In the year of 2000 , my grandad bought me a skx007 for my 10th birthday from japan. That was the first thing that i adored so much. Every time i went to bed i put it back in the box. I treated it like my grail watch. After owned couple of watches (Rolex, JLC, Nomos, Lange) i became a watch snob. I had a burning hatred towards entry level watches (because that always reminds me from where i came from, poor family). Little did i know, my grandpa also bought me another skx007 just in case the one that he gave me fails or lost. When i was opening his safe deposit box, the watch was sitting there waiting for me to pick it up. And the name on the guarantee card was my name. It really touched me. Now i treat both my skx with love and wear them with pride

A rule I learned from an old friend about collecting: never give up the first item you bought.

I have a Seiko 5 (7009) that my mom gave to me when I turned 18. I am 54 years old now and the watch is still going strong; I have put that watch thru hell and back and it has never ever failed me. I still wear it from time to time in my watch rotation and it is always a topic of conversation for sure. I am in the process of acquiring all the SNK color models. Thank you for sharing your experience.

This video touched me. I have the same watch in blue, at least 14 years old gifted by my mom n dad when i was a kid. Im not a watch enthusiast and opted to wear fashion watches that was gifted to me by loved ones. I became an audiophile instead as a hobby. Being an audio enthusiast taught me to appreciate high quality fancy metal work from my speakers and electronics. One day, I was digging around my closet and found this old gem and they are still working, looking amazing and i appreciate how the chassis and the whole thing looks! It certainly appears to be better built than my $200 fossil fashion watches lol. Some dings and scratches here and there but they tell a very personal story to me. 14 years late but this little watch is my gateway to this new hobby. Im getting an skx007 in the next few days bec of this and will be keeping my snk forever bec it reminds me of my old self.

it's really refreshing to finally see a reviewer that focuses on the important stuff, and doesn't just say the same as every other watch collector.

Same thing happened to me with my Orient Mako- I bought it because it was on sale at Amazon during Black Friday one year. Didn't expect much. It's turned out to be the watch I wear the most by far. I wear it cycling almost every day jiggling around. I wear it in the heat, in the rain....The funny thing is that you wear beater watches so your "nice" watches don't get damaged but the you wear it so much that you get attached to it and would hate it if it broke. They made such a big deal out of the Swatch Sistem 51 when it came out which is, in actuality, a plastic piece of junk. Meanwhile the Japanese have been churning out cheaper, tank-like automatic watches for decades. Orients, Seiko 5s...you can't go wrong with any of them.

I have the black version and have been loving it for the past 2 years. My daughter needed a trustworthy watch for her mission trip to Bulgaria so I sent it with her. I'll keep it always.

This video describes why I love mine so much too. It’s been through everything and just keeps going. It was my first mechanical watch and it will stay in my collection forever.

My SNK805 has been an absolute Rock Star for just over 10 years. It's never been serviced, and has kept great time with minimal creep (which I would regularly adjust). It's been the only watch on my wrist except when dressing for an event that requires a little more. The watch has finally reached its life span. It still runs, but I can no longer adjust the creep out to make the watch a reliable time keeper. It gains literally 2-3 minutes per hour now. I just ordered its replacement, and I purchased the exact same model in the same black configuration. This watch literally only cost me $5. US a year to own. I'm like you. The watch is SO good, simple and reliable, that it's worth replacing with the same model. I like the upgrades you've done to yours! Cheers! Zip~

Thanks to you I’m gonna get one of these tomorrow. Wanted something for work that will take a beating but also something I liked and was proud to wear (without breaking the bank). Great no nonsense video. I’ve just subscribed. Keep the videos coming. Thanks.

Finally a video when they appreciate a good seiko creations whit a good budget, to buy, have this wacht for 4 years now am a truck driver and has gone trough winter,summer, mud and it stills runs like a champ

I've watched this video 3 times. A beautiful tribute to a hard working time piece. I'm ordering one with a leather strap and a black NATO. Bless you

I have a seiko 5 7009-3041 that has served me 56years old and it still works to this day!

I've always wanted a Seiko 5 because my dad had one and I just fell head over heels with this one. It's so pretty to me with the brushed steel and aviator style dial, and of course it runs great. It's also wonderful that it's quite small for a men's watch because I'm a woman with tiny wrists.

