Seiko SKX v Rivals! (Seiko 5KX, Orient Kamasu, Sharkey) 

I know this is a couple of years old, but I bought a Heimdallr SKX earlier this year. The crown guards aren’t sharp, the lume pip is still raised, it has the day/date NH36 and a watch face and hands identical to the original SKX. When taken off at night it runs about 3 seconds fast per day. When worn 24/7 it’s damn near perfect. Comfort with the jubilee is outstanding. I couldn’t be happier with this watch. And it was $135 shipped, US!

Rise up my Kamasu Cult!

You can't expect too much from the bracelet for $250 but we get $50 watches from China with NH36s, solid links and solid end links and often sapphire crystals. I think sometimes we are too forgiving of the big brands.

I really like the Orient. The dial and hands elevate it above the Seikos to dress it up some, important for a daily wear. I even like that Orient logo.

I am missing the Citizen NY0040... The last remaining true 90s diving workhorse.

I love my Kamasu for legibility: minute hand points exactly to the ends of printed minute markers, same with second hand, baton markers which are different to-in my opinion-boring circles in almost every dive watch, just take a look and you know exactly what time is. Only little downside is the crown, could be a little bigger (or crown guards can be smaller). I have 7" wrist and the bracelet is normal, i don't care if the clasp is milled or pressed. Great guard on clasp, not too loose not to stiff so your fingernails wont break when you operate it :) Great video, cheers, stay safe!

All I can say is that for the Heimdallr/Sharkey, that is a lot of green saved for a minor issue that can be easily resolved by minor sanding.

And this is why you’re the king of this “watch RU-vid space” Keep it up brother, I enjoy everything you do.

The Sharkey continues to prove that the best for the least are Chinese watch brands that lack name recognition.

This is very quickly turning into just one more kamasu.. And that’s not a bad thing.. 10 years from now it will have a cult following, you heard it first!

I have the green Kamasu, which kicks ass. Replaced the bracelet with a Strapcode jubilee and it looks sooo much better and is really comfortable.

Thank you, for your effort. It is priceless. Since the beggining it was clear for me that Orient's machine was the most consistent offer in comparison. I also like the way you have classfied the most important items taken into account we are talking about diver watches (for a daily use ). Thank you again from Canary Islands!!

Best decision I've ever made was to purchase the Kamasu instead of the SKX. So many notorious SKX stories of misaligned chapter rings. As Teddy Baldassarre once said, you can't have a misaligned chapter ring if you don't have a chapter ring. Kamasu for the win.

Always a pleasure to watch a review, Jody! Hope you and your family are staying healthy!

A great video as always Jody. Thank you for brightening up my quarantine.

The red-dialed Kamasu would be my choice of these. That bracelet would have to go, though!

Pretty sure that the backwards lume dot on the SKX second hand is only there so you are able to check the watch is still running while you’re underwater (which is one of the ISO6425 requirements), it’s not supposed to make sure you can read the exact time down to the second.

Jody is basically the Mat Watson of watches.

SKX007 would be my pick primarily for its iconic status as well as for how comfortable it wears. I wear mine often. In Australia the Kamasu is very expensive so if I was going to go for an Orient I’d pick the Mako or Ray. By the way I’m also very happy with the bronze Heimdallr 😉

Just got a 5kx today and I’m super pleased with it. Don’t know what all the fuss is about

Halooo, Great work, Jody! I love the long format. Keep it up! Kind regards

Glad to see the Kamasu win. Have a Mako 2 and the quality for the price point here is as good as it gets - especially with the colour options and sapphire crystal Great vid 👏

Nice comparison and I think your scoring here is helpful to folks assessing their options in 2020! For the "would I daily it?" test, there are two winners: Kamasu and Islander. The thing I love about Kamasu/Mako/Ray is the high comfort and wearability. It's thin and low like a classic sub, and inward-facing end links will conform well to small wrists. The design hits the "classic" point between vintage and modern - it's not loud or tooly, but I also don't think it'll ever look outmoded. The Islander is basically a modern execution of the SKX formula - big applied indices(deeper than Seiko's embossed 5KX/Turtle ones), lumed ceramic bezel, drilled lugs, oyster bracelet with solid everything, and full compatibility with SKX aftermarket mod parts. Yeah, it's $300, and you can find someone else to ship you something with the same spec sheet for less. But the attention to detail on the Islander is really nice, and I can't believe how much time it gets on my wrist. I'd need to spend $700 or so to get something this nice from Seiko, or $1,000+ from a Swatch brand.

