A nice suit/dress. A good pair of shoes. A nice watch. Three things considered by many to be the cornerstones of any wardrobe. To aid in the pursuit of a nice watch, Seiko has created the Essentials collection. Simple, clean and stylish watches that work well in almost any situation while being relatively affordable. Within this collection, we've decided to bring to your attention the Essentials Chronographs.

There is the reference SSB397, which is a great modern take of a quartz chronograph. 41 mm with a black dial that features lumed hour and minute hands, as well as cutouts on the dial that create a great sense of depth. Adding to that modern aesthetic is a case that features sharp edges and angular lugs. All of this presented on a three link bracelet with a stamped clasp.

With the reference SSB425, we're given a classically styled chronograph. 41.5 mm with a silver sunburst, panda dial. The mixture of silver and black makes it feel like the watch has just been pulled out of the 70's or 80's. Especially with design accents like the jubilee styled bracelet and red tipped chronograph hand.

Behind the dial of both these watches, you will find the Seiko caliber 8T63. It is a mechaquartz chronograph movement that features a date, 60 min chronograph counter, running seconds and a 24 hr sub dial. Battery life is rated for three years and is dependent on how often the chronograph function is used.