Accuracy Report – Seiko SRP 775

Mechanical watches are inherently less accurate than most forms of modern timekeeping, which for most people means checking their cell phone. Even a $30 Timex Weekender will be more accurate than many luxury and high-end mechanical watches from brands such as Rolex, Omega, and Patek Philippe. So why go through the trouble and expense to research, hunt down, purchase, and care for these arguably unnecessary pieces? What prompts such passion and obsession from the watch enthusiast community? Speaking as self-proclaimed Watch Idiot Savant (WIS), it’s a combination of the history behind watch making and the craftsmanship that goes into the individual pieces.

But accuracy is important, at least to a point. If a watch gained or lost 5 minutes a day, it wouldn’t get much wrist time, no matter how perfectly it sat or how beautifully its dial reflected the rays of a sunrise coming over the horizon. To certify the accuracy and precision of their time pieces, certain watch brands submit their movements for testing to a non-profit organization known as the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres, or COSC for short. COSC tests each movement they receive for fifteen days, in five positions, at three different temperatures. Movements have to meet seven exacting criteria in order to pass these tests and be considered COSC certified. The best known of these is the average daily rate of -4/+6, which means the movement must lose no more than 4 or gain no more than 6 seconds per day.

One of my favorite watch blogs, Hodinkee, wrote a Long Term Wear Report on the Seiko SRP 775, in which they noted their particular piece lost approximately two seconds per day in their own testing, which is remarkable for a watch in that price range. Curious to see how my own 775 rates against this standard, I started measuring its accuracy with the WatchCheck app. I took a reading once a day for a month, and I too was pleasantly surprised with the results.

While I didn’t quite reach the accuracy of Hodinkee’s own Turtle, my watch is still (barely) within the limits of COSC’s average daily rate. To be clear, this does not mean that my 775 is COSC certified. For one thing, Seiko does not submit their watches for COSC testing (although their Grand Seiko Standard is comparable). In addition, this measurement does not account for the other six criteria. Nevertheless, I’m quite happy with the performance I’m getting out the watch. Seiko movements are known for their durability, and this level of accuracy is a nice added benefit.

I have no idea how the rest of my collection is going to stack up to these results, but I’m curious to find out. A month on the wrist for each watch in my collection might be a little bit excessive, so I plan to measure each watch for a week and then compare the results in one combined review. For each watch, my goal is to keep it on wrist as much as possible. The Seiko, being a dive watch on a rubber strap, had no issues with this. Not all my watches are quite as robust, but I believe the different conditions will make for some interesting comparisons.

Until next time, enjoy a bonus picture of a Turtle on a Lilypad.