SEIKO CONCEPTUAL SUR351P1 DATE WOMEN WATCH

How do I change the date?

Pull the crown out to its intermediate position and turn it to move the date forward, then push the crown back in; the watch carries on running throughout, so the time is unaffected. One piece of timing matters. Seiko's general analogue-watch instructions put the hours between 9:00 pm and 4:00 am off limits for calendar changes — the reason given is that the calendar may not change properly if altered inside them. Caught inside those hours, simply wind the hands past them, change the date, and bring the time back afterwards.

Is it all right to wear in water?

Yes, within sensible limits. Seiko's general guidance places a 10 bar watch at the level of bathing or shallow diving, which takes in showering, swimming and whatever the weather does, and a steel bracelet has nothing that needs drying afterwards. Scuba diving is the exception — Seiko rules it out for watches rated this way and points to its Diver's range instead. Read the 100-metre figure as the pressure the case is tested to rather than a depth you may swim to. Check the crown is seated right home before any contact with water, do not touch it at all while there is water or soap on the watch, and give the case a freshwater rinse once you are out of the sea or the pool.

What sort of glass does it have?

Sapphire, grown synthetically for the purpose and among the hardest materials used over a watch dial. Hardness is what stops the glass fogging over with fine scratches as the years pass — the ones picked up from shirt cuffs, bag clasps and doorways without you noticing a single one happen. What hardness does not buy is invulnerability: a sharp blow against tile or stone can still take a chip out of it. Give it ordinary care and the hardness does the rest.

Why does the case back screw in?

Because it holds a seal more reliably than a back that simply presses into place. A screwed case back compresses its gasket evenly all the way round and stays that way, which is what allows a watch of this size to be rated at 10 bar in the first place. It also has a practical consequence worth knowing: when the back has to come off, it must be screwed down again to the right tension against a sound gasket, or the water resistance goes with it. Bring the watch to any City Chain store for servicing when the back needs to come off.

Who should change the battery?

Any City Chain store, for the reason above — the case has to be opened and resealed properly. Many Seiko quartz watches give you some notice that the time is approaching: the seconds hand begins advancing in two-second jumps instead of ticking once a second, while still keeping correct time. Seiko is careful to point out that the feature is not built into every movement, so take it as a bonus if you see it rather than a warning you can wait for. Either way, a dead cell should not be left sitting inside the case once the watch has stopped.

What size is it on the wrist, and can the bracelet be shortened?

Judge it by the 37.5mm measured lug tip to lug tip rather than by the 29.8mm dial, because the lug span is the part that has to sit between the edges of your wrist. At 8.5mm the case stays low. The bracelet is shortened by taking links out. City Chain offers complimentary bracelet sizing at any outlet, with your warranty book to hand. The clasp is a three-fold type with a push button release, so it folds flat on itself rather than relying on a pin through a hole.

What warranty comes with it?

Three years of cover against manufacturing defects, provided the SUR351P1 was bought from City Chain Singapore, an authorised Seiko retailer. The cover is for what was wrong with the watch when it left the factory — not a dropped watch, not the marks that arrive with years of wear, and not a battery that has reached the end of its life. You will be asked for the warranty card alongside the receipt, so it is worth filing the pair in one place now.