Seiko’s Maligned Affordable Cartier Alternative Gets a Subtle but Effective Update

Seiko offers a fine assortment of affordable dress watches, from the new 36mm Presage to an array of Cocktail Times.

On the other hand, one particular dress watch from the brand has always stood out to fans as a clunky dupe that misses the mark. However, a few minor changes may have transformed it into one of the best affordable alternatives to some iconic rectangular luxury dress watches.

Seiko

The rectangular SWR has always felt out of place for a brand that doesn’t do corners. With so many excellent original designs available, a blatant copy of a French icon was too easy to dismiss.

The most recent example, the SWR049, demonstrates what Seiko got wrong. The 28.4mm wide case creates too much negative space on the dial and isn’t elongated enough to have the traditional luxury dress watch feel.

Swing Watch

In the new generation, consisting of the SWR103, SWR104 and SWR106, Seiko narrowed the case by just over a millimeter and made the frame a bit thicker.

The improvements make the brancards feel more pronounced and bring them closer to Louis Cartier’s genre-defining design.

It also enhanced the distinction between the case width and strap width, which was my biggest complaint with the existing design.

Two Tanks and a Reverso

Seiko didn’t change much with the dial design on the SWR103 and SWR104. Both carry over the rectangular railroad minute track framed by stylized Roman numerals borrowed wholesale from Cartier.

Seiko

The hour markers appear slightly bolder now, which helps to clear up some of that negative space. However, the Seiko logo and leaf hands are identical to those of the previous generation.

Rounding out the new SWR collection is my favorite of the group, a gold-toned Art Deco revamp that functions more like a poor man’s JLC Reverso (save for the cribbed-from Cartier cabochon crown). Seiko’s Melbourne, Australia boutique provides an excellent look at the lustrous dress watch below.

Chamfered applied hour markers and faceted dauphine hands shimmer as the light reacts to the dial at every angle. The railroad minute track has been replaced by a fine rectangular line. It is a symphony of simplicity.

An affordable daily dress watch

Seiko’s minor but impactful adjustments to the SWR line have earned it a spot in the brand’s pantheon of affordable dress watches. Better still, it is near the bottom in retail price.

Seiko

Likely due to its unpopular reception, the SWR has long been available at well below SRP. Out of the gate, the new generation is priced at $350, placing it in the 5 Sports range and well below most of the Presage collection, and is already marked down on at least one website.

All three references would make a tantalizing addition to any collection missing a true dress watch, and the SWR103 and SWR104 can finally satisfy a Cartier itch with an entry-level budget.

Seiko

For my money, the Reverso-ish SWR106 is now the best Seiko dress watch under $500, which is a crazy prospect given how little I thought of the SWR line previously.

Seiko’s minor adjustments demonstrate how impactful spacing and balance are on a watch.

Availability and pricing

The new Seiko SWR line is technically only available now in the Asian market, which includes Australia.

But Americans can purchase the watch through Brooklyn-based Jomashop — which is a gray market dealer, meaning you will not get a manufacturer’s warranty with your watch — and Indonesia-based Swing Watch.

Seiko

Seiko SWR106

Specs

Case Size	27mm
Movement	Seiko caliber 4N30 quartz
Water Resistance	30m

• $350 at Seiko
• $166 at Jomashop
  $350 (53% off)

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