Seiko "Tank" Review: This $210 Dress Watch Is A True Hidden Gem

Seiko has no shortage of dress watches, many of which come from the Presage collection, which boasts some of the best values out there. That said, I recently came across a watch that not only comes from the Japanese brand's more basic, entry-level Essentials collection, but is actually the cheapest Seiko out there at the moment. Yes, the Seiko SWR064 is affectionately dubbed the Seiko Tank for obvious reasons, but there is something distinctly Japanese about it. I had my initial doubts about this watch, but when factoring in the design, style, and price, there was no real way of getting around the fact that this is a starter dress watch that exudes value. Let's get into why.

Seiko "Tank" Case

The case of this Seiko “Tank” is done in stainless steel, with a gold-plated finish that really fits in with the retro styling. I’m usually really turned off by gold-plating but the cohesiveness with the dial elements pulls it together. As for the size, it measures 27.9mm wide, 38.5mm tall, and 6.7mm thick (30 meters of water resistance). For the sake of comparison, the Cartier Tank Louis “Extra Large” comes in at 27.75mm wide, 38.1mm tall, and 8.18mm thick, so the sizes are very close. There’s not a lot of chatter about this watch out there but I did notice some people say it’s too big to be anything like a Tank, which is demonstrably false.

The similarities don’t stop there, as the positioning of the brancards is similar — though I do wish they were just a little bit thicker. There’s even a small black cabochon on the crown that, while obviously not done in sapphire, is a thoughtful enough addition. The chamfered Hardlex crystal on the dial is another nice touch. The back of the case is simple, in a brushed stainless steel with basic branding and information. The one major complaint I have is the 23mm-wide lug width which is a bit of an odd pick for anyone seeking an aftermarket strap. That said, the brown leather strap is nice enough for the price, though I did find it just a little too long.

Seiko "Tank" Dial

Currently, there are three iterations of the Seiko "Tank" available, though the solar- powered models do seem to be discontinued, which is a shame. The SWR052 is also gold-plated, while the SWR049 is in traditional steel. I intentionally did not select either of these for this review, because I actually do find them to be too far into homage territory due to their dial designs. The Roman-numeral hour markers and the minutes track framing the inner dial are just too much like the classic Cartier Tank, in my opinion.

However, the SWR064 does have its own personality, with the applied stick hour markers, Dauphine hands, and straight-lined, inner dial frame with very subtle vertical stripes within. The champagne dial color is just lovely and brings the whole piece together. The "Seiko" text at 12 o’clock is really the only text on the dial, which keeps things clean as well. I am just very fond of this dial design to the point where I would not even bother to review the watch were it only available in the aforementioned dial configuration with the Roman numerals.

The Quartz Movement

Considering this is your most basic and entry-level Seiko, the quartz movement inside should come as no surprise. The Seiko Caliber 4N30 is your basic quartz movement that is accurate to +-15 seconds/month and runs on a battery with a two-year life. As you may have noticed, this movement only has hour and minutes functionality, with no seconds hand, which happens to be in line with most rectangle-cased watches, including the Cartier Tank.

Final Thoughts

There are three versions of the Seiko “Tank” in this larger case size, as well as three versions that come in a smaller size measuring 18.9mm wide. Prices for both sizes are the same, with the larger, steel-cased SWR049 and smaller SWR053 priced at $210. The larger SWR052 and smaller SWR054, and the larger SWR064 seen here and smaller SWR066, are priced at $225. There is really not much out there in this price range that will get you the reliability and brand recognition of Seiko. In fact, I would even think that this watch is a good trial run for anyone considering a pricier watch — like a larger Cartier Tank — but wants to see how they feel about the rectangular case. All in all, this is a really affordable way for someone to add a stylish rectangular dress watch to their collection without spending much money. You can learn more at seikowatches.com.