I must say that I’m ashamed. When I’ve been looking back on all the Tuna’s
I’ve had in the past I‘ve always considered the SBBN017 to be the best of them because when you compare what you get in comparison to what you pay it really
has to be the most bang for the buck in the line of Tuna’s. But then I discovered,
when I browsed through the pictures of the SBBN017 I had had, that I didn’t even
wore it with the correct bezel insert. Looking back on that aftermarket piece
of shit insert I can’t do anything but to ask myself: “What was I thinking?”
Clearly I wasn’t. I even think I had the original insert lying in the watch box and I'm almost throwing up a little in my mouth when I realize I somehow must have approved the AM-insert since I didn't replace it.
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| #147 - The Seiko SBBN017. |
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| I can hardly stand looking at that aftermarket bezel insert. Yuck! |
So why do I consider the SBBN017 the best then? Well, for starters it’s
quite cheap compared to the other Tuna’s. Not as cheap as the SBBN007 but the
little extra you pay for a 017 you'll get back in higher quality regarding details. And
seriously, the steel bracelet for the SBBN015 looks terrible so paying extra
for that is not worth it in my opinion. Besides, a Tuna is supposed to be worn
on a rubber strap and the rubber that comes along with the SBBN017 is just
perfect. Then we have a wide range of more expensive Tuna’s that might perhaps
look cooler but not hundreds of dollars cooler. Compared to the more expensive and larger
ceramic Tuna’s I think the 017 is of a more wearable size. Simply overall good proportions. All the newer quartz Tuna's are housing the 7C46 quartz movement so by choosing one of the more expensive ones you will receive some more exciting materials but you will still get the same movement as in the cheaper ones. Then we have a couple of automatic Tuna's, which all are priced quite high, but to me a Tuna should house a quartz movement and be able to withstand a beating and I therefore chose to exclude the automatics since they don't qualify as tool watches in my book.
I hope I've given you enough reasons to make you come to the same conclusion as I have; that the 017 is the most bang for the buck Tuna. Unfortunately the SBBN017 was discontinued last year and replaced with the SBBN033. Even though I prefer the black day/date wheels on the new version I must say I prefer the look of the hands on the old model. So try to find a used 017 but make sure to do it fast. Since it was discontinued the prices has increased as it's becoming more sought after.
UPDATE - August 30th.
It has really bothered me a long time that I never had the SBBN017 with the correct bezel insert. And when it was replaced by the SBBN033 and became harder to find used I figured I might not get a good chance of getting hold of one again. But sometimes the most unexpected things happen. I actually did find one. New. In Sweden. It had been sitting on the shelf for over three years. The price was high. Too high. But after a little negotiation I managed to get it for a reasonable price. It was a really good feeling buying a discontinued Tuna new from an authorized Seiko dealer. Buying new watches is something I rarely do and finding treasures like this is both satisfying and exciting.
UPDATE - August 30th.
It has really bothered me a long time that I never had the SBBN017 with the correct bezel insert. And when it was replaced by the SBBN033 and became harder to find used I figured I might not get a good chance of getting hold of one again. But sometimes the most unexpected things happen. I actually did find one. New. In Sweden. It had been sitting on the shelf for over three years. The price was high. Too high. But after a little negotiation I managed to get it for a reasonable price. It was a really good feeling buying a discontinued Tuna new from an authorized Seiko dealer. Buying new watches is something I rarely do and finding treasures like this is both satisfying and exciting.
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| #315 - My second SBBN017. Purchased new at Klockmaster Globen, Stockholm, Sweden. |
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| Wrist shot at the balcony right after the unboxing. |