Wearing my black one right now. I just love the movement of this watch.

I completely agree with what you said about the AR coatings. It makes absolutely no sense to coat such a durable material with a soft, easily scratch-able coating. Great video!

I bought the same watch for my son's 20th birthday, just the black model and 23 jewels. It Reminded me when my own dad passed his seiko 5 automatic stainless steel 21 jewels 6619-7050 model to me when I turned 20 myself. I still use that vintage watch to this day. Its still elegant and classy looking. Am looking forward to when i can pass it over to my other kids. Its becoming an heirloom, this Seiko 5 :D.

Just bought this last night. I don't know what it is about this watch, but I love it, and I don't even have it yet. Great vid!!!

I have had my SNK805 for only a few months now but it is my absolute favorite watch. It was my first mechanical let alone automatic watch. I recently got a green Harris Tweed strap from Vario and the two go together beautifully (I always wear Tweed blazers whenever I can). It just feels very nice, and I bought it at my local, family owned watch shop and Seiko dealership, so it means a lot to me.

To be honest, I was anticipating this review to be slightly disappointing since it was 21mins long. But oh boy was I wrong! I just really like your personality. You described extremely well the points you make and you are always trying to look at the positive even on negatives points. Congrats sir, you earned yourself a subscriber. P.S. I also always thought the shape was kinda weird but it grew on me as I was wearing it. I always thought it looked like a small hamburger.

I've just bought this watch yesterday and now I've stumbled across your video ;)

Entry level Seikos are always the bang for the buck. Watches for a whole life

On one channel, they showed a comment from a soldier in us military that bought one just before enlisting. He related all the abuse it took, & water combat & parachuting etc. It went for 5 years & only broke a spring bar.

Had this watch for 3 years , including 1 year on a combat deployment to east Africa, still ticking away , awesome watch

I have the same watch.. feel like wearing it after watching the review.. love your channel 🙂🙂

I finally pulled the trigger on the snk809 due to the new model. So I looked at this review. Thanks again

The original hands look much better, in my opinion...

Thumbs up for all people that bond with a watch (despite price) and give it so much love. I also love Seiko 5, my grand grandpa gave one to my grand grandma as a gift 50 years ago (she was berried wearing it without opening it for maintenance... ever)

Sign up for a free Amazon Audible trial, get free audio books and I get a comission too :) amzn.to/2ppuwdC

The hands are just wonderful and beautiful. It makes the watch look soo much better and more professional. What a great taste in modding!

The SNK809k is my first mechanical watch. I still love it...

I've had two if these (lost my first at a concert) and I also had no problem swimming with it. It's not a diver, but if you're snorkeling, in a pool, at the beach etc, it is perfectly fine like he said. Fresh or salty ocean water, I had done both.

Best carefree watch I have, this is one where you don't have to think about a watch being on your wrist. Small, lightweight, durable easily readable but also has a certain zing to it, so it's not an ugly thing. When I need a watch for activities where I don't want to think about a watch (work, sport, swim, etc.), this is my go to one. And now hearing your story, makes me feel even better about it. Greetings.

I have a simple Seiko 5 that I have worn 24/7 since 1995, and although I now own over 25 watches, my favorite go to watch is my trusty old Seiko 5. Forget the money involved, it’s one of the vest beater watches around. I have never babies it or even had it serviced and it just keeps on running!

2020 and this watch is the only luxury in my life...

I've surfed and swam in mine plenty. Also in a Casio CA-53w calculator watch not just a dip, months of full swimming at the beach... I'm Aussie so beach alot. The WR on these is massively understated

nice review. I would say a few things of it: 1) I also like the original strap, although its important to note the original is not a NATO (which you should look up) 2) totally agree about the legibility of it, and also as you mentioned the hands. I too replaced my hands and they are from a Citizen divers watch which really makes legibility higher 3) hacking and hand winding are just a bunch of critera which watchWankers come up with to talk as if they know something. In my life I've never needed hacking and to be honest I don't miss needing to hand wind it. 4) good tip about AR coatings on sapphire So glad to hear someone calling it a working watch not a Beater

I have the cream dial, and I wore it to work as a handyman for a couple of years before I realized that I was getting paint and plaster embedded into the crevices of a rally nice watch. I have since replaced it as my work watch, and have cleaned it up for everyday wear in my rotation.

