SEIKO Men's SKX009K2 Diver's Analog Automatic Stainless Steel Watch

First of all, for those of you that don't know, the Seiko SKX007/009 are essentially the spiritual successor to the Seiko 6xxx diver's watches that were so popular as tool watches in the Vietnam War era. At a glance, it's hard to tell them apart - the main differences being the subtle differences in the case shape and the shape of the indices on the face. The 007 is the current black bezel version, the 009 has the "Pepsi" red/blue bezel for a little added color in your life. It uses a Seiko 7S26 automatic movement which is a decent reliable movement with only a few drawbacks - more on that later. This watch shipped from Amazon's warehouse in Kentucky unlike the comments from some previous reviewers. I've only had this particular watch for a few hours, so I can't speak to the accuracy of this watch in particular, but I've been wearing a Seiko 5 with the same movement for months now and other than it running slightly fast (not unusual for an out of the box mechanical movement that's never been regulated) I can't complain about it at all. So as to this watch - let me tell you all the little, niggling things I *don't* like about it, so you can make an educated purchase. First of all, the 7S26, unlike the Swiss ETA 2824-2 in my other dive watch (which, to be fair, cost about 5x as much) cannot be hand wound, nor does it "hack." What that means is, when you pull the crown out to the time setting position, the seconds hand keeps running, so you cannot synchronize it to the second with a time source such as a top of the hour beep on the radio, an "atomic" clock (really a clock synchronized to WWVB, but that's another discussion) or the NIST web site. Not a huge deal unless you're really need that precision, and if you did, you'd be wearing an "atomic" watch anyway. And the "poor man's hack" works on this movement - set the time, then hold a little back pressure on the crown (turn it in the opposite direction ever so slightly to the direction you'd turn it to advance the hands) and that usually stops the second hand. When your time source catches up, let go, et voila, synchronized watch. Also, the bracelet is to be kind, flimsy - not unusual for Seiko watches. I honestly purchased the bracelet version only because due to the inscrutability that is Amazon it was cheaper than the rubber strap version. I'll be putting this on a Mil-NATO strap I think, but if you like bracelets, there's plenty of aftermarket bracelets out there far nicer than the original Seiko ones - only the high-end Seiko watches get really nice bracelets. Also, the bezel action is a little light, although I haven't worn it enough to see if it ever rotates by itself. This particular watch just showed up at my door today, so I haven't had a chance to see how the lume lasts, but traditionally Seiko lume is about as good as it gets - if you want something more visible at night, you really need to be looking at watches with tritium hands and indices. The bezel insert is printed, not engraved, for what it's worth, and the crystal is "hardlex" (a Seiko proprietary hardened mineral crystal material) which is less scratch resistant than sapphire but actually somewhat more impact resistant. (you win some, you lose some. And I'm not aware of any watch at this price point w/ a real sapphire crystal anyway.) All that said - if you've got as far as reading this review, you probably ought to go ahead and buy this watch. It's damn near an icon in the world of tool watches. It looks good without being a copy of someone else's design (how many Rolex Submariner homages does the world really need?) and at the same time is an evolution of a design that is a classic in its own right. Seiko makes a hell of a movement, I have no reason to doubt the 200m rating, and if you really want near-quartz accuracy from it, just wear it daily for a month or two to let it break in and then take it to your local watchmaker and have him regulate it for you. $150 (I see now it's $145?) for a quality automatic waterproof watch complete with screw down crown is not a bad deal at all. Anyway, above and beyond all that, for more watch-geekery goodness, there's a decent sized aftermarket out there with different bezel inserts, hands, dial faces, etc. for this series of Seiko watches for those that just have to have something completely different. Edit: William Jean sells solid-link bracelets for Seiko watches with solid end links and decent quality clasps. I'm waiting for one to arrive now although the watch is fine on a Mil-NATO strap. After wearing this watch for a while I've found that it only gains a few seconds a day, although more than that isn't unusual for a 7S26. Edit #2: I tried the William Jean "super oyster" bracelet but ended up going back to a Maratac Mil-NATO strap. It just seems to fit the character of this watch better, although the Super Oyster does make for a nice combination with this watch. After having owned this watch for a while I have a few nits to pick regarding it; I still like it but figured I would report on the negatives. 1) the crown does not screw down as nicely at that of my Marathon GSAR. To be fair, the GSAR costs about 5x as much. 2) the auto-winding mechanism is not very efficient. If I wear the watch all day it has lots of power reserve, but I have had a few occasions to wear a watch to bed, not having an alarm clock handy. I find that the GSAR is the choice for that duty; if I pick up the Seiko and it has run down, I apparently do not move enough in my sleep to wind the watch; it will stop running overnight. This is not a problem for either the GSAR (ETA movement) or my Vostok Amphibia, but it is for the Seiko. Unfortunately the Seiko does not handwind, and the Vostok's lume is awful, so the GSAR is really the only choice for that duty. Not a situation that most people will care about but in the interest of full disclosure I thought I should add this to my review.

