Seiko Spirit SBTR013 black quartz chronograph
The Seiko SBTR013 is a Japan-market Spirit chronograph with a black dial, a fixed tachymeter bezel, and a stainless steel bracelet. It is a quartz watch. It is not automatic. Calibre 8T63 keeps time with a battery and drives the stopwatch through a mechanical chronograph module, so the central chronograph seconds hand sweeps in 1/5-second steps instead of ticking once a second.
If you want a black sports chronograph for the office and the weekend, without learning a mechanical movement, this is the straightforward Seiko answer. The case is 42.2 mm across, 11.7 mm thick, and 47 mm lug to lug, on a 20 mm lug width.
What the dial shows
The dial is black, signed Seiko Chronograph, with applied bar markers and silver-tone hands. LumiBrite sits on the hands and markers. Three registers do the work:
- 9 o’clock: 60-minute chronograph counter, marked MIN.
- 3 o’clock: 24-hour indicator
- 6 o’clock: running small seconds, marked SEC.
The date window sits near 4 o’clock. A fixed stainless steel bezel carries the tachymeter scale. At 6 o’clock the dial reads MOV’T JAPAN and 8T63-00D0. That marks the movement. It is not a claim that every part of the watch was assembled in Japan. Some Japan shops file this same reference under Seiko Selection. The English-market name is Spirit.
Calibre 8T63, in plain terms
Seiko rates calibre 8T63 at about ±15 seconds a month in normal temperatures. The chronograph measures up to 60 minutes in 1/5-second steps, then stops on its own. Start, stop, and reset use the two pushers beside the crown. There is no mainspring and no automatic rotor. When the battery is low, the small seconds hand starts jumping in two-second steps. Seiko specifies an SR936SW cell for this calibre. Expected life is about three years, and less if the chronograph runs for long stretches each day.
Case, bracelet, and water resistance
- Reference: SBTR013
- Movement: Seiko calibre 8T63 quartz chronograph
- Accuracy: about ±15 seconds per month
- Case: stainless steel, 42.2 mm diameter, 11.7 mm thick, 47 mm lug to lug
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Bezel: fixed tachymeter
- Dial: black, date near 4 o’clock, 24-hour hand at 3
- Water resistance: 10 bar / 100 metres
- Case back: screw-down
- Bracelet: stainless steel, 20 mm at the lugs, about 18 mm at the clasp, three-fold push-button clasp
- Weight: about 129 grams
- Lume: LumiBrite on hands and markers
Ten bar is Seiko’s reinforced everyday water resistance. Rain, handwashing, and swimming sit inside that rating. This is not a dive watch. Do not press the chronograph pushers underwater, and do not change the date between about 9 pm and 3 am, or the date can skip.
Who it suits
Buy the SBTR013 if you want a black Seiko chronograph that shows the time, the date, a second timezone’s hour on the 24-hour register, and a simple 60-minute stopwatch, on a steel bracelet that works with a shirt or a polo. Skip it if you specifically want a self-winding automatic, a sapphire crystal, or a screw-down crown for diving. Those are different watches.
For a thinner white-dial quartz chronograph in a smaller case, see the Seiko SBTQ039. For the wider range, start with Seiko watches or chronograph watches.
Questions buyers ask
Is the Seiko SBTR013 automatic?
No. It is a quartz chronograph. Older text on this page called it automatic. That was wrong. Calibre 8T63 uses a battery. The smooth chronograph seconds hand comes from a mechanical stopwatch module, not from an automatic rotor.
What movement is in the SBTR013?
Seiko calibre 8T63. It is a quartz chronograph with a 24-hour hand, small seconds, date, and a stopwatch that runs to 60 minutes in 1/5-second steps. Stated accuracy is about ±15 seconds a month. The cell is an SR936SW, with about three years of life in normal use.
What colour is the SBTR013 dial?
Black. The case and bracelet are silver-tone stainless steel, with a tachymeter bezel. Some third-party listings mix this reference up with a silver dial. The watch we stock has the black dial in the photos.
How water resistant is the Seiko SBTR013?
10 bar, which is 100 metres. That covers everyday wear and swimming. The case back screws down. Treat the crown and pushers as a normal sports watch, not as dive gear. Do not operate the pushers in the water.
What size is the SBTR013?
42.2 mm across, 11.7 mm thick, and 47 mm from lug to lug. Lug width is 20 mm. On the wrist it wears like a standard steel sports chronograph, not a dress watch and not an oversized diver.
Is the SBTR013 suitable as an everyday watch?
Yes, if you want a steel chronograph rather than a dress watch. The 11.7 mm thickness is reasonable for a stopwatch, the bracelet is the original steel one, and 100 metres covers rain and swimming. It is a battery watch, so there is nothing to wind. It is not the pick if you want sapphire glass or a true diver.
Where can I buy the Seiko SBTR013 in Australia?
Chronospride stocks the SBTR013 for delivery in Australia. Authentic stock, inspected before dispatch. Free shipping Australia-wide on eligible orders. Covered by Chronospride’s 12 months warranty, handled by our team. See our authenticity and warranty page.
| Case-Size | 42.2mm |
|---|---|
| Band-Width | 20mm |
| Lug-Width | 20mm |
| Lug to lug size | 47mm |
| Case Thickness | 11.7mm |
| Brand | Seiko |
| UPC | 4954628440822 |
| GTIN | 4954628440822 |
| EAN | 4954628440822 |