a lot of brands can match. This is why I considere Seiko as a serious watch brand.

When I was 8 I started racing sailing boat's. At that age the only boats that we could handle where a class called Optimist. My grandparent's made me a present for my good results at the races, the seiko caliber 8M35-6010.

Firstly, it's a small watch, although when I was 8 it fitted me pretty well. The case has a diametre of 36 mm exluding the crown. It's thickness is 9 mm. Were are talking of a watch that was created in the early 90's, I got it in 1993.

It has a quartz movement that's pretty accurate. I haven't been able to calculate it beacause it lacks a second's hand. But approximately it lost 10 seconds in 3 months looking at the minutes hand and comparing it to an atomic timekeeping watch.

This watch was clearly designed for yachting racing. In the backgroung of the display there is a picture of a rose of the winds sorrounded by a gold ring. At 6 o'clock is the navigation menu where a little caliper finished in blue steel points out the selection you are in.

The menu consists in 6 paremetres: 5 minute countdown, 10 minute countdown, 15 minute countdown, Time, Timer and Match.

The countdowns are the standard timing for yachting racers. They are perfect for racing as they beep every minute it passes and when just they are just 5 seconds left it beeps every second with a different tone. It's awesome!! It helped me a lot to have good starts.

The time mode it's obvious, it shows you the day time.

The timer mode is a normal chronograph.

The match mode I never figure out what it does, the minutes hand and the hours hand point 12 o'clock. I press all the buttons but nothing happens. I'm trying to find a manual of this watch so I can find out what this mode does. If anyone knows please tell me.

I like the way that the display is designed. It has a easy lecture. Nothing disturbs the lectur when a function is activated. The gold finished hands highlight on the white background and on the rose of the winds picture. With a quick glance you can know which time is it.

I also like the design of the bracelet that's made of stainless steel. I haven't seen any bracelet like this one. Although it's made of steel, the watch feels superbly light, is as if you didn't wear any.

The clasp is also out of the ordinary, instead of having the common 2 buttons opening it has just one. A nice detail is a rose of the wind engraved at the case of the button system. This one button system is quick to activate, but it is also easy to activate it accidently.

In conclusion, I find it a great watch, that has a great design and it's much less overelaborate and easier to read than it's new brother the SPC007.

Judge yourselve.

Hope you enjoyed this review!