A friend of mine got me all excited about mechanical watches and I always kind of wanted a nice Seiko anyway - my search quickly led me to this one: The Seiko "Pepsi Diver" (Seiko doesn't name their watches, but the names the enthusiasts come up with tend to stick). I have a dive computer that I use for my actual scuba diving, but this might make a nice backup. It's got a rotating bezel that you can twist to point at the minute hand - and then you can easily glance at it and see how many minutes it's been since you set the bezel (it only rotates counter-clockwise. I guess that's so that bumping it accidentally during a dive might make it look like you've been down longer than you have - but it can't make it look like you've been down less time, so it errs on the side of diver safety) Here's a crash course in the things I've learned about mechanical watches and this watch in particular: 1) This is an "automatic" watch - which means self-winding. There is a small weight inside the watch that swivels around as you move during the day and keeps the watch wound for you. 2) If you take it off and leave it for too long, it will run down and you'll have to rock it back and forth a bit to get it going again. I haven't let mine run down yet so I don't know how long it takes. It will certainly stay running overnight if you take it off when you go to bed. 3) The guts of mechanical watches are called the "movement". This is a Japanese movement, model number 7S26. Seiko has been using this movement for a long time and it works very well. 4) You'll see mechanical watches talk about how many "jewels" they have. These aren't for bling - they aren't even visible unless you get a watch where you can see the insides. I's referring to the small industrial rubies that are used as low friction bearings in the movement. I think 19 is pretty standard, plus a couple extra that are used in the self-winding stuff - this is a 21 jewel movement. 5) Some people complain that the watch isn't as blue as they expected. The face of it is more like a dark bluish gray - but the bezel is a nice blue, and between the two of them it's blue enough for me 6) I bought the SKX009K2 model. As far as I can tell from internet research, it is exactly the same as the SKX175 model - the 175 is just intended for the American market and is a bit more expensive for some reason. 7) It has day/date wheels on it - so it will show THU 16, FRI 17 etc. The day/date wheels appear to be white plastic. The text is all black except for SAT, which is blue, and SUN, which is red. The day wheel is also bilingual, with abbreviations for spanish days of the week on it as well. They alternate with each other - so the wheel has "MON LUN TUE MAR WED MIE THU JUE FRI VIE SAT SAB SUN DOM" on it. When you set it, you just pick whichever language you prefer. Then when it changes at midnight it moves two clicks to get to the next day in the language you selected. It doesn't move those two clicks instantly, though. The day of the month starts changing before midnight. The day of the week starts changing sometime after midnight, then it changes to the spanish version of the day, and then sometime around 3am it finishes changing to the english version of the correct day 8) The face of the watch (officially called the "crystal") is made from Seiko's brand of hardened glass called hardlex 9) Mechanical watches don't tend to be as accurate as quartz watches, though if you think about how little time it gains or loses in a day while you're walking around banging it into doorframes it's really an incredibly precise machine. Mine is currently gaining about 2 seconds per day when worn 24/7. It gains time faster if I take it off - partially because watches run fastest when they're on their face or back as they are when you set them down. I think it also has something to do with temperpature stability. When you're wearing it, it's pretty much always at your skin temperature. I think they tend to run faster when they are new and they wear in and slow down a bit after a couple months. 10) The movement is supposed to move 21600 times per hour on this watch, which is 6 times per second. You can see the second hand moving multiple times per second, but it looks like it only moves 5 times per second to me - so I'm not sure about that part of it. 11) Watches come with extra links in the band - so you won't be able to take it out of the box and put it on unless you have really big wrists. You need a tiny little punch to drive out the link pins - I just took it to a watch store and they fitted it for me for ten bucks 12) Seiko is apparently known for really bright "lume" (glow in the dark). If this is in the sun for a minute or so and you take it inside it glows like crazy. It doesn't stay that way for long, but that's pretty normal. If you wake up in the middle of the night and look at it the hands are very dim, but are sill visible. Anyway, overall this is a really cool watch with some significant Seiko Diver history behind it and some amazing mechanical stuff in there. I'm very happy I bought it. The price and shipping from the Amazon partner company were excellent. It did come with a warranty card and was new-in-box.

