Purchased this watch back in 2013, it had an easy first couple of years. Then wore it through US Army Infantry basic training. The watch never left my wrist, drug it through mud and muck, water, sweat, tears, banged it around on a tile floor whilst doing pushups. Broke a springbar putting on a rucksack once but that was an easy fix. Been wearing it the last 2 years in the Army, It's been really cold, and really hot, swam with me on numerous water survival tasks, jumped off high dives and zip lines into a lake, it's been on my wrist jumping out of planes and helicopters at 1500ft. I don't know what people are talking about "splash resistant" this little seiko has been on my wrist for the combat water survival assessment at least 15 times. Small enough that it doesn't get in the way of gloves or long sleeve shirts. Spend the 50 bucks, stick a nato strap on it, beat the hell out of it for as long as it lasts, then buy a new one. I've been brutalizing mine for 4+ years and it hasn't skipped a beat.
I love it! Rather than say “price”, I will say “value”. It is an incredible value. Probably about the lowest priced Automatic (non quartz/battery) you can find.
I was interested in getting the Hamilton Khaki Field Officer Handwinding watch for around $275. While looking around for a good price, I stumbled upon this, the Seiko, and felt it would satisfy my curiosity at a good bit lower price.
It arrived fast. I was immediately impressed with the packaging. It comes nicely packed in a nice Seiko box. At this price, I really expected no frills, like maybe a bag or envelope of some type. Also, I was struck by the overall appearance. If someone told me this was a $200 watch, I would believe it. It doesn’t look cheap at all. It looks like a strong, sturdy, well made, good quality item.
The face struck me as somewhat overly crowded and busy, though interesting with different numbers and lines going every which way. I can easily read the time on it though. The hands are bold and clear.
I love the 37 mm size. As an older dude, the big watches of today are just too much for me. This is a great size for me. For a moment, I felt it was a little bit “blocky” or thick but that quickly passed, and I guess it needs the depth to accommodate the automatic movement.
Speaking of which… I read a bit about this online and understand this movement is used in many higher priced Seikos. The reviewer said it was superior to what he sees in other low priced automatics.
The crown is of note. It is not in the middle but off center and small. Sometimes, big crowns jut out and can kind of dig into my wrist. So this is very comfortable.
The brushed steel is rugged and apropos for this watch and it’s military design. It is really quite understatedly handsome.
I love the band. Though a simple piece of material, it is somewhat reinforced around the eyelets, but best of all, it fits my thick wrists comfortably. And because it is cloth, it has some give and everything combined make for an extremely comfortable feeling watch.
When I took it out of the box, it immediately started working, ignited by the little bit of movement of simply removing the watch. I know it sounds weird, but I was fascinated at seeing the second hand glide around the face so smoothly. It seemed so much cooler to me than the way the second hand moves on my Quartz watches.
It has stopped running a few times, but never when it was being worn. I may not have worn it long enough to keep it wound up and running.
I am concerned that about 10% of the reviewers cite bad experiences with the watch. That is not acceptable to me. Even though it is not high priced, I still expect some reliability and durability. Then again, I don’t know if that is realistic in an item at this price. Too bad, because it’s a honey for the money…
Precise and nice watch. The day-date is clear and legible, in two languajes: en-es. The dial is super clear and this is a 37mm, hence a more traditional and wearable watch. I changed the strap but after some weeks of use with different stratps, found that the original is the best.
The precision is +-2s/24hrs. I almost inmediately get used to the numbers in the dial, a small ring with the hours and big numbers outside for the minutes. Here a size comparison with the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Mens Watch 311.30.44.51.01.002 and the Swiza Men's WAT.0352.1001 Siriuz Analog Display Swiss Quartz Black Watch
I immediately changed the strap to a brown leather one with deployment clasp. Makes the watch very classy. Almost like a Hamilton. For the price, I am bee impressed!
I recently got this watch after doing a fair amount of research looking for an inexpensive yet good quality watch for every day use. The value at this price point seems truly amazing. Being an automatic made it even more so. The Seiko 7S26 movement is a reliable tried and tested component and I have found mine to be accurate within about 2 seconds per day which is fantastic. I know others have quoted different stats for accuracy and I don't dispute their findings. Maybe I just got extra lucky with mine.
I love the exhibition case back which shows the movement mechanics! I think the watch face is laid out well and is quite pleasing and not cluttered. The luminescent markings last for hours albeit be at they are not super bright after awhile but still easily seen in the dark. The crown is very unobtrusive as it is set in further than many. Some may see this as a drawback but I prefer having it that way. Part of my feeling that way may be that I'm left-handed so I wear the watch on my right hand. It doesn't feel or look strange at all with the crown being so minimal. It is still easy to pull out although you do have to have a little bit of a fingernail to get underneath it but I don't find that to be a problem.
