Seals Watches Review:
The Dark Seal

By: Michael Penate

Every once in a while I’ll experience this burning desire to wear a badass watch. I’m talking about something tough, almost tactical that exudes a sort of cold and calculated design meant to survive anything. While I’m sure more than a few people will be ready to suggest models from some of the “big brands,” I was surprised to find this itch ultimately scratched by a recent model released by Seals Watches, the same brand that brought us the slightly more refined Model C Field Watch. However, while that watch brought us an affordable dose of classicism in watchmaking, the Seals Dark Seal aims to deliver a pure, no-nonsense tool watch experience that in some ways feels totally hot-rodded. Best of of all, it’s an incredible value.

Come to think of it, I personally have no need for a watch like this. But, that’s the beauty behind appreciating design and variety in the watchmaking world. Whether it’s your cup of tea or not, this watch was passionately built and I’m happy to see so many extreme elements come together in a pleasantly cohesive design. For starters, let’s address the heft and solid build quality.

The Case

Back in 1979 Chrysler Defense debuted the M1 Abrams tank, a multi-purpose armored ground warfare vehicle that is still seeing service today. It’s seriously ugly – like the Dark Seal (sorry, Michael)  – but the low-maintenance design and Line Replaceable Modules (LRMs) are the kind of safeguards implemented to keep these things running for decades. In a way, I was almost reminded of these cumbersome killing machines after first strapping the Dark Seal on my wrist. The watch itself isn’t conventionally pretty but it certainly does its job and I felt that the 40mm stainless steel case was perfectly sized. It also wasn’t terribly thick at 11.9mm and a quivering, weak-kneed civilian like myself would have no problem wearing the watch in a cushy office environment.

That’s almost the charm, right? We live vicariously through dive watches, GMT timers, NASA-certified suborbital chronographs, and a variety of other watches just for the sake of smiling and feeling “cool” whenever we look down at our wrists. In this regard, the Dark Seal did not disappoint and the 200m water resistance was enough to back up its “tough guy” looks. I was also pleased with the 20mm lug width, which is something I didn’t expect after first seeing images of the watch. The bezel is by far the best feature and the massive square teeth make it incredibly easy to manipulate for secondary time zone tracking. Seriously, if you have an issue with this bezel, you probably have Squidward tentacles for hands.

The Dial

In this area, I’m really not sure if there’s much to say. The Dark Seal features one of the most straightforward dials I’ve ever interacted with and the proportions outdid quite a few higher end Swiss models I’ve evaluated in the past. Custom baton hour/minute hands deliver a clear time-telling experience and the stark needle seconds hand provides a clear indication of the running Miyota 9039 movement (more on that later). Applied indices adorn the entirety of the dial and Seals coated several of these elements with a generous application of BGW9 Super-LumiNova. A 2.4mm sapphire crystal with AR-coating frames it all beautifully.

The Strap

Sweet, swirling onion rings… this is by far the most disappointing aspect of the watch I could possibly comment on at this point. I understand that leather has a certain “premium” feel to it, but I’m not really sure that it was the best choice for this rugged “go anywhere, do anything” watch. Give me sailcloth, give me silicon, shit… give me basic nylon – anything but this lazy execution of a “two stitch” strap. Leather is the last thing I want to worry about when I’m tearing up the Cascades, kayaking, or riding bike.

It just doesn’t fit, but I was pleased by how well it tapered and how thin it was overall. Bottom line: if you’re going to make a kick-ass utility watch, a strap made from the remnants of a dead animal is the last thing I want securing it onto my wrist. But, if you do like leather on your watches, this strap was at least broken in very well.

The Movement

Inside the Seals Dark Seal we find a movement that isn’t typically seen too often in the micro-brand space. I have to give Michael credit here, as many brand owners would have simply packaged the most readily available movement without much thought. The watch runs on the Miyota 9039 and while it isn’t explicitly different from the more common 9015, it is the proper no-date version of the popular movement. This delivers a smooth operating experience that I found immensely comfortable whenever setting the watch.

The movement itself offers around 42 hours of power reserve and is a nice, simple match for the basic time-only layout. It also operates at 28,800 bph and can be hacked and hand-wound. To my knowledge Seals does not customize or modify the movement but I do wonder if any in-house regulation is something the brand offers. In the future, I’d like to see a Dark Seal with a high quality quartz movement.

Final Thoughts

I’m happy to see Seals offering a more straightforward and familiar design after watches like the Model A and Model C. Anyone that had their doubts will certainly have a chance to find an appropriate watch within the Seals catalog now. Overall, it’s an excellent offering, but something like a high quality rubber strap and a quartz movement would have really sold me on it 100%. The Dark Seal as tested is available for $570.

Seals Watches