Nice one Jody, fair enough, useful comparison. I got a green SRPD since I only dive in my bathtub. Now Sharkey looks quite appealing to me. Thank you Sir. Cheers.

I liked the 4-way comparison. It was more "big picture" than when it's two watches head-to-head. I hope you do more of these.

so happy with my kamasu. Unreal value. Had it for 7 months and it’s my recommendation always.

Awesome video Jody! Love these battle style videos!!

I think the Sharkey has it's own charm and a worthy contender.

Now this is a video I've been waiting for ;)

as an skx owner, i will never buy 5kx. however, kamasu is great and may be a great companion to my skx.

Another stellar video Jody! I bought my SARB and Oris 65 on your recommendation, and now have Tudor BB and Omega Seamaster 300 V3 on they way based on your opinion on both these ranges. Hooked😂

Nice comparison. I wanted the Kamasu to be the top winner because I love that watch! I'm debating whether to buy the red dial or not. We'll see. Thanks for another great video!!!

Well done.Excellent review

I spent about as much as your physiologist since I started following your channel as well lol. Great stuff

I just wanted to share the great news that trough the purchase of the world famous Seiko SKX009 I bought myself my very first piece of horological significance and with that the first watch for my collection. I managed to get my hands on one of the last ones, albeit at the little bit higher price of $235. It’s new, it’s the real deal (I checked the serial and case number) and more importantly it’s mine. I chose the SKX009 for my 7 inch wrist because of the Pepsi bezel which I think stands out just a little bit more and looks just a little bit more iconic than the black version on the SKX007. I did not opt for the smaller SKX013 because I like my watches a little bit larger. I want to thank you for teaching me about heritage and horology. Without your channel I probably would have ignorantly bought myself yet another Fossil. Thank you for making the wonderful world of watches accessible to newbies (on a budget) like me who are just starting out their collection. Please keep on making videos because I still have so much to learn about watches especially as I carefully and slowly try to expand and maybe even start to mod the watches of my collection. Again many thanks, you’ve got yourself a fan and follower for life! Joshua

A most excellent video, Jodie. Thank you, I thoroughly enjoyed it 👍

Have enjoyed my SKX for 20+ years and still do. Regulated it myself to gain only a few seconds a day - fantastic! The jubilee band is fantastic and always been my favorite, but does pull the hair. To bad Seiko couldn't improve on it. Jody does the best watch videos!

The NY0040 is missing! Would've been great to see that in there. Cheers.

I got both the kamasu in black and the 5kx in blue. Both are lovely. 5kx is more sporty and sparkly (sunburst is extremely pronounced), while the kamasu is very professional and dressy. I would say the kamasu is more versatile, as you can wear it formally and with jeans and t-shirt. I wouldn't be able to rock the 5kx with a suit, the kamasu no problem.

I have an skx that I wear on an Uncle Seiko rubber strap. But the diver I wear the most is a Bulova Marine Star. It is just so comfortable on an I-bar bracelet. I find this to be very comfortable, and the lume is fantastic! It doesn’t look as bright to start with because the indexes aren’t as wide, but the staying power is great! I bought mine on a close out deal from Macy’s for $110! I think this makes it a better deal than any of theses. Also the fit and finish is beautiful plus I personally love the Knurled bezel is not only very grippy, but also has absolutely no bounce back nor slop on the lineup. It hits the indices perfectly and never moves after you are done adjusting it. Best diver I own for daily wear, and I own eight divers. I do have some Nautis divers with better water resistances but they are more bulky and not as nice of a movement in them. The top one is a chronograph with a 500 meter water resistance rating. It should be noted that my Bulova was the most expensive of the bunch. Great video as always Jody, I can’t wait for the next one!!!

Great breakdown. I think the minute you take using it in water into consideration you have to give the SKX the edge over the 5KX. From an everyday use standpoint though I can't argue. SKX is still my personal favorite though.

I have 2 Kamasu, love it. One was the 2000 piece limited edition, so beautiful.

I love my Kamasu. It's my favorite watch.

