SEIKO CONCEPTUAL SUR343P1 GREY DIAL MEN WATCH

What is the correct way to change the day and date?

Work through both crown positions in order. At the first click, turn the crown until yesterday's date is showing, then turn it the other way until the weekday immediately before the one you want comes up. Move the crown out to the second click and wind the hands forwards until the date and weekday you actually want flip over together — doing it that way also guarantees the watch is in the right twelve hours rather than reading midnight for noon. Finish by setting the time and pushing the crown home. Seiko's instruction is not to change the calendar between 9:00 pm and 4:00 am, on the stated grounds that it may not change properly if you do. If you are inside those hours, wind the time forward past them, do the calendar, then wind back.

How much water can it take?

Seiko puts a 10 bar watch at the level of a bath or shallow diving, which takes in swimming, a shower and anything the weather does to you. Scuba diving is the line — the instructions rule it out and send you to a Seiko Diver's watch instead. Read 100 metres as the pressure the case is tested to rather than a depth you may descend to, because the two are not the same thing. In practice the rules that keep a watch dry inside are simple: check the crown is pushed right in before any water, leave it alone entirely while the watch is wet or soapy, and give the case a fresh-water rinse after the sea or a pool.

Will I be able to read it at night?

Not without a light. Seiko specifies no luminous material on this reference, which means neither the hands nor the baton markers hold a glow, and in a dark bedroom the dial shows nothing at all. It is the one specification here that falls short of what some buyers assume comes as standard, so it is worth deciding now whether you need it. If you do, choose a reference that lists LumiBrite.

How well does the sapphire crystal hold up?

Sapphire is grown synthetically for exactly this job and ranks among the hardest materials put over a watch dial, which is why it shrugs off the everyday abrasions that dull a watch face over a few years — cuffs, keyboards, car doors. It is worth being clear about what hardness does and does not buy you: a hard material resists scratching, but it can still chip or crack under a sharp blow against something like stone or tile. Treat it as a hard crystal rather than an indestructible one, and give it ordinary care.

How often will the battery need replacing?

About every three years on Seiko's figure. Many Seiko quartz watches give you notice: the seconds hand starts jumping two seconds at a time instead of ticking once a second, and the watch carries on keeping correct time while it does. Seiko is careful to say that not every calibre includes that indicator, so take it as a helpful sign rather than something you can count on. When the time comes, bring the watch to any City Chain store for servicing — a screw case back has to be opened and resealed correctly or the water resistance goes with it.

Will the bracelet need sizing?

Yes. Sizing means taking links out, and City Chain offers complimentary bracelet sizing at any outlet, with your warranty book to hand. The bracelet sits on 20mm lugs and closes with a three-fold clasp and a push button release, so it folds flat against itself rather than relying on a pin through a hole.

What happens if it develops a fault?

The SUR343P1 is sold with a 3-year warranty against manufacturing defects when bought from City Chain Singapore, an authorised Seiko retailer. That covers faults in how the watch was made; it does not cover knocks, everyday wear or a flat battery. You will need the warranty card and the receipt together, so keep both somewhere you will find them — a watch cannot go in for warranty work without them.