I've been wearing the SKX009K2 for a while now, and this watch has served me well. Other reviewers may have already mentioned the tendency for these automatics to run fast; this seems par for the course for this type of watch in general and something that the buyer should know about ahead of time before investing in an automatic. I've found quartz movements to be the most reliable (especially in this price range), and so those looking for better accuracy should buy quartz. That being said, this automatic is a great value for the price, durable, cheap and stylish enough to wear anywhere from the beach to a formal dinner setting. I got this watch nearly 6 months ago, and was drawn in by its history and nearly cult-like following on watch forums. I have been impressed by the build quality since day one, and it has a good heft on the wrist, but not so much that you feel weighted down. I had a couple links removed from the band to go for a more snug fit, but I think others may opt for a nato strap or rubber depending on if you plan to go diving with it. I've found that the stainless steel strap that comes with this watch is durable enough for most occasions, and works quite well with most outfits. The 1-directional bezel is actually quite useful for timing short intervals. The red styling provides a great color contrast and allows you to gauge elapsed time, even in low light conditions. The lume in this watch is BRIGHT. I have a Luminox Blackout 3051, and this Seiko is just as bright as the gas-filled tubes used in the Luminox. This is a great watch for the money, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an inexpensive, stylish automatic that is also durable to boot.

OMG. I can't stop looking at it. Looks and feels like a $2000 swiss divewatch. So nice. So, so very nice. However, it does a lousy job of keeping time. Mine is 5 minutes fast PER DAY from the factory. I took it to a watch repair shop and they measured the movement on a machine that showed if it was alittle too fast or slow. It was so badly out of adjustment that the machine could even register the measurements. Hopefully they will be able to get it reasonably back in tune.

Well I have been researching watches for a good quality automatic that I could use for everyday use as well as diving. The Seiko seems to have fit the bill after I waited for a good price on amazon. The watch was shipped out very quickly and came brand new in the box with all of the plastic protective covering still on. I got the instructions and the warranty book but the Seiko warranty card was missing. Not sure if these watches are grey market and don't come with a warranty, but Amazon appears to offer their own 2 year warranty. Not as good as the 3 year one from Seiko, but at this price I'm not one to balk. The watch itself if beautiful, and I really like the "pepsi" Seiko colors. The screw down crown was a bit hard to start on it's threads after I set the time. The Lume is amazing and only second to the crazy bright lume of a luminox watch I own. The watch has some weight to it and feels substantial, not a ton but feels of good quality. The face is quite dark blue not bright or royal blue. I have read that some people don't like the Jubilee band, but I thinks its pretty comfortable and sharp looking. So far I've timed it with my iphone and its pretty close for my liking, I'll know more in a few weeks/months etc. The bezel if very smooth out of the box and has 120 detents. I'll post updates on it's reliability since I've just recently purchase it. So far very happy, and am already pondering buying some more Seiko automatics!!

