Seiko Day-Date Style Berry Roman

Dark numerals on a dark ground: the DAY MOD - BERRY ROMAN puts anthracite Roman numerals on a berry-red dial, a deep red-violet with no brushing and no pattern. In shade the dial reads close to black; under direct light it opens into a saturated, wine-like tone. The 40 mm case, the fluted bezel and the five-row bracelet are all steel-coloured, so every bit of colour on this watch lives in the dial. The weekday and the date both advance, with the weekdays shown in English. The date shows in a window at 3 o'clock.

Anthracite on berry

The Roman numerals take the even hours, 2 and 10 up top, 4 and 8 lower down, 6 at the foot, and the odd hours get batons in the same anthracite. Because numerals and ground are both dark, you read the time mainly from the hands: sticks with a dark edge and a light infill, joined by a thin dark seconds hand. The numerals themselves only step forward when light falls across the dial, and Super-LumiNova sits on the indices for the hours after that.

Steel around the red-violet

The case is 316L stainless steel; sapphire crystal lies over the dial and an exhibition window in the case back looks onto the movement. On the Jubilee bracelet the centre links are polished, and their shine echoes the fluting of the bezel while the berry red between them stays calm. The crown screws down.

The one with dark numerals

Two related models use the same case, the same bracelet and the same numeral positions, one with a dark blue-grey dial and one in strong pink. Both of those show pale, steel-coloured numerals. Only the Berry has them in anthracite, which makes it quieter than its colour would suggest.

Berry is one of many dial colours you reach through the swatches on this page, and the one the page starts with.

Technical points

• NH35 automatic with a date window in the berry-red dial
• Hand-winding and hacking seconds through the crown
• Sapphire in front, exhibition back behind, 40 mm of 316L between
• Water resistance: 5 ATM

The NH35 automatic winds itself on the wrist and shows the date. After a rest on the bedside table a few turns of the crown get it going again, and the seconds hand stops while you set the time.

When we would wear it

We see the Berry with navy, grey, cream and black leather, in the evening rather than at the sports club. If you want neither another black dial nor another blue one, and still nothing loud, this is a colour that shows itself at second glance. The steel-coloured bracelet stops it from tipping over into jewellery, and at 40 mm it stays discreet under a cuff.

Each watch is built by hand, one at a time, rather than pulled off a production run. Hand-assembled by MedoMods and tested before shipping. Free worldwide shipping with tracking.

Similar models: Day Mod - Fuchsia Roman, Day Mod - Mahogany Roman, Day Mod - Sand Beige Roman, and Yacht Mod - Grey.

More of this kind: Roman Numeral Seiko Mod.

In our guide: NH36 Movement Explained: Day-Date, Specs & Mod Compatibility.