Written by Tyler Frederick – Photography by Brent Robillard
Pretty in Pink (Steel)
There are two things I’m an absolute sucker for: budget-friendly watches and pink dials. Put the two together, and I’m a very happy camper. Brent approached me recently about a couple of watches from Sheffield, and when he told me one of them had a pink dial, I don’t think I’ve said, “I’ll do it,” faster in my life.
A couple of weeks later, a box showed up at my door with three pieces from Sheffield, and of course, the Pepto-Bismol pink Sheffield Allsport 1A 38 Pink Steel. I know Pepto-Bismol isn’t always the most charming comparison when it comes to a colour for a watch. If you want something more appealing, Dubble Bubble, raspberry sorbet, strawberry milkshake; more flavourful options. It’s also the exact shade of Kirby (there’s my gaming reference). Let’s move on.
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Summer Sakura vibes
I’m always on a mission to find great watches that are more budget-friendly, especially considering the economy and the ever-growing popularity of watch collecting amongst my friends. I love high-end, but with manufacturing and the ability to create a watch that won’t break the bank, there are more options than ever. The side mission is to find watches I could see myself wearing every day that fit within my spec sweet spot.
With the warmer months right around the corner and the sudden rise to 18+ degrees here in Toronto, I could feel myself coming out of hibernation, my hand reaching for more vibrant spring and summer dial colours. With the arrival of the Sheffield Allsport 1A 38 Pink Steel, it definitely scratched that itch. Add a Sakura blossom to the list of pink things more appealing than Pepto-Bismol.
Key Features of the Sheffield Allsport 1A 38 Pink Steel
Began life as a limited edition
My collecting habits and general watch enthusiasm are ingrained at this point. I look for certain things regarding sizing, movement, and the most used word in the industry, reliability. Not to mention if I could wear this every day and not really think about it; from my initial impressions, this is a watch that could do it quite easily in both aesthetics and sizing.
The original Allsport 1A 38 was designed with a dive watch aesthetic reflective of 1960s Sheffield skin divers. This variant, the 1A 38 Pink Steel, was originally a limited release of 5 pieces, two of which went to a friend of the brand. Due to the popularity of the colour and design, Sheffield was prompted to create a production release, and now we have this pretty-in-pink sports watch.
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“I can do anything”
With a 38mm case diameter, 46mm lug-to-lug, and a thickness of 12.8mm, the Allsport 1A 38 is in my aforementioned spec sweet spot. It’s a very traditional spec across the board, and I’ve had a hard time describing how it feels on the wrist without saying “traditional” again. The only thing I could think of is, “Yeah, it’s a comfortable sports watch.” The case shape, bezel, and bracelet are reminiscent of the Explorer II, just without the bezel numerals, and I think that’s a strong point; it’s a familiar design that feels and looks great, and in a budget-friendly format.
The Allsport carries a pretty strong “I can do anything” attitude. 200m of water resistance, a sapphire crystal with a good amount of AR coating, and a pretty good-feeling bracelet. The clasp features a slightly impractical micro-adjust. You can only adjust the bracelet from the underside, and there aren’t any holes in the clasp to make moving the pin a breeze, so you really have to dig for it, but it’s there nonetheless.
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In love with pastels
Encapsulated with a stainless steel bezel and flat sapphire crystal is the very minimal and clean pink dial. I can’t put into words how much I love pink dials, but I’m usually more accustomed to loving more pastel-like pinks, blues, and greens. This shade of pink caught me by surprise, and it didn’t take long for me to fall in love.
There’s not much going on regarding the design, allowing the colour to really stand in the spotlight. With minimal dial text, clean steel applied indices, and a sword/arrow handset, it’s an extremely legible dial that gets the job done. At this price point, you can’t really expect too much. You want a watch that can and will do it all with ease, and I’ll safely say the Allsport 1A 38 Pink Steel can.
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SPECS
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 38mm Diameter 46mm Lug to Lug 12.8mm Thick 20mm Lug Width 200m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Sapphire Crystal Pink |
| Movement | Seiko NH35 24-jewel 21,600vph/3hz 41-hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | Steel Bracelet |
Sheffield Allsport 1A 38 Pink Steel
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Quibbles
It’s always a bit odd pointing things out on a watch that’s so inexpensive. Starting with the case and bracelet finishing: there’s so much polish. I don’t have a tendency to lean towards anything with polish unless it’s a dress watch because I’m wearing it to dinner or a night out. Polish scares the hell out of me when it comes to a tool or sports watch.
The bezel, sides of the case, mid-links, and the engraved case back are a mirror shine. I prefer brushed finishes, especially with a watch in this form factor. They don’t show scratches easily, and I think brushing would have made the pink dial stand out even more.
I will say the font definitely matters. I love the classic nature of the Sheffield logo, but it’s always odd to have a logo that’s in script and then surround it with sans serif. From my perspective, there’s quite a bit of negative space on the dial. The logo could be bigger and have “Allsport” sit above Automatic and WR 20ATM to make things look a little more symmetrical and filled in, and to create a break between the script and sans serif fonts.
Last but not least is the date window. I complain about the date on a regular basis with any watch, and the magnifying cyclops is a bit much, but I understand where they are going. It’s a sports watch with great legibility and the cyclops adds to that, so I accept it.
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Final Thoughts
I’m going to sum this up real quick: 38mm pink dial sports watch with 200m of water resistance, automatic, stainless steel case and bracelet, an engraved case back, sapphire crystal with AR coating and all wrapped up in a package that costs $240 ($331 CAD).
You’re getting a great watch for daily wear that can be dressed up or down and is your pop of colour for your collection for under $300. It’s a watch that should stay running, depending on how you wear it, for years to come. Safe to say if you’re looking for a new watch and don’t want to spend too much, the Sheffield Allsport 1A Pink Steel is the way to go.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read my thoughts and opinions on the Sheffield Allsport 1A Pink Steel. For more information, to get one on your wrist, or to check out their selection of watches, please visit the Sheffield Website.
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About the author
Born into a family obsessed with motorsport, Tyler Frederick became enamoured with speed and beautiful cars at a young age. His love of Formula 1–and all things mechanical–eventually lead him to horology. You can follow him on Instagram.
Check out these other articles from Tyler:
Tone & Time – The Misha Mansoor Interview
Pulsar P2 2900 vs Hamilton PRS
30th Anniversary Casio G-SHOCK DW-6900TR
Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.
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