My uncle had been wearing the Seiko SKX007 (although his may be a different model number) since the early 80s. I was a little kid back then and I may not have consciously noticed his watch, But his watch must have left some impact, because I've always been partial to divers watches, and currently own several. These include two quartz Bulovas, one quartz Swatch, and most recently an automatic Omega Seamaster Professional (the James Bond model). The Bulovas were OK, the Swatch is a piece of garbage, and the Omega is just a delight to own.
And yet, none of these ever seemed to match my mind's idealized image of what a divers watch should be.
A short time after buying the Omega, I came across the Seiko on some watch aficionado website. I recognized it as the watch my uncle has worn all these years and was surprised to realize that this very watch was the image against which I judged all other diver watches. I wanted it badly. But having just spent a bundle on a watch I couldn't justify the purchase.
Until the end of December. Out of nowhere, my not-a-year-old Omega started gaining close to an hour a day!! A bizarre circumstance followed by an immediate delivery to the local Omega authorized dealer. It would take nearly a month until my watch was repaired and returned.
What's a guy to do? I knew .... I went to Amazon and bought the Seiko I always wanted. An automatic and the less expensive model; the pricier model has square number markers, not circles.
Always the pessimist, I prepared myself for disappointment. I hadn't seen my uncle's watch for some time and just expected a let down of some sort. I was concerned the face would just look radically different from what I hoped for, and I'd be stuck with a watch I didn't want to wear. And despite my fears, I kept heading to the window all morning on the day the watch was scheduled to arrive.
Finally, the UPS truck pulled up in front of my house and sure enough, he was holding my new "replacement" watch. I opened the box and out came the watch I always wanted --- looking and feeling exactly as I had wished.
Now I regularly alternate between my $2000 Omega and my $200 Seiko. It keeps perfect time! It is aesthetically fantastic! And it just feels great on my wrist! It is big, and the rubber band is not elegant. But 'not elegant' in the sense that it looks out of place when I wear it with a suit. But in any other situation, it looks just right.
Here are some observations: The face is beautiful. The band is thick and rugged, the antithesis of cheap or flimsy. The luminescence stays luminescent for hours into the dark. The automatic second hand sweep is graceful and solid. The case is unbrushed steel, substantial in weight, and heavy-duty like industrial strength machinery. The top of the lugs are brushed steel and the contrast only enhances the watch's natural good looks. The screw-down crown is BIG and has deep grooves, which makes it easy to screw and unscrew, not to mention set.
The bezel is my favorite feature because the grooves on the side are designed for serious use. If you want to turn that unidirectional bezel, be assured -- it will not slip. The watch is so solid that you can only conclude that conventional opinion, at least someone still makes it like they used to.
For balance, I'll mention the one and only aspect of the watch that I would prefer were different. You cannot stop the second hand. Even as you're setting the time, the second hand continues to move, making it impossible to perfectly synchronize the watch with an atomic clock. Then again, hopefully not everyone is like me, and has to have a perfectly synchronized watch.
To conclude, obviously I highly, highly recommend the Seiko SKX007. Keep in mind: if hard-core diver watches are NOT your thing, you may quickly realize that this watch is way too much watch to handle. But if you're a diver watch lover like me -- even if, like me, you've never worn a wet suit in your life -- this watch is as much the real deal as you'll ever get. Seiko Men's SKX007K Diver's Automatic Watch
I had a Seiko Men's Diver's Watch for about 10 years, and it was great. Reading reviews on several of the Seiko models, I saw several complaints about watches gaining time; the SKX007K didn't have any of those complaints, so I went with it. It arrived looking great, and worked very well... for about a month.
Well, for the last two days it's been gaining between 5 and 10 minutes an hour. I just emailed the seller (I'm in Iraq and can't call). We'll see how responsive and user-friendly they are, but bear in mind your chances of getting a problem watch. Check the number of positive reviews, count how many complaints of gaining time (and I don't mean something trivial like gaining 3 seconds a day), and calculate the chances of having to go through what I'm dealing with now.
Received my watch from Amazon about a week ago. Looks great! Better looking than the newer version SKX173 which Amazon sells for $193.00. The SKX007 is the last of this classic diver from Seiko. Better looking dial, doesn't say "Movement Malaysia" on back like the SKX173. Mine is picking up about 10 to 15 seconds a day which is not only well within the boundaries of a mechanical watch but normal for this Seiko when new. They tend to slow a little after 3 to 6 months of wear and then keep excellent time for up to 10 years without even a cleaning!
It is always a joy when I put this watch on. It feels so perfect as a dive watch and I can't stop grinning from its build quality.
1 - The way the bezel ratches as it rotates (120 clicks per rotation) feels so incredibly precise that I can't help myself from playing with it like a little kid.
2 - I have yet to scratch the glass though I've dropped the watch a couple times. While the glass is not saphire, my research on the different watch forums informs me that it should be pretty scratch resistant (very few complaints).
3 - My watch runs about 15 seconds fast every day which is great for an automatic watch.
4 - The Lume on my watch is excellent and lasts all night.
5 - As a whole this watch is more than the sum of its parts and is, in my estimation, as equal in quality as watches many times its price.
I think you will be as delighted as I am if you get this watch. I like the band that it came with but currently have a zulu strap on it. In case you were wondering the lugs are 22mm if you are interested in an aftermarket strap. - Automatic Movement - Automatic Watch - Automatic - Dive Watch'
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