Seiko Day-Date Style Dove Blue

A medium blue with a grey cast and no sunburst at all: the DAY MOD - DOVE BLUE shows its colour matt and even, like the plumage it is named after. Dark grey baton hands and ten light baton markers with a bluish shimmer stand on the smooth dial, and at 3 o'clock the date sits under a magnifier. The weekday and the date both advance, with the weekdays shown in English. Around the dial lies a 40 mm stainless steel case with a fluted bezel, and a steel-coloured three-row link bracelet with polished centre links holds the watch on your arm.

A blue with a share of grey

Dove blue is neither sky blue nor navy. The grey in it takes the sweetness out of the colour and makes it reserved; you could just as well call it a blue grey. Because the dial is smooth, the tone hardly changes when you turn your wrist: no rays, no highlight, just a calm surface. That is exactly why the fluted bezel above it seems livelier, since all the sparkle of this watch comes from the metal and not from the dial.

The hands of this watch are dark grey, the thin seconds hand included. They show as dark lines on the blue, while the markers stay light and shimmer slightly bluish. The markers carry luminous material. On this page the colour swatches call up each dial colour that is on offer; what is described here is the preselected dove blue.

Three shades of blue compared

The line has two more blue watches in a steel-coloured case. The light blue one has a sunburst finish and steel-coloured hands; it is the lightest and glossiest of the three. The dark blue one also has a sunburst finish plus Roman numerals, which makes it more formal. The Dove Blue lies between them in brightness and is the only matt one, with dark hands and without numerals. If you like blue but want no gloss on the dial, this is where you end up.

Case, crystal and bracelet

The case is made of 316L stainless steel and is steel-coloured, as are the fluted bezel and the screw-down crown. Sapphire crystal lies over the dial, and through the exhibition case back you see the movement. The steel-coloured link bracelet has three rows, the middle one polished, and continues the line of the case without a break.

How we would wear it

At 40 mm it is a watch you put on in the morning and then forget about. We see it with everything that is blue or grey anyway: an Oxford shirt, grey flannel, a denim jacket, a navy jumper. With a black suit we would prefer a darker dial, but with a light summer suit it goes very well. It is a watch for people who want colour but no fuss.

Movement and data

Inside beats the NH35 automatic movement with a date display. It winds itself through the motion of the wrist and supports hand-winding as well as hacking seconds. The crown screws down, and the Super-LumiNova on the indices takes over once the light goes.

• Case: 40 mm in diameter, 316L stainless steel, steel-coloured around the dove blue
• Crystal: sapphire, beneath it markers with luminous material on matt blue
• Bracelet: stainless steel, three rows, the centre links of the Dove Blue polished
• Back: exhibition case back, the movement of the Dove Blue in full view
• Crown and water resistance: screw-down crown, 5 ATM

Assembly

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

Also worth a look: Day Mod - Royal Blue Arabic, Day Mod - Baby Blue Arabic, Day Mod - Smoke Blue Roman, and Mariner Mod - Deepsea Blue.

More watches in this style: Blue Dial Seiko Mods – Navy to Sunburst Royal Blue.

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