The New Seiko Sportura Collection (SLQ017, SNL015, SNJ005, SNA451)

The alarm face at the six o'clock position can beset to a different time zone.Chronograph capable of measuring up to 60 minutes in 1/5 secondincrements.The Alarm Chronograph is definitely the most conventional looking of the Sporturacollection. In terms of functionalityand layout, it is very similar to the Seiko Chronograph I have in my collection(and in fact happen to be wearing right now). Both are great watches.Additional resources:SporturaAlarm Chronograph product page.Operationguide (PDF).The Sportura Large Screen Analog-Digital (SNJ005)Second in line in terms of price ($650, retail) is the Analog-DigitalSportura. The look is very similar to that of the Alarm Chronograph except forthe large black LCD behind the analog hands which gives this watch a high-techlook the other watches in the line don't have. Features include:Battery powered quartz movement.Digital alarm.Digital stopwatch. Measures up to 100 hours in 1/1000 second increments. (No,that's not a typo -- I verified it with my own eyes. Someone should let Tag Heuerknow that the Microtimer hascompetition.)World time (28 cities around the world) with digital city name display.Fully automatic calendar.If you're shopping for someone who is a frequent traveler, this is probably theone to consider, although if all they need are dual time zones, both this and theSportura Chronograph are possibilities. Additional resources:SeikoSportura SNJ005 product page.If you're looking for a moderately priced, high quality, very cool, and totallyunique looking watch to surprise someone with this holiday season (or even to surpriseyourself with), you might want to check out something from Seiko's newSportura collection. The inspiration for the Seiko Sportura design was highperformance sports cars, and each watch clearly has the feel of a complex but exhilaratingdashboard in the type of car I will probably never be able to afford.The Seiko Sportura collection consists of four models (SLQ017, SNL015, SNJ005,and SNA451), each with its own unique look and feature set, and eachin a different (but relatively affordable) price range. All the watches in theSportura collection start off with the following set of features: Jet black dials.Scratch-resistant, anti-glare sapphire crystals.Screwdown casebacks and crowns.Stainless steel bracelets (also available in leather, however).Double-locking clasps with push-button release.Water resistant to 100 meters (10 BAR, 10 ATM, or 330 feet). Japanese quartz movements (though only two of the pieces in the collection actually require batteries). Very bright luminous hands and markers.Now that we know what all the watches in the Seiko Sportura collection have incommon, I'll cover each watch individually, startingwith the least expensive. The Sportura Alarm Chronograph (SNA451)At $575 retail (assume all these watches can be had for 20-25%less than retail), the Alarm Chronograph is the most affordable member of the Sporturaquartet, though it still has plenty of nice features:Battery powered Quartz movement.12-hour alarm.Second time zone display.