Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Nice Clock! November 24, 2008
Our bedroom lacks for a convenient electrical outlet on my side of the bed, so I needed
a cordless clock. This one fit the bill perfectly. I like that it is silent and you can set it to be dark,
so there is no light shining in your eyes all night. When you want to check the time, you can just tap the
bar on the top. I found the alarm pretty pleasant for an alarm clock. It sounds like a cell phone ring tone, not an air-raid siren like some of my older alarm clocks. It has a nice, classy, almost "retro" feel to it, and it goes with our decor. (We have things from or knock-offs of Restoration Hardware products) The only reason I gave it 4 out of 5 is it is all made of plastic, and the photo looks like it is chrome or something. If you pick it up you can tell, but walking by it looks quite nice.
 Good looking, easy to use, but cheaply made SEIKO November 18, 2008
I have never reviewed on any products that I purchased from Amazon.com before, but have an urge to write about this clock.
I am an ER physician and have the following criteria for an alarm clock because I have had one that I liked (a small digital Casio alarm clock for 19 years) very much: simple design, easy to set up, easy access to set-up buttons preferably in the front, easy access to alarm stop button (I do not need to snooze again and again), clear and moderately loud alarm sound, and no clicking sound (silent clock).
This clock fits all the criteria and I placed an order. I was excited opening the box yesterday and quickly inserted three batteries. I tested the alarm and liked the sound. The set up process was very easy without even referring to instructions. I then tested the alarm indicator light and realized that my clock was defective in this aspect. The light lit up for the first few times and then became very inconsistent. Sometimes it lights up but most of time it does not. I think the alarm indicator light sensor is malfunctioning. I have decided to keep the clock because I do not really need this indicator light since it is confusing anyway (Green for alarm? Does orange suggest an alarm in common sense as other reviewers pointed out?). I will establish a habit of checking the alarm turning-on button which is located on the right side of the clock. By the way, this clock's snooze button also functions as a clock reading light button. I can still read time in the dark if I desire.
Anyway, I wrote this review to tell other potential buyers that this is a very good looking, easy to operate, alarming sounding pleasant, but indeed cheaply made (in China of course) SEIKO alarm clock (a SEIKO should not have such a poor quality). To show you that I am objective, I'd better tell you that I am a Chinese American. I hope some of the readers who are USA based entrepreneurs see the opportunities here and continue to build their solid businesses within the United States and I will buy your products!
nice clock but read the fine print! November 18, 2008
I ordered this clock after reading the description of its size and shape. It was for an elderly person, who needed a large, oversize clock with an alarm. Page read, "24 3/8 inches high x 9 1/4" wide x 3 1/4" deep. The clock arrived and turned out to be quite small, and anything but the large size described. It works well, and I am going to use it myself. But it is the small, bedside variety. I advised the seller about the incorrect information, and he said it would be changed. It has not yet been changed, so be advised that the advertised size and shape is for some other clock, but not the Seiko Ultimate Alarm.
 I can't wait for delivery! October 9, 2008
I stayed at a pretty cool, modernistic hotel in San Diego and this cool clock was in my room. I'm old enough to remember how to set the alarm on a wind up clock but this one is battery powered, quiet and reliable. I didn't miss my early am meeting because I couldn't figure out the complicated clock or the hotel forgets my wake up call. A little light let me check the time during the night without waking me fully, no ticking and the gentle ascending alarm eases rather than startles. This clock will be my next BFF in my home.
great alarm clock but not quite "Ultimate" October 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The is a really good alarm clock, but it's by no means perfect or "Ultimate." I bought it to replace a perfectly functional Braun alarm clock whose annoyingly loud ticking sound finally drove me to get a new clock. The Seiko is a bedside clock rather than a travel alarm clock because it's huge, measuring 5" tall and 4.5" wide.
What I like:
1. It's smartly illuminated. There is an optional button to enable/disable background illumination. When enabled, the illumination turns on by a photo-sensor. It's lit by a faint orange LED if the alarm function is not set and by a noticeably dimmer green LED if the alarm is set. By glancing at the color you'll know instantly whether you have set the alarm or not, although I'm bit perplexed by this reversed color scheme because I tend to associate the color orange with "alarm" and green with "no alarm."
2. Not only no loud ticking sound, but no ticking sound at all! It's totally silent, perfect for light sleepers and those who have trouble falling asleep. I think the reason it doesn't have any ticking sound is it's not quartz-based, but I could be wrong on this. At least nowhere on the box, the clock, or the instruction does it mention the word "quartz." The lack of quartz could mean it might be less accurate.
3. It has a 5-minute snooze feature.
What really annoys me:
1. The alarm is supposed to be soft-start to get progressively louder so as not to shock you out of your deep slumber and give you a heart attack with the first note. But there are several problems. One is it's not soft to start with. Even the first note is still far too loud and jarring. Putting a tape on the outside of the alarm port or stuffing crumbled paper towel over the outlet port did not attenuate the sound. To do the job right, I had to open up the back case by unscrewing four screws to get at the piezo alarm chime. (Take out the batteries first to get access to the screws). I then put a tape on the chime's port and then stuff the paper towel on the INSIDE of the case to muffle the loud alarm noise. Now it's perfect for me.
2. The soft-start alarm progresses from soft to loud too quickly. The volume progression should take much longer and rise much more gently. I also fault the design for it's lack of a dial to adjust the alarm volume. Some Seiko travel alarm clocks have this feature, but this "Ultimate" clock doesn't! The loudness is probably there to accommodate sound sleepers, but light sleepers, as many adults are, will almost invariably find the first note too loud. A truly "Ultimate" alarm clock should have the capability to adjust the volume.
Overall, I love this clock, but those several things I noted really annoy me and so I give it only 4 stars.
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