Definitely the Kamasu

I love the SKX dial I think it's my favourite all time! 😁 Simple and nicely styled. I also think the Heimdallr shark logo is very cool. I have the Heimdallr and have had zero issues with the sharp guards. I found everything else on the watch sharp.. the bracelet edges, the bezel pip. What let's the Heimdallr down in my opinion is the weight. It's just such a lump sticking out like it does. I don't wear mine as a result. Oh yes and I hate decorations around the date window.. those look so cheap and nasty 😂

5:46 "...daily driver.." I wish haha! 😅 Great review, Jody!

Great video Jody!

HOW DID THIS VIDEO JUST COME UP AS I WAS ABOUT TO CLICK BUY ON A KAMASU!!!!!!! WHAT!?!? Time to watch this and then see if I can rightfully click that button! WOW

Great review! I don’t have a Kamasu (yet), but I have a collection of 5 assorted Orient Mako II and Ray II, all picked up cheaply on eBay, and have done Long Island Watch bracelet upgrades as well as crystal and bezel mods including fully lumed ceramic inserts and each has its own personality and unique look. I have various leather and rubber 22mm deployant style straps and I have tons of options to keep me from getting bored. I know I could have bought one really nice watch at the $1k price point but it’s more of a hobby than a status symbol for me. I love it when someone compliments one of them because they’ve never seen one like it and I get to say that ‘I made this’ with pride and have the satisfaction of knowing I spent less than $200 on something really personalized. The enjoyment of spec’ing and comparing parts, imagining what the finished product will look like, waiting anxiously for the parcel to come in and then the hands on of changing the bezels and crystals is as satisfying to me as buying one luxury purchase and only being able to stare at it. 😊 ⌚️🥺

Just picked up an Orient Kamasu, through your link so thanks Jody!

Hey Jody. I LOVED this post. Please do more. I'd love to see, say, a pilots watch comparison. Maybe a simple flieger (type A or B dial), against a Seagull 1963 against a Seiko Flightmaster or Citizen Night Hawk against Simple Rolex GMT homage, like the Concord pilots all (supposedly) wore. I reckon that would be ACE (pun intented). 4 very different watches all built to serve a similar purpose. Go on! It'd be great!

And today's masterpiece video goees brilliiantly wth a soju!!!!! Both straight to the essence, potent and utterly relevant under Covid19 lockdown!!!!!

This was a great format and pacing for a review!I realize you can't do this all the time, but this is a very good way to do these reviews, so enjoyable and so informed in one move. I was particularly happy with the inherent utility to the side by side lume shot, and that you've included Heimdallr in your review. I would note that the Sharkey you tested comes in several colors and several options, which I think you should have mentioned. Bump up one half of the next price bracket, and the value from Heimdallr takes a huge jump: domed Sapphire, day date available, signed crown, more ceramic bezels, etc... and you should see the bronze watches at 200 and 250 bucks... Anyway, very nicely done. This is pretty close to a high water mark for style and content.

In my book the original is best. I have loads of cool watches, but I always gravitate to my 007 with strap code oyster bracelet. It's the one that still gives me the juice while wearing ☺️ Stand out vid Jody 👍

Thanks for the video mate👌 I have the Heimdallr 6105, absolutely amazing for £108 shipped with no customs charges. Everything about this watch is awesome, sapphire, insane lume, stainless case, waffle strap...... Just amazing!!!!!

I was really looking forward to this one, but oh man, where to start?! Kamasu and SKX/5KX are all 300 euro plus shipping in my country, to get the Islander over here would add over 135 dollars in shipping, custom fees and taxes so that would be a 400+ euro watch for me. I don't care about bracelets (I put leather on everything, lol) nor brands so those points are moot to me. Then the Heimdallr: mine has no sharp edges, mine does have a day-date complication, I paid only 135 euro's for it including shipping directly from Heimdallr, I love the little shark on the dial and it stays within one second of atomic time for weeks on end. I think you bought the wrong Heimdallr and that there are too many subjectives in your comparison Jody, maybe take another look at the format..? Still giving you a like though, but just because it's you ;)

Hi Jody, Great video my own choice woulds be the Orient. I got my Seagull 1963 with Sapphire today, so looking forward to wearing it. keep up the good work

new category to add?.. ORIGINALITY : )

From the 4 reviewed here, I have two. The SKX and the Kamasu. I love the Skx, bought it six years ago (in fact I had one 25 years ago, but at that time seemed too bulky for me ) I love it but I wanted to have one "prettier" diver to wear it in some ocasions, so i bought the Kamasu; the green one. Im very happy with this two. If i will add other diver to my collection... if its a Seiko, probably will be a Sumo. if I turn to a "chinese" one... maybe will be a San Martin . I think you could add one San Martin to this comparison as the Sharky does.

