Seiko SKX007 review: The most iconic diver from Seiko?
You often hear people “going down the rabbit hole” with the Seiko SKX007 as their first mechanical watch. It is one of the most iconic dive watches in the market that has since been discontinued and “replaced” by the Seiko 5 5KX series — a dive style watch in the exact same dimensions but in a myriad of styles and colours. The Seiko SKX007 has been in production for more than 20 years, let’s go down memory lane and take a closer look at this icon.
Case and strap
- Diameter: 42.5 mm (excluding crown)
- Thickness: 13.25 mm
- Lug-to-Lug: 46 mm
- Lug Width: 22 mm
- Water Resistance: 200 m
The cushion case is finished in a high-polish on the sides with radial brushing on the top. The crown guards at the 4 o’clock position resemble a wave and are polished, a nice contrast to the brushed case when viewed from the top. While the lug-to-lug distance is short, the lugs are rather straight and don’t wrap the wrist all that well. This issue is accentuated on smaller wrists when you wear it with a NATO strap, as a gap appears at the spring bars where the 2 layers of fabric meet. A 2-piece fabric strap should eliminate this issue, although I’ve not tried it personally. I’m using a single pass NATO strap instead to help the watch sit closer to the wrist and I think that’s a feasible alternative as well.
Protecting the dial is a flat Hardlex, which can be easily swapped out for a Sapphire crystal due to an abundance of OEM parts. As an ISO-certified diver, we have a 120-click unidirectional dive bezel with a lume pit at the 12 o’clock position. The bezel allows you to keep track of elapsed time and also a second timezone with a bit of mental calculations. Again, you have plenty of options for customisation, from GMT bezels to matte Yacht-Master style ones. We have a screw-down crown at the 4 o’clock position, a common feature on Seiko divers to prevent the crown from digging into your wrist.
The Seiko SKX007 comes on a either a jubilee-style bracelet or rubber strap. Mine came on the infamously stiff Z22 rubber strap, which I promptly removed in favour of a NATO strap. There’s just something about pairing a dive watch with NATO straps that just works, and the black dial of the Seiko SKX007 makes it an absolute strap monster.
Dial and Hands Set
The indices of the Seiko SKX007 are printed in white and have a generous application of lume, providing a stark contrast against the matte black dial. Indices on the cardinal hours are also shaped differently to provide orientation (an inverted triangle for twelve and ovals for six and nine), while the day-date display is in white to provide symmetry on the dial. These elements combine to ensure that the dial is highly legible in all conditions as a functional tool watch. The dial is also framed with a minute track chapter ring and unfortunately, mine has slight alignment issues. The Seiko branding above is in white, while the “Diver’s 200m” below is in orange for a pop of colour.
The hands are in a broad sword and arrow style to provide contrast and are shaped differently enough that you wouldn’t have any issues identifying them.The seconds hand is in white with a lollipop counter weight. Of course, these are generously applied with lume as well.
Movement
- Caliber: Seiko 7S26
- Power Reserve: 40 hours
- BPH: 21,600
- Stated Accuracy: +45/-35 sec a day
The 7S26 movement is known to be a reliable workhouse that doesn’t require frequent servicing. However, the lack of a handwinding function means that you may have to “shake” your watch to wind it up and not have the convenience of knowing if the mainspring is sufficiently wound. There’s no exhibition caseback on the SKX007, but you do get a nice tsunami logo along with the necessary text and serial numbers.
Summary
The Seiko SKX007 is a gateway into mechanical watches for many and it is not difficult to see why. For a relatively affordable price, you get a fantastic tool watch that goes with almost any strap for you to dress up or down with. This is also the watch for you if you’re in modding, with a plethora of OEM parts available. If you have slender wrists like me, the Seiko SKX013 might be a better choice with only a 37 mm diameter. But regardless of which watch you choose, you’re sure to have a reliable tool watch that can go anywhere and do anything with you for the ages.
With its discontinuation, the SKX line has been “replaced” by the 5KX series. I don’t see this as a direct replacement even though these pretty much look the same on the surface due to the lack of a threaded crown and a depth rating of 100 m. Seiko simply took elements of the SKX line that many of us loved and produced it for the masses in a myriad of colours and finishes, not that that’s a bad thing. The new 5KX line is a smart move by Seiko to cover younger demographics, but it will take a lot more to knock the SKX007 off its standing as one of the most iconic dive watches in the market.
