The Seiko SKX007 - A diver’s watch that took a deep dive into our hearts!

The almost too-good-to-be true story of Seiko began all the way back in 1881, when a budding young entrepreneur, all of 22, Kintaro Hattori, started up a  shop for selling and repairing clocks and watches, in central Tokyo. To this day, even after more than ten decades of innovation, the company Kintaro Hattori started is continuing to grow in leaps and bounds. 

Seiko watches are quite well known all around the world because of their wide range of media partnerships. With movie stalwarts like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sigourney Weaver being seen with different Seiko watches, it has definitely helped in the sales of these beauties that are well known for their accuracy.

Seiko has since won many accolades, including  being named as the official timekeeper for several high-level sporting events, including various FIFA World Cups and also the Olympic Games!

The Iconic History of Seiko

After starting his shop in 1881, it was in 1892 that Kintaro Hattori had bought a formerly used factory, and named it Seikosha. (In Japanese, the word "Seiko" means "exquisite", the word "minute" or "success" and "sha" means house). It was here that Hattori first produced his clocks, marking the humble beginnings of this company that was soon to become one of the luxury watch world’s most iconic manufacturers of timepieces

The brilliant businessman that Hattori was, he soon built up such a great relationship with the trading house, by making sure to pay all his invoices by the due date, which was not the norm in those days. This fantastic relationship gave Hattori the boost he needed to take in larger orders and also gain better access to products needed, much earlier than the competition. With such a wide range of new and exciting products the store became incredibly popular and his business grew very quickly.

Throughout the 18th century, Seikosha's wall clock business kept increasing, leading Hattorito broadening the range of his successful business. In 1895, Hattori created a pocket watch known simply as the Timekeeper. This was a vital step ahead for Seiko, because it led the way to Japan's first ever wrist watch.

Seiko is known all over the world, primarily for their affordable, pocket-friendly quartz watches and even many watch enthusiasts might be unaware that Seiko’s history of watchmaking also includes several watch-world firsts, like the world's first ever quartz watch, Seiko Quartz Astron, which was introduced on December 25, 1969, in Tokyo.

Seiko has continued to make brilliant watches, but the SKX007 is definitely one of the most iconic divers watches that are currently in the market.

If you think the Rolex Submariner is your dream dive watch in the luxury watch market, then the Seiko SKX007 is for you, a very affordable replacement. The Seiko SKX007 has always been the usually the first watch that amateur watch collectors buy after they make the jump to mechanicals.

Not only for the diving factor, the Seiko SKX007 has always been prized by seasoned watch enthusiasts and amateurs for it’s brilliant nighttime luminosity and unbeatable good looks as well. 

Apart from the fact that it is affordable, ranging from $135- $200, the SKX007 is also quite a really well-made luxury watch that’s as utilitarian as it is versatile.

Case:

Now let’s take a look at the specs of the case. The case of the SKX007 is approximately about 42.5mm wide including the crown. Each lug is 22mm wide, and the lug-to-lug length is also very accommodating at 46mm, so it should wear quite comfortably on any wrist. Although the SKX007 is a little bit of a thick watch at 13.25mm, that is a rarity with Seiko divers. Despite this, the watch also sits quite well and not too high on the wrist. 

This case is also unique to Seiko and it also represents quite the progression of the design, that goes back several models. Although quite similar aesthetically, case of the 7002, its predecessor. 

The sides of the case of the SKX007 are elegantly polished, with the tops featuring a fine-brushed finish. There is also a slight bevel, extending all the way down to the lugs. The bezel, which is 120 clicks, has been brilliantly executed, featuring a groove pattern that allows you to grip it firmly, and the bezel action is also totally eye-catching. The black aluminium insert is black embellished with silver markers, denoting each minute are brilliantly executed and are a treat to watch in action. 

If you turn the watch around, you’ll be able to see the screw down solid case back, has Seiko’s stamped Tsunami medallion. The perimeter of the watch has the technical specs etched along as well. 

The dial and the hands

The simple, no frills dial of the SKX007 has been made with a utilitarian purpose in mind, which brings its own charm. Featuring a sexy black base with two rounded white hour markers, it is indeed a visual treat. 

While we would still prefer a date wheel that matches, we found the white aperture, that has been especially elongated enough to accommodate both the complications, does  quite a match the longer 9 o clock marker at 9 o’clock, so the sense of symmetry is not skewed. 

The bilingual day wheal, featuring both Spanish and English, helps add to the elegance. Saturday is etched in brilliant blue text and Sunday etched in red text, on the dial. The brand logo has been positioned right below the twelve o clock marker, with the word “Automatic” following Seiko. The traditional Seiko hours and minutes hands have been generously filled with a luminous material and are also trimmed in chrome. 

The seconds hand though is an exception for Seiko, with a significantly long counterbalance. 

Movement

This watch is powered by Seiko’s 7s26 movement, a powerhouse in itself with seven moving parts, which makes this one of the simplest automatic systems across the world. Featuring a quickset day/date display and automatic bi-directional winding, around 21 brilliant jewels and an impressive beat rate of 21,600 bph it is sure any watch-lover’s dream. 

The best part about this movement is that it can also be adjusted to achieve greater accuracy, however, and most watches come relatively precise right out of the box 

Straps and Wearability

As we’ve already mentioned before, the SKX007 is an incredibly flexible and versatile watch. You can choose from a wide number of different straps like a rubber two-piece, stainless steel oyster bracelet or even a stainless steel jubilee bracelets.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking to make  the leap ahead from a normal quartz watch to a mechanical one, and aren’t really looking spend too much, there are very few watches that would come close to the SKX007. Even if you are just looking for a diver’s watch to take on for your next vacation, or are looking to buy one for your loved ones, there is no better option than the SKX007. Suitable for any occasion, the SKX007 sure is prized possession to own. . 

Alternatives:

If the SKX007’S aesthetics don’t really measure up to your liking, you can also check some of the other variations out in the market, priced around the same as the SKX173. Another consideration that you might want to keep in mind is that you can modify this watch to any configuration that you’d remember, you can mod the watch to almost any configuration imaginable, so it can be a solid base for creating the watch you really want.