The Seiko SKX

If you wish to find a nice watch for summer days, outdoor activities and perfect for weekends without breaking your bank account, we can’t remember a better option than the Seiko SKX.

The Seiko SKX is a model launched in 1996, and yes, our choice has more than 20 years, for the most distracted this is not a simple Seiko model or one more among so many, this is one of the legendary sports models of this amazing brand, probably as many already have said, the best mechanical watch money can buy.

The journey just started in 1965 when Seiko launched the first diver watch with a 150 meters water resistance, that was the model 6217, over time many others were followed, the 6105 until 1977, the 6309 before the 80’s, and the Seiko 7002 before 1996, probably the most similar aesthetical, before the born of SKX model.

But what this watch has so special and why this watch catches the eyes of so many, well, we can find several adjectives to describe it because the list is long, but no, we don’t need so much, so let’s talk about some interesting facts, this is a watch very well-constructed considering the price you pay for, versatility is probably the best adjective that can describe it, it belongs to a restricted group of watches called dive-watches (own an ISO 6425 certificate), it looks awesome despite all its simplicity, and believe it or not won’t let you look bad even being close to a Rolex or Omega diver, and finally the underrated price.

This watch comes with a steel case that alternates between polished and brushed parts, case size of 42,5mm, lug to lug 46mm, a thickness of 13,25mm, lug width 22mm, hardlex glass, unidirectional bezel, steel solid case back, an automatic caliber 7S26 at 21600 vph, 21 jewels, day-date complication, rubber strap or jubilee-type bracelet, power reserve up to 40 hours, lumibrite lume, price between €340 and €360 (if you search probably, you will find it at a lower price).

The dial is large enough to allow a perfect reading, perfect for diving, with a generous lume plots, in the hands and in the tail dot (positioned on the bezel at 12 o’clock), one more feature that few can do better than Seiko, small white window with day-date in black (blue on Saturdays and red on Sundays) at 3 o’clock, a big crown at 4 o’clock with crown guards. The unidirectional bezel despite not being in ceramic, it is incredibly good, allows a 360-degrees rotation with a total of 120 clicks (one click each half minute). The case back has grave a “Tsunami” draw, and some information about this watch, like the caliber movement, case material and the serial number. The hardlex glass is very resistant to scratches but isn’t a sapphire glass (the budget doesn’t allow). It comes with a rubber strap or for just more €20 you can get it with a jubilee-type bracelet (the jingle-jangle bracelet as known), and believe, it’s incredibly comfortable on the wrist and looks stunning.

If you like to change the look of the watch, you wear every day; this is the perfect watch for you because the alternatives are countless, the versatility of SKX is amazing with different straps, Nato straps, rubber straps, steel bracelets and leather straps If we also consider the different colours available the options are unlimited.

This watch can be found in different variations, the two most known are the SKX007 and the SKX009. The SKX007 has a black dial and also a black bezel, while the SKX009 has a navy blue dial and “Pepsi” colour bezel (1/3 red and 2/3 blue), and that are all the differences between these two models. But if you have a small wrist and 42,5mm of diameter is too much, don’t worry, because Seiko thought about it, and launched the SKX013, the small version of the SKX007 (it is its “big brother”) the main difference is the 37mm dial diameter, some differences also can be found on the hands, and at the eyes of many, the dial may look now more crowded.

The Seiko SKX009 was used by Robert Redford in the movie “All is Lost” in 2013 if you got curious see the movie.

This Seiko SKX may not be the most world´s accurate watch, neither has the centenary swiss lineage of the biggest watchmakers, but this watch is not less than magnificent, I don’t know any other brand in the world that can do a mechanical watch with a such detail care, with an ISO dive certification, trustworthy, and that will probably last the rest of your life. Unfortunately, this model was discontinued, but the good news is it, is still available in some retailers on the market around the world, so if you want one of them you should hurry.