Seiko Street Series
Seiko USA has released two exclusive versions of the very popular and affordable solar tuna divers, dubbed the Street Series. Part of the Prospex line-up, these versions are only available through Seiko USA. Yes, these are not entirely new models and while the changes for these versions are mostly aesthetic, the new look is very attractive. Both models have a new handset, with vintage colored lume and the same soft and comfortable rubber straps. If you have always wanted a Seiko Tuna, but wanted something more affordable, this could be a good option.
Seiko Street Series Specifications:
- Powered by light energy – no battery change required
- 10-month power reserve once fully charged
- Black patterned dial
- Date calendar
- LumiBrite hands and markers
- Screwdown crown and case back
- Case diameter: 46.7mm
- Lug to Lug 46.7mm
- Hardlex Crystal
- 12.5mm Thick
- 22mm Lug Width
- Silicone strap
- Water-resistant to 200 meters (660 feet), Diver’s Watch. Meets ISO standards and is suitable for scuba diving
- Caliber V157 Movement
Pricing $400 and $450
https://seikousa.com/collections/prospex-street-series
As you can see, Seiko USA sent both versions of the Seiko Street Series Divers for review. Yes, they are the same watch, same size, and same movement with the only difference being the case and band color. Being Seiko, they do charge extra for the black IP coating. The black and green model, the SNE543 will run $50 more than its stainless steel and black brother. The Solar movement used is the Caliver V157 which will give the user 10 months of use on a full charge.
All of the Seiko Street Series watches meet ISO standards; 200 Meters Water Resistant with a unidirectional elapsed timing bezel, screw-down crown, and case back. These are dive watches first and foremost, as all of the Tuna or shroud case Seikos are, so the Street name is a little odd, but I do talk about that in the video and Seiko has an explanation on their website. Speaking of the shroud, it is basically a hard plastic. I initially thought it was anodized aluminum, but Seiko confirmed plastic. That said, it does not feel cheap and it seems like it will hold up well over time.
Seiko Street Series Lume
Both the dial and the rubber strap have a unique texture to them, but Seiko refers to them by two different names. The dial is a camo patterned dial while the silicone strap is a leather textured strap. Both look very similar to me, but I guess when marketing you need to change it up. I do like the look though, it is rugged without being over the top and the dial pattern does not show up unless you look close. Pattern dials and bands can be really tacky depending on how they are done, fortunately, Seiko shows some restraint here.
I love the fact that the silicone straps are very long. These can easily fit up to a 9-inch wrist, yet they fit my 7 1/2 inch wrist perfectly without too much tail jetting out the other side. These are extremely comfortable straps and they do not attract lint or dirt like I assumed they would. The straps have a somewhat larger than normal keeper to hold everything in place. Because of the short lug to lug, the Seiko Street or baby Tuna as I refer to it most of the time wears better on the wrist than most would expect. Yes, at almost 47mm in width, this is not exactly a small watch, but I think you can see what I mean in the pics below. This does not look like a behemoth on the wrist. The 4 o’clock crown placement also helps reduce the crown digging into the back of the hand.
The Seiko Street series is a rugged, go-anywhere watch that is still a true dive watch and offers all that we come to expect from Seiko. These versions are pretty affordable and offer a nice grab and go option with the solar movement. These exclusive versions from Seiko USA are definitely my favorite of all the ones released, I just prefer the handset and color combos shown here. I could do without the vintage colored lume, although that does seem to be the popular choice by many brands these days. I always feel this lume paint is weaker than if they went with the standard green C3, or in this case, Seiko Lumibrite. It still does the job but is not the Seiko lume I normally think of. I really have been going back and forth about which model is my favorite, and I am still not sure I have picked a winner. I like the look of them both so much but probably veer towards the black and green, just because I love the olive green color of the strap. Both do look great and are another great option for the street series. Check them out on the Seiko USA website and let us know what you think about them below.
