Here's our review of the Seiko Selection S Series Digital Quartz Ref. SBJG019, a reproduction of the design of a model popularly known as the "Rotcall" from the 1980s. The octagonal bezel is called a rotary switch, and its greatest feature is that it switches modes by rotating it. Not only has this mechanism been perfectly reproduced in this reproduction, but every detail has also been given a retro feel reminiscent of the 1980s.
Quartz movement. Stainless steel case (37mm diameter, 10.6mm thick). Water resistant to 10 bar. Price: 71,500 yen (tax included).
Text and Photographs by Shin-ichi Sato
[Article published on January 23, 2025]
Re-creating the design of a classic digital watch
This time, we'll be reviewing the Seiko Selection S Series Digital Quartz Ref. SBJG019. This model is a reproduction of the design of the digital watch released in 1982 and popularly known as the "Rotocall." The Rotocall's iconic octagonal rotary switch, equivalent to a rotating bezel, was its greatest feature, and turning this switch allowed you to switch modes (functions). In recreating the Rotocall, the design of this watch was based on hand-drawn drawings from the time, and it is crafted to fully capture the atmosphere of the original model. Fans will be pleased to see that not only the appearance but also the iconic rotary switch has been faithfully reproduced.
This rotary switch has a mode assigned to one side of its octagonal shape, with the mode set at the 12 o'clock position being active. The watch is equipped with eight functions, in clockwise order: time display, time correction, timer, counter, stopwatch, second time zone display, daily alarm, and single alarm. In addition to the black and red Ref. SBJG019 that we'll be reviewing here, there are three other colors in the regular model lineup: black and yellow Ref. SBJG017 and sky blue and gray Ref. SBJG021. Furthermore, collaboration models with the manga "Space Brothers" have also been announced in black and silver and gold and black.
Comfortable to wear and fits a variety of styles
Before getting into the main points of my impressions, I need to explain my personal preferences and criteria. I'm a "radical" when it comes to comfort, and I prefer compact, thin, and lightweight watches. I also give high marks to watches that offer sufficient accuracy, water resistance, and ease of use for everyday use.
Now, the author is referring to the news article announcing this work (http://www.webchronos.net/news/145194/) and at the time, I thought, "It's original and interesting, compact, thin, and easy to use." When I actually received the product and tried it on, it was just as I expected, compact, light, and easy to use. I like it.
The 37mm case offers a good balance of presence and compactness. It weighs just 100g with the bracelet adjusted. The watch is 10.6mm thick, fitting comfortably under a cuff, making it an easy choice for winter, when outerwear is required. The pop color scheme, the impact of the distinctive octagonal bezel, and the sporty design also make it a great choice for summer styling. I personally like to pair retro digital watches with jacket styles, and this watch fits perfectly there. The five-row bracelet likely contributes to the watch's excellent match with a jacket.
Case and bezel details create a retro feel
The case of this watch has a polished finish on the sides and a slightly rough hairline finish on the top. The edges of this transition area are very sharp. Until recently, Seiko watches often used barrel polishing to round the edges and smooth the surface, but this is in stark contrast.
Many watches up until around the 1980s had clear boundaries between the finishes, like this one. The hairline finish on this watch is only visible on the lugs, and although the visible area is small, it gives a very different impression than if the entire watch were barrel polished and rounded. In this watch, this slight difference is what creates the retro feel.
The bezel has a semi-gloss finish, rather than rounded corners, giving it a tool watch feel. The bezel insert is made of aluminum, which also adds to the retro feel.
In addition to the striking black and red, attractive color variations such as black and yellow and sky blue and gray are available. Of these, the sky blue and gray has a particularly retro finish. Quartz movement. Stainless steel case (37mm diameter, 10.6mm thick). Water resistant to 10 bar. Each is priced at 71,500 yen (tax included).
How practical is it?
Now, let's explain how to actually use it.
Excellent visibility in any mode
The LCD screen is divided into upper and lower sections, and the lower section displays the time regardless of which function is being used. The upper section changes display depending on the selected mode. Both the top and bottom sections have ample surface area, and the division makes it easy to read the information, resulting in excellent visibility.
Taking stopwatch mode as an example, the stopwatch is displayed on the top row and the time on the bottom row. Information such as "LAP" and "STOP" is also displayed above the measured time. This type of additional information is often small and difficult to read, but this model makes effective use of the large LCD screen to ensure that it is large enough to be easily read. Additionally, the time is displayed on the bottom row even while the stopwatch is in use, which is very convenient. If you don't need the day and date displayed on the top LCD in time display mode, there is no problem using the stopwatch mode on a daily basis.
Mode switching with a pleasant click
When you rotate the bezel to switch modes, it starts moving smoothly and stops with a click. Rotating it switches the screen and allows you to use each function. Although there is some roughness and play in the rotating part, I would rate the operation as good. As for the roughness, I have a feeling that it will become more familiar and smoother after using it for a while. This model is equipped with a unique rotary switch mechanism that is not found in other models, and considering the price of this model at 71,500 yen (tax included), I think they have done a great job.
What bothered me was the layout of the modes. The time adjustment function is located next to the time display, which is the one you normally use. With a highly accurate quartz watch, you don't want to touch the time adjustment function, so as not to accidentally change the time. However, with the layout of this model, you end up passing by the time adjustment position more frequently. This seems like an unfriendly operating system.
The stopwatch, which is likely to be used relatively frequently, is located on the opposite side of the time display, and must be rotated 180 degrees when in use. A positive comment would be that "you can rotate it 180 degrees every time you use the stopwatch," but I'm probably the only one who would be happy about that.
I understand that this layout is in line with the original protocol, but since changing the layout doesn't have a major impact on the design, I feel that it would have been good to brush it up when the model was reissued.
Two modes with few adoption cases
A distinctive feature is the "counter." I remember being confused when I was writing the news article mentioned above because I couldn't figure out what this was. When set to counter mode, a four-digit number, "00 00," appears on the upper LCD screen. Pressing the switch at the four o'clock position displays "00 01," and pressing the switch at the eight o'clock position counts up to "01 01." In this way, two sets of two-digit counters are provided. This seems like it would be useful for tracking sports scores and wins and losses, or for counting the number of times a repetitive task is performed.
Another feature worth mentioning is the "second time zone display." A common world timer is one that switches to the time of a city in the world by specifying that city, but this model is different. With this model, another time display appears on the top row, and the time can be adjusted in minutes. It would be a good idea to set the second time zone to the time of an overseas base with which you have a lot of communication, or it could be used to display overtime hours by setting the regular end time to midnight.
A retro and practical tool watch
The essence and core of this watch is that it is compact, lightweight, highly accurate thanks to its quartz movement, comfortable to wear, easy to read, and an excellent tool watch. Its greatest feature, the rotary switch, is not badly made, considering that such a special mechanism was created specifically for this watch. The rest of the watch's appearance is overflowing with retro charm, not only in the overall design but also in the fine details, which I personally like.
However, not everything is perfect. There are some puzzling aspects to the layout of the modes on the rotary switch, and the operation feels a bit clunky and unsteady. If I were to describe my minor complaints about the rotary switch as "just this much," it would be a bit of a hassle to downplay the game's greatest feature, but the impact on everyday use is minor. Therefore, the overall level of completion of this game can be rated as high.
