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CWC SBS Black Ice Quartz WatchvsSeiko Essentials Quartz

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What people say

Owners + reviewers, side by side

Synthesized for each watch independently from owner discussions, enthusiast forums, written reviews, and video reviewers.

CWC SBS Black Ice Quartz Watch

Owners widely praise the CWC SBS Black Ice Quartz Watch for its legible, uncluttered dial, excellent Super-LumiNova lume, and robust build quality, noting its comfortable 12mm thickness and durable PVD coating. The bezel action is described as having zero back play, and the fixed lugs are appreciated for easy strap changes. One owner reported the lume is readable throughout the night, while another flagged a faulty mechanism requiring replacement and poor retailer customer service. The £700 price is considered high by some compared to similar quartz divers, leading to questions about its value. Overall, owners rate the CWC SBS Black Ice Quartz Watch highly for its bombproof, toolish design and practical aesthetics.

Seiko Essentials Quartz

Seiko Essentials Quartz owners praise its high quality and value, highlighting its thin 8.4mm case, sapphire crystal, 100m water resistance, and quartz convenience, with the titanium variant weighing just 50g for exceptional comfort. The polished surfaces can develop fine swirls from daily wear, and the gold plating may wear off edges over time, requiring maintenance. The titanium bracelet's smaller center link creates wider gaps than the steel version, and some owners prefer to remove the 50m-rated watch for showering, especially if it lacks a screw-down crown. On balance, owners rate the Seiko Essentials Quartz highly for its comfortable, lightweight titanium build and convenient quartz accuracy at the price.

At a glance

12 of 29 specs differ
Diameter
SBS Black Ice Quartz Watch
Essentials Quartz40.2mm
Power Reserve
SBS Black Ice Quartz Watch
Essentials Quartz
Water Resistance
SBS Black Ice Quartz Watch300m
Essentials Quartz100m
MSRP
SBS Black Ice Quartz Watch$666
Essentials Quartz$265

Full specifications

Case

7 specs
Category
Diver
Dress
Diameter
0mm
40.2mm
Thickness
0mm
8.3mm
Lug-to-Lug
0mm
47mm
Lug Width
0mm
20mm
Material
Stainless Steel
Water Resistance
300m
100m

Crystal & Dial

3 specs
AR Coating
Yes
Dial Color
CWC SBS Black Ice Quartz Watch
Lume
None
LumiBrite on Hands

Movement

1 specs
Caliber
Ronda 517
Seiko 6N52

Pricing

1 specs
MSRP
$666
$265
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