Love the kamasu! I put a double dome from crystal Times and a proper tapering oyster from strapcode. Love it! F6922 does quite well with precision. Some details look a bit cheap but in the end after a good mako 2 and now the kamasu I can't wait to see the next diver by Orient.

Excellent review. Brilliant.

Got my skx009 since almost 25 years, worn it 20 every day and i can still see the time when i wake up in the dark. The lume is perfect ;) (or the best i can imagine right now. Not enough lifetime to test others so long ;))

Hi Jodie , Love the channel....youve cost me a fortune in Casios alone over the last few weeks of lockdown...this comparison was great. I have both the SKX and the Kamasu and both are on upgraded strap codes....ive worn them both frequently and no matter what the age of the movement and the hardlex the SKX on a strap code super engineer has something special about it on wrist. My Kamasu is deep blue in colour and is on a Strapcode super jubilee. Its a nice piece but head to head score or not if I were asked to chose I would keep the SKX every time...."star quality"

Good work sir, all quite good. I also like my promaster in blue, great size and a strap monster.

Great, honest observations. I am ask picky and OCD as you, so I appreciate your reviews!

Great video! I love my SKX 007 to death, seriously! Love to wear it on leather NATO straps, or nylon. My 007 has fortunately not a misaligned chapter ring! But the 009 I got last x-mas had a misaligned chapter ring. Orient Kamasu: nice, but hands are too thin. SRPD: unsure about this one. I got the movement of this one already in another Seiko watch but much much cheaper two years ago. Exhibition caseback: why? Movement looks boring. Sharky: I need to check out this one!

I've got an Islander and an SKX. The Islander is absolutely gorgeous, but the SKX is still my daily wearer. There are some things that can't be quantified I guess.

Thanks for the comparison, Jody. I think it was a mistake to exclude the Islander from this comparison as it punches well above its weight. I bought my JDM SKX from Long Island and had a sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel installed by Marc. While it looks totally standard, it cost much more than the Islander. Nonetheless, it is now the perfect SKX, in my opinion ... I really don’t care about hacking and hand-winding, and I kind of like the old-school quirkiness of the 7s26 movement (as I do on my 6139 Pogue chronograph). The SKX is such an icon that never fails to garner a nod and a smile from fellow watch enthusiasts. It is the original and all the others are homages, with the Islander at the top of that list, in my opinion.

I have Long Island islander and it’s great, I almost bought a sharky in the sale last weekend. If this video came out a week ago I think I would have got it. Great video Jody

So glad I got an Skx009 which is hard to get and is expensive in my country... nothing beats it in my opinion. I got it on a solid super jubilee and I love it!!

I love my Seiko snzh57j1 , got it for about $175 !!

The Sharkey is also available in Bronze, and with other dial/hand options, including an SKX style one.

Coffee, JOMW Dive comparison, and "Hellooooo!" makes for a brilliant day. EXCELLENT comparison. LOVE this channel. Thank you Jody.

Got myself an skx 009 yesterday and I’m in love. I don’t get the chance to drop on bigger watches very often so wanted to buy a classic

“over Braceleted “is my phrase of the day!!

SKX all day everyday. In fact I'm wearing mine first time in ages, and it's a joy to wear.

Nice one Jody. I have the SKX and the Seiko 5 KX and i find the crown guards vert sharp on that especially when winding they are rather nasty to be honest, apart from that i love the watch, Chintzy is a good description of the orients dial they just don't appeal to me. Stay Well , Darren.

Jody I don't think it is fair to dock points in the movement category for the Sharkey not having a day wheel. The version you purchased doesn't have one, but Sharkey does offer variants with a day wheel (NH36). Also, your scores for the Case, Bezel, and Comfort may already be outdated. Sharkey/Heimdallr just revealed that they are revising the watch to be 99% compatible with SKX mod parts. The new batch is arriving in May and should have changes to the case, bezel, and crown. This means the crown guard may get improved and the bezel action will definitely be different (as they will be switching back to using the SKX style click spring like the 2018 Sharkey SKX used).

It would be interesting to see your opinion on the Long Island "SKX" remake.

