Got this a couple weeks ago but slacked on an incoming post.
This is my first Seiko. I was originally hunting for a 6217-8001 big crown. I missed a few on eBay—most of which needed serviced and/or relumed—then decided to try the remake instead. No regrets.
I threw it on an Isofrane strap that I've had for 15+ years and love the combo. It wears much like a 16660/16600/116600 Sea-Dweller on a dive strap.
What I like:
- The anthracite dial, markers and hands are
interesting. After 20+ years of Rolex divers, most of which being SDs with gloss black dials, this is a huge departure in the right direction.
- The boxed and domed crystal make it feel like vintage acrylic. The mirror polished chapter ring give it depth that wouldn't exist otherwise.
- The bezel insert has full gradations like a ceramic Sea-Dweller. I love that. I also like the illuminated dot at zero and no triangle.
- The case lacks crown guards. I enjoy the big crown floating by itself.
- Winding is smooth. I was surprised how light it feels when winding.
- Timekeeping is better than expected. Mine gains about 5 seconds daily but I can pull that back out just by leaving it crown-up overnight. If I pull too much out then I keep it face-up. As of right now it's +3 seconds fast of the atom clock and I haven't set it in 13 days. I've only manually wound it a few times to keep it in rotation.
- Bezel action is fun. It feels and sounds excellent. The coined edge looks great.
- Lug holes.
What I don't like:
- I wish the lugs were 20mm wide rather than 19mm. That's minor.
- The silicone strap and stainless bracelet aren't great. That's also minor.
- The 19mm lugs make for an odd springbar size and the original bars are 2.5mm in diameter. I'm on the hunt for a 19mm bar that's 2.0mm in diameter with proper 1.1~1.2mm pivots. Thankfully my strap fits over the OEM fat bars so this is also minor.
What I hate:
- That I didn't preorder one back in 2017 when originally announced. I thought the price was high given every other Seiko diver I was considering ranged from $250 to $750. But, that's 100% my fault. I know better now.
And, with that out of the way, here's an obligatory photo of my SLA017:
