Excellent review on this Seiko 5KX . I don’t own this watch but I do own the SKX009, however just recently in the past few months I did purchase the new Seiko 5 SSK003J1 GMT watch and am blown away by how nice this watch is .
Many thanks! I am very much looking forward to getting my hands on one of those SSK GMTs. Being so similar to the numerous 5KXs we've reviewed, I'm sure they're excellent watches.
Japanese date is only on the made in Japan models. however, I'm sure you can find the Japanese date disc online and modify a non-made in Japan model. Rafael
It doesn't make any sense that Japanese would mark the watch "Made in Japan" in English for selling it in their own market. It is much more likely that this watch is (one of the versions) intended for international market.
Fair point, however I think it being in English is just to appeal to a larger audience, which this bit of text definitely has, even going as far back as the SKX
Anyone know the general price difference between the Japanese assembled SBSA003 version and the regular international version? I can't seem to find reliable information online about this so far.
Just got one of these, second hand, and I'm really pleased with it. I normally wear a Doxa Sub 300T, and I was a bit concerned that this would feel cheap and crappy in comparison, especially as I'd heard many bad things about the bracelet, but it feels fine. No rattling from the bracelet, secure clasp. Just hoping that the accuracy is ok.
In my experience, the accuracy has been good enough - it certainly didn't disappoint, though I'm not too demanding on accuracy with watches sub$500. Rafael
@Bespoke Unit seems to have lost about 10 seconds overnight. Seeing as it's unlikely that I'm going to be wearing it for more than 3 days in a row, it's acceptable.
These are nice watches, but it's not an SKX. If history and legacy doesn't bother you then, sure these watches are great. The SKX as probably the last entry level Seiko diver (they're now either Seiko 5 or PROSPEX) comes from great linage, the 7002, 6309, 6105, dating back to the Vietnam war To some ppl this means a lot. It's a true ISO diver, and just looks better. The dots round the bezel on the SKX give it more texture. I'd say the only thing better on these Seiko 5's is the movement. I'd say if you can find a new SKX buy one of those. If not and if the above don't bother you, then get this, it still looks good.
I can understand where you're coming from. However, I would also say that the majority of collectors who purchased an SKX did so without knowledge of the history & lineage. Perhaps after acquiring, a minority of them became curious and researched a bit on the web. The rest simply liked that the watch looked good, had solid construction, and could be worn on many different straps. I still believe the aspects that made the SKX so desirable to many can be had with the 5 Sports along with some improvements (as you mention, the new movement among them) and the majority will not miss the characteristics that did not make it to the new generation. Rafael
Just change the bracelet to jubilee strap it become spx, spx is killed by seiko because it is not perfect, it has flaws, and they will not gonna be stupid enough to tell you what it is, so they upgrade and modernize it in to a perfection
The price for this watch depends when you buy and from who. Different prices on Amazon and eBay as there are many different sellers. That's why I don't mention price in this and other Seiko5 Sports reviews. Rafael
I haven't been able to figure out the logic behind which Seiko 5 Sports watches have which color lume. Even across the same model, we've seen the dial have blue or green. I think it may depend on where it's made (Japan vs rest of world) but I'm not completely certain of that. Rafael
While I can understand your concerns regarding the non-screw-down crown, you can be sure the watch is safe to the rated depth. In fact, I'm pretty sure the watch has to sustain 1.5x the advertised depth rating. Also, refer to Seiko's own suggested activities for the rating: www.seikowatches.com/us-en/customerservice/faq/general-information-8 At the end of the day, Seiko has a reputation to uphold. I trust them to make a watch that can sustain the rating they advertise for it. Additionally, if these depth ratings were so unreliable, I am sure we would be seeing many accounts of water damage to Seiko 5 Sports watches on the web.
Until about 18 months ago, I didn't even know that screw down crowns existed. My 'best' and only watch was an 1990 Accurist Chronograph (quartz), it survived 2 years of abuse while I was working as an outdoor activity instructor, frequently wearing it in the sea, kayaking in white water, or jumping into a raging Welsh river. Still going strong now. While I certainly wouldn't advise treating a watch like that, I've NO doubt tgst a Seiko with a 100M rating could cope with a swim!