Amazing review of an excellent watch. You can't go wrong with a Seiko. My father wore a Seiko 5in the 70's, I have loved them since. I've got the sand version of this and I just love it. It's also the smallest and lightest Seiko I have, the rest are 42mm+. Can't wait to wear it tomorrow! 🌈🙏💖

I'm using the same watch, only different in color (mine is black - SNK809). Not the most exact time piece (+/- 10 to 20 seconds a day), but always a pleasure to wear and use. Great to see another person that loves this watch. Kudos to your review!

Wow Sir! You honesty levels are off the charts! Keep up the awesome content! Cheers from Bengaluru India!

The best review or the Watch ever!! Thank You!

So simple, so beautiful... and thats what i love about Seiko's

I ordered mine yesterday, can’t wait to receive my first automatic 😁

I have this watch, my only watch and wear it everyday. I wear it in the workshop and garden day in day out. They really take the punishment of life. I love it !

Got my SNK809 6 months ago. Thanks for your real world analysis. Spot On!!! I shopped all the KZfaq reviews before I ordered mine. Glad I did. And this little watch is my best friend. It's a Dogged little Machine. Really cool style, really fun Seiko is "The Watch " to have on the wrist

This, is a very complete review. This is what I need.. Seiko five, after five years. Nicee

I just got mine in the mail yesterday. I love this watch

Great video! I have had mine for almost 2 years now. So far I have really pampered the watch. Great to know that I can go swimming with it.

I love Seiko. I own many watch’s including a Tudor black bay and a Tag Heur. But my Seiko collection is by far my favorite. I have Seiko 5’s including the blue version of this one. It has been put through the ringer. I’ve unintentionally beat the living hell outta this watch and it just keeps running! It’s + 4 seconds per day and keeps extremely accurate time. For less than $100 this is an extremely reliable watch for the money. If someone wants to get into mechanical watch’s this is an excellent introduction to the hobby. Seiko makes a great watch and if taken care of could last a lifetime

Love this watch. This was my first mechanical watch and it basically caused my interest in watches. I just left mine alone, the original strap that these come with is perfectly fine for my needs and its also proven to be durable to. Good little everyday watch.

I keep my Tudor Black Bay in the box and just bought this. Love this watch! Very light and simple.

I have this watch and I didn't expect too much from it. I mean, it's a cheap watch after all (~$85). However, this is a brilliantly made watch. I had to change the strap after several years of use (changed to a NATO strap, same color from the original one). This watch, with no doubt, beats every single watch on that price range... and it's an automatic movement watch, go figure!... there are even more expensive watches based on quartz movements (hello DW?).

I just bought one of these watches online today (its coming in the mail) and I am so glad that I came to your review right after. I hope that I can describe my relationships like you described this watch lol.

Awesome review and vid! I really like the long-term reviews. I'm thinking of getting one for my teenager as a first solid quality watch. I would get one for myself if it weren't for the low water resist.

Thx bro. Even haven't known a thing about mechanic watches i just felt in love when saw them just browsing some shop. Point about real color is really important to me, because olive is my favorite and i'm really picky about different shades of green.

I'm getting the Seiko snk807 (blue) tomorrow as my first watch, really exited. I'm also getting a leather strap for it.

The strap requires a solid break-in before it's comfortable but the OEM ones cost as much as the cheaper NATO bands. I soaked it in hot water, twisted it, and took a nail file to the coarse seams and seal points to smooth the material out. I haven't gotten a NATO yet because I love the transparent window on the back of the case.

Is the strap from nylon?Cuz if it is then it probably is unconfortable to wear

Thanks for the review. Bought this watch (with a metal bracelet) a month ago and love it. Perfect size for my wrist, amazing value, very easy to read and so far very precise timekeeping even across different positions - meaning I haven’t reset the time in a month and it is is still only out by +8s ! Perhaps this precision is just luck but it’s certainly given me a very good impression of the the 7s26 movement.

