Seiko Sportura Kinetic 9T82-0A50 (SBCG001)

Launched July 2000. It’s curved case design expresses a sense of speed.

The retail price of this watch was about JPY 200,000 (USD 1,853.00), which was an outrageous price for a Seiko watch back then. Yet the most outrageous aspect of this chronograph was its design. The designer in charge of this bold new watch was Shinji Sato. Generally chronographs have small sub-dials within the main dial to fulfil the chronograph function, but Sato employed a convention-defying Independent Multi-Dial design, which completely separated the dials for time display and chronograph function.

The Kinetic System automatically generates and stores electrical energy to power a quartz watch, utilizing the movement of the watch itself.

While pursuing a sense of Japanese style, Sato also aimed to create a watch with the look of a highly accurate instrument. He used an aircraft’s cockpit instruments as a reference for the design.

It’s often described as looking retro-futuristic, but to me there’s something oddly neo-vintage about the design, as its dials have a pilot’s watch simplicity and shape to them.

The Movement:

 A hybrid between electric and kinetic energy. Often referred to as a “third” chronograph because Seiko sees it as using the “third” movement type; Kinetic. It generates power via a rotor, just like an automatic, but instead of the movement being stored in a wound spring, the energy gets stored in a rechargeable battery. As a result, you get the reliability of a quartz movement, with the longevity of an automatic (the capacitor needs to be replaced every ~15 years rather than every 1-2 years like the battery in a quartz watch).

The 9T82 movement drives the chronograph’s totalizers situated in dedicated subdials for x0.1 seconds, 60 seconds, and to the far right one that combines the chronograph minute and hour totalizers with superimposed hands.

Specifications:

Movement: Kinetic, 9t82 38 Jewelled Movement

Dimensions: Case Width: 42.0mm; Case Thickness: 13.8mm

Condition:

Overall the watch is in very good condition for its age with just some light scratches on the case and bracelet from normal use.  The chronograph works correctly and the watch is keeping time accurately. The capacitor was changed in 2013.