A Brief History
The SKX007 may have a modest price, but it is part of a proud tradition of diver’s watches dating back all the way back to 1965.
Seiko launched the 150-meter water-resistant reference 6217 in early 1965 to prove their excellence and precision when it came to diving watches. The watch quickly garnered enough attention from watch lovers all over the world.
Since then, Seiko has launched a wide variety of diver’s watches, spanning from the legendary ref. 6105 (made until 1977) to its advanced versions, designed for use in very demanding circumstances, like swimming or diving.
SKX007 Ancestry
SKX007 closely resembles its ancestor, the Seiko 7002. Both watches have a water resistance of up to 200 meters. However, Seiko only produced the original ancestor, the Seiko 7002, until 1966.
Seiko started producing SKX007 and quickly presented it as a replacement to the Seiko 7002. However, Seiko doesn't even produce SKX007 anymore, and you can only find used watches in secondary markets. This is a hidden gem in the Seiko world, as SKX007 is an amazing ISO-compliant mechanical diver’s watch at an affordable entry price.
SKX007 Specifications
SKX007 is a prime example of modern mechanical minimalism. Every single element of the watch is simple, functional and offers nothing alien or complicated to the users.
Solid Stainless Steel Case
Seiko used stainless steel to create a solid and heavy case for SKX007. Like all the other Seiko watches, it is exceedingly well made even at the entry-level. The case offers rounded flanks gracefully rising to form the crown guards.
The crown is for positioning only. The SKX007 cannot be hand-wound but needs to be softly rotated in the palm to wind the mainspring. Therefore, the crown for SKX007, just like Seiko 5, is placed at 4 o’clock. This position is perfect because it makes it easier to prevent it from digging uncomfortably against the back of the wrist.
Half-Minute Bezel
The bezel only rotates in half-minute increments. This is where you get to see the true excellence, precision, and finesse of Seiko’s craftsmanship.
Even though the bezel only rotates in half-minute increments, you can still see that the tip of the triangle always lines up on the index mark, or halfway between two marks. Even though this watch comes at an entry price, Seiko still ensures that the bezel is always precise and perfectly aligns with the index markers.
The Unadorned Dial
Seiko dive watches are notably torch-bright in the dark, and SKX007 is no exception. The dial is unadorned, yet technically outstanding, with broad and rather bright lume plots. The second hand has both a white paint on its body and a dot of lume on its back
This luminous color scheme will definitely encourage you to use it in low light conditions as a feature test. While some watch enthusiasts may take off white date/day disks, the usage of white allows the dial to be more symmetrical. This color scheme is also known to significantly increases the readability in poor light.
What Do We Have to Say?
If you already have a Seiko SKX007 and want to swap out your watch strap, head over to DaLuca Straps.
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