Nice mod with the hands. As soon as you showed it I was like “hmmmmmm something’s off with this watch but I can’t put a finger on it though” I did the same thing but with the same hands just with a black hands and lume and changed the date wheel to black. I hated the white date wheel.

I purchased today a seiko SNK805, I love this watch, i feel comfy with this is my favorite watch

Great video! Really well done reflection on the ownership experience and how your tastes change. Well done mods.

It's dark outside, and the lights in this room are dim. The dial of my SNK805, the first watch I bought when I became a "collector," and the my wrist, looks nearly black. Under sunlight or normal room lighting it is green, but as our host notes, it's not as GREEN as its pictures indicate. I chose green because the US Navy aviator's watch I was issued decades ago had a green dial. I've got mine back on the OEM strap after trying a NATO. The trick is to take that strap off the watch and beat the crap out of it for a while until it's much more supple.

I ended up with SNZG15J - awesome one vs SNK809 not much but the case size is just right for me and I do love the double layer face of SNZG! And the lume has a special triangle mark at 12 o'clock!

I bought mine 10 years ago. With proper upkeep it is still accurate just as the day I bought it.

Great review. Mine just arrived today, and I love it.

I have a Seiko sne049 just a little cheap quartz watch I got for my 12th birthday and I'm now 20 and my Seiko has been through a lot with me and I'm very glad it's still ticking and going on strong

I brushed the case of my SNK809, it looks far better. Replaced nylon with a Zuccolo strap. Did the same to my SNZG09 as well, replaced with a leather strap, brushed bezel with 600 grit sandpaper. And at last waiting to get my Visodate at the end of month.

Very cool video. I wore a Fossil from 2007 to 2010. Then grabbed a Victorinox Infantry that I wore for years daily. The Seiko SNK 809 was my first automatic. And one of my favorite daily watches of 2016. Since then my collection has grown but the Seiko 809 is a comfortable go to. I like your mods. I wanted to replace my crystal with a coated sapphire. But you make a great point about how the coating can be damaged and defeats the purpose. I want to polish my case too but remember how rough my Victorinox case looked after all the wear. And your hands are rad! I'd love to change mine out but that seems really fragile. Overall great review and video. You really captured this watch as a work horse and a versatile piece for people who are new. Cheers dude!

Great review about your love for this one. I went through a same process (buying, selling....). I sold my SNK809 but i will have one soon again. Greetings from The Netherlands and keep up the good work!

Thank you for giving me a renewed appreciation for this watch. You have reminded me of the old saying "What goes around, comes around." I love this watch again. Very thorough, thoughtful review! Liked and subscribed.

I love mine. It keeps better time than my Omega Seamaster.

I bought one of these recently. Not only am I very pleased with the understated and practical design, but I am amazed at its accuracy. On average it gains just under 4 seconds per day, which for such a keenly-priced mechanical timepiece is amazing. I don't want to wear a quartz watch ever again.

Great video! I definitely can relate to all the pro’s and cons you mentioned in the video! And I agree, I certainly is a great little piece! Kudos!

I've been using the snk 805 since 2018. Still running well the only problem is that the day and number can be a little odd sometimes. Other than that it's lasted vacations and my intense labor work.

Tasteful well done video... fell in love with Seiko as a kid..... would see my stepdad wear it as a kid everyday and I’m sure he used it (glance) every day and this was in the 80’s... never a maintenance and never missing..., honestly I would love to build custom watches and I would source a high end Seiko movement ..... and midrange Swiss movement... probably with the same end result! Thanks for the comprehensive video with a great narrative...

I already had a couple of Seikos (one vintage Seiko 5 Actus from 1971, and the classic diver SKX007), and reading so much good stuff about these ones, I thought I might as well get one. I know the 7S26 movement from my SKX, and I really like this old military inspired design. I recently got my SNK809, and watching this video about the long term quality on these things of course made me happy. But I'm actually not surprised, since Seiko seems to have withhold their durability, quality and long lasting. Great review, and thanks for sharing!

Similar to me, I bought a Vostok watch, just because it was cheap ( $65 with shipping). It has been a 1.5 year, it is my favourite, and most worn watch, much more than my more expansive watch. It is cheap, reliable, every time I look at it, I get the same feeling when I was a little kid, look at my plastic, cartoon watch

Just got mine today and I’m loving it so far

Same thing happened to me ha ha. It's like the Toyota Corolla of watches: cheap, reliable, easy to fix/replace parts. At first I didn't care too much if I killed it, but now I'm a little more careful, but I've also learnt how to replace most parts myself, and I just love it!

