Seiko Day-Date Style Basalt Roman

Basalt, on this DAY MOD, means a dark blue-grey laid down smooth, with no brushed pattern, so the surface stays as calm as wet stone. Pale, steel-coloured Roman numerals stand on the even hours from 2 to 10, with slim batons between them. The DAY MOD - BASALT ROMAN frames that dial in a steel-coloured case with a fluted bezel and hangs it on a five-row bracelet. The weekday and the date both advance, with the weekdays shown in English. Dark stick hands with a light infill show the time, and the date window opens at 3 o'clock.

Roman numerals can look stern on a pale dial. Against the blue-grey ground they step back: the contrast is enough to read by without glaring, and the thin dark seconds hand nearly vanishes into the dial until it crosses one of the pale numerals. When the light fades, Super-LumiNova on the indices keeps the hours visible.

Basalt beside its sister colours

Two related models share the case, the bracelet and the numeral layout and differ in dial colour alone: one is berry red, one a strong pink. Basalt has its pale numerals in common with the pink model, whereas the berry-red one carries dark numerals. The colour swatches on this page lead to the other dial colours as well, and basalt is the one shown when the page loads.

Steel, fluting and five rows

The 316L stainless steel case and the fluted bezel are steel-coloured like the Jubilee bracelet, whose polished centre links run between the outer rows. Sapphire crystal lies over the blue-grey dial. 40 mm of stainless steel, a screw-down crown and 5 ATM water resistance.

• Smooth blue-grey dial carrying five Roman numerals
• Pale baton markers with Super-LumiNova on the odd hours
• Water resistance: 5 ATM

Automatic behind glass

The DAY MOD Basalt Roman is a Seiko mod hand-assembled by MedoMods, running an automatic movement with a date display. It is the NH35, and the exhibition case back keeps it in view. Worn, the movement winds itself; if the Basalt has been lying still, the crown winds it by hand, and the hacking seconds let you set it to the second.

Where we see it

We see the Basalt as a quiet everyday watch with grey, navy and black, as much with a suit as with dark knitwear. At 40 mm it stays flat enough for a shirt cuff. The fine-linked bracelet brings the shine and the dial holds against it; anyone after a dark watch that is neither black nor blue gets the tone in between.

Hand-assembled by MedoMods and tested before shipping. Free worldwide shipping with tracking.

Similar models: Day Mod - Smoke Blue Roman, Day Mod - Sand Beige Roman, Day Mod - Fuchsia Roman, and Mariner Mod - Black.

More watches in this style: Roman Numeral Seiko Mod.