The Seiko Sportura sits in an odd place in the brand’s history. It is not a heritage reissue and it is not a dress watch pretending to be sporty.
The SLQ007 model is one you notice straight away. The case is broad and flat across the wrist, cut in titanium that seamlessly merges with the strap.
Quite frankly it’s a brutalist collectors dream.
This particular model sits firmly in the early 2000s part of Seiko’s catalogue, when the brand was leaning into new tech rather than revisiting the past. The Sportura was the outlet for that thinking. Racing partnerships, kinetic movements, cases that looked closer to car parts than jewellery. The SLQ models were at the sharper end of it.
The watch wears quite large on the wrist, with the titanium helping. It has an integrated bracelet that pulls the case down and keeps it from tipping. Its’ certainly not something you’ll be able to tuck under your sleeves though.
The dial is crowded, with three sub dials sitting close to the edges, pushed outward rather than stacked neatly in the centre like many chronographs follow. The balance is a tad awkward to read at first but the thick hands and heavy lume and Arabic numerals give features that are easily identifiable. The date sits there because Seiko almost always puts a date there.
KINETIC CHRONOGRAPH is printed plainly on the dial, telling us clearly that energy is stored electrically within the watch via movement that charges it. The pushers (and honestly the whole watch) give an industrial feel, perfect for a daily rather than handled with caution.
The case finishing mixes brushed planes with polished edges. Over time the polished sections soften and the brushed areas collect fine scratches. Most SLQ007s look worn now, which seems normal.
There were different Sportura chronographs around at the time, but the SLQ models sat higher. More metal and more emphasis on the mechanism doing its job. The racing influence is there, though you would miss it if you were not looking. It shows up in the case shapes, the dial depth, the way everything feels bolted together.
On the wrist, it works best without trying to dress it up. Casual clothes suit it alongside heavy jackets. Opt for this over wearing it with a suit or more dressier ensembles.