My Most Worn Watch: Seiko Flightmaster’s Unknown Sibling
If you are into Seiko and aviation-inspired watches, chances are you would have heard of the Seiko Flightmaster (SNA411). Many call it a cult classic, fan-favorite, Seiko-head must-have, you name it. However, something kept my cursor from the “Add to Cart” button.
While I expect an aviation watch to have a busy dial, especially one with a slide rule, the Flightmaster’s dial is unusually so. Nearly half of the watch face is occupied by the slide rule. The chronograph hour and minute counter, small seconds and date window are cramped into whatever area that is left. Furthermore, I find the round markers too retro, sword hands too plain, yellow chronograph hands too jarring, domed hardlex crystal too distorting and the alarm function reminds me of the embarrassment and annoyance of overlooked alarms going off in a silent exam hall.
Allow me to introduce its unknown sibling, the SND253. Before I stumbled upon it on the online marketplace Qoo10, I had not heard about it. To me, if the Flightmaster is the notorious black sheep that got everything wrong, the SND253 is the quiet, filial child that took every step right.
The slide rule takes up much less space, thanks to the use of a heavily sloped inner bezel. The additional dial depth make it look like a more expensive watch than its price without causing any unpleasant increase in the overall watch thickness. The applied baton markers, syringe hands, more conventional red chronograph hands and flat crystal are exact solutions to the problems I have with the Flightmaster. Furthermore, it was significantly cheaper, perfect for someone who was just starting to build a collection.
I got mine in early 2019 for 130 Singapore Dollars (94 US$) online. As with a lot of watches from Seiko, don’t let the price fool you into thinking that it’s a cheap watch. It is well-made and has plenty of details to offer under a loupe or macro lens, some of which I did not notice until I took the pictures for this article. The printings on the dial and (seems to be) aluminum bezel are crisp. The hour markers and Seiko logo are applied. The hour markers and the hands are mirror polished. The date window even gets its own white border which transitions well to the white date wheel.
The secrets lie in the sub-dials. At a glance, they may look flat and plain. Look closer and you’ll notice that they’re very slightly recessed in sync with the markers. The center also comes with a very slight concentric pattern. It was definitely a pleasant surprise for me to discover them after wearing the watch for over 3 years. I thought details enjoyable under loupes are only reserved for watches a hundred times more expensive.
Beyond the dial lie short vertically-brushed lugs that transition to high-polished sides via a polished, angled facet that reminds me of Grand Seiko models. The brushed top and polished sides design is consistently extended to the tapering Oyster-styled bracelet which ends with a tri-fold clasp with a safety clasp and 5 micro-adjust positions. The bracelet is nothing outstanding: folded end links, snap-on clasp but it’s comfortable, functional and acceptable at this price point.
As a person with a small wrist, few flight watches will fit me. While the SND253 measures 41mm in diameter, the short lugs resulted in a watch that’s only 45mm lug-to-lug which is a perfect fit for my wrist. I still do not get why brands design watches with long lugs.
All in all, the Seiko SND253 is the perfect everyday watch for me. Affordable price, a brand that neither attracts attention nor scorn, a touch of aviation inspiration and of course, a flight watch that fits on my small wrist. While I do not have a plane to fly, I do use the chronograph to time engineering tests at work and steak cooking at home.
Specifications
Model: Seiko SND253
Movement: Quartz, Seiko 7T92
Size: 41 mm diameter, 45 mm lug-to-lug, 10 mm thickness
Case Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Hardlex
Complications: Aviation slide rule bezel, chronograph, date
Water Resistance: 10 bar/100m, screw down crown
Bracelet: Stainless steel Oyster-style, tri-fold clasp with safety
Gallery
