... this shouldn't happen with a watch straight out of the box.

I know it's not your watch. This happens all the time with mass-produced watches with hollow end links. Most of the time you can fix a loose/rattling hollow end cap (removed from watch) by pressing it against the table, making the V-shaped end cap closer together. Personally, it's no big deal for me on the SSC because it was an easy fix because of the drilled lugs; it's a sweet watch with a lot of good things going for it.

 

One small, easily fixable flaw and ten thousand positive points...you focused on what?

Dennis; this isn't even a flaw; it's nothing more than an adjustment waiting to happen.

I just wish I had the disposable income to get one of these watches; they are one of the best things Seiko has done in quite some time!

 

I guess I'm questioning why Seiko can't put SEL's on a watch in this price bracket. I associate hollow end links with cheap watches, even a lot of $100 watches have SEL's now. How much extra can it add to the price of a watch, $5 or $10? I kinow they can be adjusted to make them tighter, but a lot of buyers wouldn't have a clue how to do that, and why should you have to?

 

I had the same exact problem with one of the 3 Solar chronographs similar to the model that you own that I purchased from Watches-Bay. I took the watch to my local jeweler and he fixed the loose link by pressing the link tabs that are located underneath the lugs tightly into place from the underneath of the watch. The links on my Solar Chronograph looked exactly like yours does. The link would pop upwards because the tabs on the links underneath the watch in between the lugs weren't pressed all the way. Any jeweler can fix that with their tools. Bring the watch to your local jeweler and he can quickly fix it.
Just make sure that the jeweler takes off the link before he bends the tabs on the bottom ends of the link because he will scratch your watch if he does the adjustment while the links are on the watch lugs. You need to tell him to take the links off the lugs before he bends the tabs on them. He can refit the links back on the lugs to make adjustments as to how much that he needs to bend the tabs.

 

That does look pretty bad...is that how they all fit?

And what watches come with SEL? Haven't been browsing watches lately.

 

I think most of current crop of boutique divers that come with bracelets wouldd have solid end links, but there's plenty of others as well. Even some of the cheaper brands like the Casio Edifice have SEL's.

 

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know of a source for aftermarket SEL's that would fit the watch head and bracelet?
francobollo

 

Unfortunately, at the moment there isn't anything market wide that will work with the SSC case geometry. I'm sure as popularity grows we may see something available but for the time being the options are limited to straps and if you have one of the SSC variants that came with a bracelet you can do a little machine work and modify a Anvil or Watchadoo bracelet to fit the factory endpieces Such as I have done to mine

 

Seiko wouldn't bear that extra cost, it would be passed on to the buyer. Would I pay an extra $10 for SEL"s? Absolutely.

Obviously, Seiko has concluded that a price hike to pay for SEL's would cost them more money than it would make. That kind of consideration is exactly what every watch goes through in its design phase -- price vs. product. Considering that probably 95% of watch buyers wouldn't know the difference, a price hike to please 5% of the market doesn't seem like a clever idea. What's more, the people who know what SELs are are also the people who are most likely to replace the watch band anyway.

Seiko seems to have adopted the design philosophy for many watches that the bracelet is basically disposable. From my own perspective, I'm quite happy with that -- I'd much rather than a watch be cheaper and have a poor bracelet, since I'll almost certainly replace it anyway.

 

Seiko seems to have adopted the design philosophy for many watches that the bracelet is basically disposable. From my own perspective, I'm quite happy with that -- I'd much rather than a watch be cheaper and have a poor bracelet, since I'll almost certainly replace it anyway.

On the other hand, a GOOD bracelet would be much less likely to be replaced. I have replaced Seiko bracelets, but not many others. OK, I don't own many other watches, but... :roll:

 

I don't really understand solid end links or not having them ? Can this watch band be easily swapped out for a rubber strap ? I like the blue version better, but don't want to be stuck with a bracket if it can't be easily swapped out.

 

I have this version of the solar chrono diver and love it. The biggest complaint for me initially was the hollow end links, but it didn't bug me for longer than a day. I can't stand the the polished center links on the stock bracelet, and I find this watch really shines on a rubber or nylon strap.

 

Holy Thread Resurrection!!!