I love your attitude mate.

I agree. I just bought all 4 colors of SNK8_ _. All I heard was how bad the straps were. I think they are just as good as all the aftermarket straps I bought. The blue strap from the blue watch is especially cool looking, the blue is dark but vibrant. The quality of the Seiko straps is fine. It does not look lower quality that the leather straps I bought that were made in Germany. I bought a bunch of straps from Barton, and they are all nice, but not a noticeable difference to the stock straps. Also, I don't feel as the stock straps are rough on my skin at all, I can't even feel the texture when I am wearing it.

I agree with just about everything you said. This Seiko 5 is just so much value for the price. I have other watches but I always return full circle to this one too because it just gets so many things right. I love wearing mine on a Nato strap.

your accent sounds like Denzel Washington. Great video, thanks. Anyway this watch is cheap but has date and day complications. Sometimes I wonder why there are more expensive watches that only have date, but not day. People say "you can check day on your phone", but in my busy work, I dont always time to open phone. So yes day and date is a must for me..

This was undoubtly a love story the one you told.. :) I am surprised that the balance stem bent/broke with a simple fall on the floor and the watch needed to be serviced. Even more surprised that your trusted watchmaker replaced the part with a different, older one, instead of repairing the original one. A bit unprofessional IMHO. Perhaps he recycled a salvaged part to keep the cost low. BTW, out of curiosity, how much did he charge you for repairing and servicing the watch? Must have been close to the cost of buying a brand new one. But of course, when in love, money is never an issue.. 😀

very, very helpful...thanks so much for your thoughts...I am buying one now !!

The strap was rough when I originally got it, but after a week of wear it gets MUCH softer and a lot more comfortable.

Superb informative video. I've ordered one and waiting for its arrival, I was worried about water resistant restrictions but I'm glad you've said it stands up to swimming. Once again, great video and thank you very much. 👍

I've owned the same watch for over a year and I'm totally content with it. It does tend to gain about two minutes a month, but that's nothing to complain about considering the price of $50 on Amazon. And it doesn't really seem to gain time if I leave it on my wrist at night, I don't know why that is. I did change the strap to a leather one because the band that came with it was cheap and scratchy, although durable feeling. I'm not fond of nato straps because of the way they look on the top and bottom, they look awkward.

I polished my snk809 and I love it

I really enjoyed this video!!! Great job my friend, the hands look really cool.

I got into the watch thing last year,the downside to me is,I really love the eight I have to the point where I have trouble deciding what to wear.Incidently,I'm done,I have no desire for another watch,(of course there are other nice watches out there,but c'mon, if you buy wisely,three to five would be a pretty complete stable.It's kinda like having a harem with five hundred females,you'll drive yourself crazy,trying to 'apreciate'all of them)

I just glanced at my SNKL75J1 and the second hands were keeping the same time 😎

This 37mm looks good.. maybe even better than the 42mm? Slightly different layout but still looks good

High praise from excellent source. Great video. Thanks

Great video. Very intelligent points.

I feel the same way about my Seiko 5 SNZG15J1. I'm a larger person so the 42mm of mine is nice. I like the idea of having a smaller automatic. Thanks for another great review. I love your channel.

Wanted to add that from a no nonsens point of view everything you say is spot on. I really like the well engineered simplicity of this watch. The magic lever is iconic for this, as is the 4 o clock recessed crown. Did you know they used the plastic spacer around the movement in the case on purpose, because it would be more shock absorbing than metal? They are maybe not the most fabulous watches, but they are fabulously engineered. Who cares for hacking on a +40/-20 second per day movement? It is just Gimmickry to my eyes. But as you say, the radial symmetry in the lume is the only gripe I have. More than once it led to errors in the full darkness of night. At least they fixed this in its recent successor.

Excellent, detailed review! I’m ordering mine today. I think the value is outstanding and your review helped me make my decision. I should say that this video confirmed what I already believed would ba great purchase. Thank you! Semper Fi.