Bought two skx Sharkey watches recently. I love them. They worked out the crown guard rough sides.

YES! Finally!

Literally when this guy say heloooooooo....the video gets highlited 🤣🤣🤣😁

I'll still have the SKX, thank you.

Great video, the orient kamasu is definitely my pick, just a very well done watch. By the way, would we have a change to see the pagani design datejust review?

I have the ol classic SKX and a Sharkey/Heimdallr 6105 so not the exact same. The Heimdallr stomps the SKX on specs and the feel is identical. I love the 6105 and I suspect the other models would leave me in the same mood. The out of the box bracelets are not even in the same league.

The SKX dial is gorgeous and an absolute icon. No idea what you're saying here, love it! Also it is iconic - none of the other watches are an icon. The SKX has featured in movies to and it is found in the collections of people with extremely expensive watches as it is respected. The rest of these watches are just pants in terms of brand awareness and iconic status. Also we know the SKX movement as basic as it is: is extremely robust. Can we really make the same claims with the other watches? In terms of the dial and use of hardlex. The watch is highly legible, beyond that of alternative options and it is almost transparent through the case. Subjective of course, people can and should like whatever.

I have an SKX and my wife bought be a orange dial SRPD, which has surprised me by becoming a favourite, I quite fancy the Orient it admit something about the Sharkey - perhaps the logo? - doesn’t appeal. Anyway, another great video 👍

I've been in a several-month-long argument with myself about pulling the trigger on a sharkey 6105 homage. How close it is to actually just being a Seiko is driving me nuts compared to how much I should expect to pay for an actual Seiko 6105 :/ However I'm definitely a fan of their rubber straps...I have one of their waffles to go with my baby turtle and I love it. It's somewhere between feeling like plastic and silicone. Very comfortable.

Greatest cinematic line of all time!!! Wearing red Kamasu on rubber tropic strap here👌

This vid was ideal for me, I was toying with the idea of purchasing 1 of 3 of these. I already own 2 orients (Ray 2 & Kano) and love them. And I already on an SKX. But after this vid I have made my mind up to get a Kamasu. I as leaning towards a kamasu anyway as I love both my orients. But considering the bracelet score is irrelevant to me as I be using nato, then that pushes the overall score of the kamasu even higher imho. And the dial looks I do disagree with your score, the kamasu is the prettiest to me. So thanks Jody for double downing on the the decision I was leaning to anyway. Great vid.

Excellent vid.

Great review but just can’t get behind the 5KX beating the SKX, surely some bonus points go to the SKX because it’s such an icon! 😊

I'd go for a Sharkey if you want a brand that only watch enthusiasts would really know about. It would be like belonging to secret society club.

I would rather have an Islander than a Sharkey. Personal preference. Marc is great for the community and the Islander I have has sapphire glass and bezel for $299. All models have lumed bezels as well. I have a Kamasu and SKX as well. All get worn and I enjoy them.

Just received a "Heimdallr SKX 2K20 Green Version" on a Jubilee bracelet. Probably the most shameless homage of the Seiko SKX on the entire internet at the moment, but in my opinion also the best made. It seems they listened to Jodys advice and improved the case. No sharp crown guards any more, really comfortable. And when they label it "Green Version", they really mean "green"! I reckon this improved version would easily win the above competition. Love it very much so far, except the still existing, "nasty, out sticking lume pip". I can see that coming off very easily, considering me unintentionally hitting all kinds of things with my watches on a regular basis. I'm worse than a 5y old in that respect.

Turns out that the Sharkey, like The Last Emperor, had dodgy Crown Guards.. :)

Still love the skx but the one that attracts me is your shirt love the design😄😄

I own the SKX, the Orient and the Sharkey. Firstly, the Sharkey bezel is much better than the others. Secondly, agree the SKX bracelet is rubbish, but very comfortable. Dropping the Sharkey 8 points because of the brand is crazy. It's all subjective, but I think the best watch is the Sharkey, then the Orient, and finally the SKX. I should also mention, the SKX costs a lot more in the UK

I think you short changed the 007 in the value category. Let's not forget that this watch holds its value better then all the other watches. Especially now that it is discontinued. It might actually go up in value in the future.

In July 1983 I purchased a 6309-7049 prod date of 1982 in Toronto and the back case has never been off. Also the watch still runs like a top and is in pristine condition since it’s not a daily user.