Seiko Presage “Blue moon” SSA405J1 review

Hey Watch Enthusiast!

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you might’ve noticed that I’ve just recently added a new watch to my collection and this time it’s a dress watch!

Read on to find out my experience and review on the “Blue Moon” SSA405. I’ve listed the contents to make it easier to navigate

1. The Search

2. Initial Impressions

3. Specifications

4. Conclusion

The Search

I had been contemplating the idea of incorporating a dress watch into my collection for a while now. One of the main things I was looking for was a blue dial, possibly textured. Being a huge fan of the Seiko ‘Cocktail’ time watches, I decided it was probably time I added one to my collection. Seiko now sell their dress watches under the ’Presage’ line-up which incorporate the Japanese art culture into their watch designs. 

As I was going through the Seiko 2020 lineup, my eyes fell upon this particular model from the presage series. I’m not specifically a fan of open heart watches but the dial design on this particular model was more than enough to hook me. 

 

Figure 1 Seiko SSA405J1 money shot

 

I did some searching online and I managed to find a few stores which stocked them. I chose to go with Swiss Time House, Kochi, as they were running a sale at the time. I managed to get a considerable discount over retail on the sale. And I have to say. they have been an absolute pleasure to work with, very understanding of my demands and extremely professional. They have a 24/7 WhatsApp chat assistant, which is one of the best I have dealt with. I received the watch within 3 days of ordering it even with the situation being as it is. The delivery person was their own jeweler, who took great care of the watch and let me inspect it, to ensure that it had no scratches on it and functioned properly before accepting it. Truly the whole package. Definitely a place that I would look out for the next time I’m getting a watch.

Initial Impressions

Figure 2 Packaging

Like most people waiting for a delivery, I couldn’t wait to receive it, checking every possible review and photo in the meanwhile. As I take the watch out of the box to inspect it, the watch just catches sunlight from all angles, while the beautiful blue fade and the geometric circular design on the dial just pop!

The unique design of the crystal adds to the way it catches light and it’s absolutely stunning! And let me tell you, when I read posts on forums saying ‘photos don’t do it any justice’, I didn’t believe them. Now I know why, no photo could possibly compare to the beauty of this watch when viewing it in person. I don’t have many photos outside in the sun but I do have a few other compensatory shots. I would be posting more shots when this whole corona situation blows over on my Instagram page, so do drop a follow if you’d like to see them.

Figure 3 Light play on the crystal

 

Specifications  

The watch measures 40.5mm in diameter and just over 11.8mm in thickness, which I’ve found to be a good size and slides right under the sleeve without getting caught. The same design is available in a smaller size, if 40mm is too large for your wrist. Reference SSA785J1, which comes in at 33mm in diameter and 11.3mm in thickness.

Figure 4 Raised crystal is prone to scratch

 

The movement used is the Seiko 4R38, which is a variation of the 4R36 but has an ‘open heart’ at the 9 o’clock position. The movement also has a decorated gold plated rotor which adds a bit of contrast to the movement. Like the 4R36, the 4R38 is also a 21,600bph movement capable of hacking and hand winding, and has a power reserve of 41 hours approx. 

 

Figure 5 Decorated 4R38 movement seen through the display case back

 

The crystal used is a box shaped hardlex that is found on most of the presage line, and has a screw down display case back. The crown is large and has a signed logo on it. The strap used is a blue calfskin leather strap that uses a threefold clasp with push release, and has quick release mechanism to switch out straps quickly. 

Figure 6 Signed butterfly clasp

 

Being a dress watch, there is no lume on the watch and it has just 50 meters of water resistance which means it can handle just a little splash and shouldn’t be used for anything more. 

 

Conclusion

When it comes to offering a beautiful dial like this at this price which incorporates Japanese heritage, I can tell you the competition is less. All the way from the attention to detail in the dial colour to the indices and watch hands, everything is meant to have an “alternate persona”, in bright light. And although initially I wasn’t a huge fan of the open heart I’ve grown to love it on this one. The watch runs smooth and wears comfortably on the wrist. The only drawback I have is the strap which doesn’t feel as great as it could’ve. Seiko also use a very different design on the placement of the strap and the buckle design, which took some time to get used to. 

It would’ve been great to have sapphire crystal for a watch like this where the crystal is exposed and is more likely to get scratched. But that is adjustable as hardlex is quite strong by itself.

Figure 7 Dial Close Up Shot

All in all, I’m very happy with the purchase and love wearing this even if I am just sitting at home sipping on a glass of hot tea.  

Let me know your thoughts on this watch in the comments section!