I did NOT buy this from the listed seller, so I can't comment on them. I got it maybe 10 years ago off Amazon (can't recall seller) but thought I would throw in a long-term review. This has been a great watch, As for the automatic movement (no battery, no battery replacements ever), it will store enough energy to keep working for maybe 1.5 days after being worn for a day and has performed this way since new. If I don't use it for two days it will need to be worn again to get the movement going, and of course I would need to reset the time, day, date. If I wear it all day and put it on the next morning it will still be running and will never need reset as long as I use it every day. I have a few other automatic watches and they all seem to work this way. Not sure how long a Rolex or Omega Seamaster will work after wearing for a day, but this watch cost me $300, not several thousand. What I don't like so much is the look of the band. I prefer the look of the Rolex Submariner solid link bands which some other SEIKOs have also. It would also be nice to have a magnifier over the day/date area, but I can live without that. The rotating bezel became really hard to turn after I spilled some soda on it, but two drops of 3-in-1 oil loosened it up and it has been fine ever since. A note on the rotating bezel - the ratcheting movement feels more precise and solid than multi-thousand dollar watches I was checking out at a jewelry store, Overall, completely satisfied with functionality. After 10 years of use the crystal still looks new as does the case and the band. The flat clasp surface on the back of the band has a few scratches, but I've worn this probably close to 1,000 times in 10 years and I have banged it and rubbed it against various surfaces over the years, so a few scratches are to be expected. In any event I can get almost all the scratches off the band with some automobile polish anyway.

This is my second automatic watch purchase (first was an Orient Millenium for wearing to work). This Seiko will be more of a weekend/beater watch. I was torn between the black SKX007 or this Pepsi bezel. I ultimately went with the Pepsi 009 because I like a splash of color (just like the blue hands on the Millenium). Note, the dial color of the 009 does not seem to be the same blue as the bezel (I was expecting this color difference from reading other reviews). It's not black, more of a dark grey/blue in most lighting. Speaking of lighting, the lum on the hands and hour markers is quite bright and long lasting. The bracelet seems flimsy for the heft of the watch, but once on the wrist, it is very comfortable. I also separately ordered a rubber strap (with the older-style flat vents), which I anticipate using in the warmer months. The outer edge of the bezel isn't beveled, giving a nice depth to the watch, but also causing the watch to wear "big". This contributes to the hearty feel of the watch making it perfect to wear for light duty, but it would probably have some issues fitting under a shirt cuff. I was initially concerned the watch diameter might be too large for my taste, but it looks great on my 7.5" wrist. I wear watches on my right arm, so the crown position near 4 o'clock is a nice comfort. Overall, great looking watch. Pleased with the purchase. Seems to be a great value!

If you want a Submariner "homage" watch but you don't want to spend the $$, this watch is a great option. In fact, this watch is quickly becoming a top favorite of mine, right up there with my Rolex, Ball & Tag. The jubilee band is super comfortable, the "Pepsi" bezel makes the watch pop a little, and the links were perfect for my wrist. You will NOT get a sapphire crystal, Seiko uses their proprietary Hardlex crystal. But you will get an excellent automatic movement and an awesome look & feel. Oh, and you'll be spending about $6700 LESS than a real Submariner and there's something very comforting about that! Update: I have had this watch for about 2 weeks now and of all the watches in my collection, this is the one I still reach for every day. All of my original comments above still apply. Great watch. Just Google SKX009 in you tube and you'll be amazed and the number of reviews on this watch and I am beginning to understand why its so popular.