I really like the beaded finish on the case. Personally I wouldn't consider polishing it like some have. I like it just the way it is.
If there is one thing that I would be critical of it's the band that comes with this watch. I purchased another band at the same time I purchased the watch and instantly changed it out to a great looking dark brown genuine leather strap. (See pics) To me this is the perfect complement to the watch. In spite of the strap, I still gave it five stars because the strap is easily changed and the value of the watch itself with all its features is excellent. To be able to get an automatic watch of this quality at this price point makes this a no-brainer.
Feature Product
- To the start the watch initially, swing from side to side in a horizontal arc about 30 seconds.
- 37 mm stainless steel case and Hardlex mineral dial window and Precise 21-jewel automatic movement with analog display
Description
Precise 21 Jewel Automatic Movement Hardlex mineral crystal crystal; brushed stainless steel case; black cloth weave strap Day and date function Black dial with white hands and arabic numerals; luminous; white and red sweeping second hand; exhibiton case back Water-resistant to 99 feet (30 M) Date is in english and spanish. Please refer to the instruction manual to know how to switch between the languages
This is my favorite Seiko 5. I have 3 others but this is my everyday trusted pal.
Seiko 5's are not known for being accurate time keepers like a quartz watch. In two weeks mine gains about 17 seconds. I think I got lucky.
Seiko's are robust beyond belief. I desired a watch that would never need a battery. In tribute to the manufacturing expertise of this company I had to have this one. It is very attractive, quietly.
The Seiko 7s26-c movement used in all Seiko 5's have slow day/date changes, are non hackable (second hand will not stop) and non windable. The weighted rotor visible in the watch back takes care of winding.
When you receive your watch pull the crown out 2 clicks. Rotate hands clockwise only until the date and day change. Push crown in 1 click and rotate crown clockwise. This is rapid date change. Turn crown counter clockwise and rapid day chang will happen. You can choose English or Spanish. Push the crown in and give the watch the Seiko Shuffle, rapid side to side movement for about a minute, Your watch will now run for a few hours. To wind the watch simply wear it. Fully wound you have a 40 hr reserve on the main spring. This movement has a mechanism that will never over-wind the spring.
Don't service the watch until it tells you it needs service. 10+ years is not uncommon.
Seiko 5's are notorious for having cheap bands. The money goes into the watch not the strap. I have outfitted mine with the Colareb 18mm gray leather strap. This strap has a slight greenish hue to it which looks particularly good next to the black watch face.
If I could give this watch more than five stars, I would. I have been a watch aficionado and collector for over forty years. The wristwatches I have collected have been focused on a particular (Swiss) brand, and have all been mechanical. I have worn quartz watches for everyday work watches, mainly because of their accuracy and value (they’re relatively cheap and don’t require expensive service every 3-5 years). Some of the quartz watches I’ve worn over the years have been Seikos, and I always found them to be high quality. I never paid any attention to Seiko’s mechanical watches, and so only recently became aware of the Seiko 5. I wouldn’t have looked twice at an automatic watch for less than $75 (street price) if it hadn’t said Seiko on the dial. Even so, the glowing reviews of this best-kept-secret sounded like hyperbole. I guess I won’t know if the longevity claims made for this watch are exaggerated until I’ve had it for a long time, but after a month of experience with the watch, I’m optimistic about these claims being true. Everything else claimed about this marvel seems to be accurate. The watch has, since I initially set it, lost about a second per week when I have been wearing it (see note below). I have had quartz watches that haven’t been that well regulated! At this rate, this watch will only need to be reset twice a year for the time change. (Note: I have, as you might expect from someone who collects watches, a watch cabinet complete with some automatic watch winders—holders for the watch that rotate on a programmed schedule to keep automatic watches wound, and to keep the lubricants in the movement from settling during long term storage. When this watch is left on such an auto-wonder, as opposed to being worn, it loses time at a slightly greater rate.)
I really didn’t expect anywhere near this kind of accuracy.
Even if the watch stops in three years, it will represent a terrific value. If it does, I’ll probably just throw it away and buy a new one. There is no sense in spending $150-200 to service a $75 watch.
I did switch straps though—replaced the canvas one (not actually bad looking) with a black silicone strap with stainless steel deployant buckle (more durable, and won’t soak up sweat and get smelly).
Received the watch yesterday. Love it at the first sight! It looks good. Very light for an automatic watch. It only weighs 2.2 oz. I have over a dozen watches, including some expensive ones. The Armitron automatic weighs 5.3 oz. The Bulova quartz weighs 3.3 oz. The Movado quartz is a bit lighter than the Bulova. It is hard to imagine an automatic watch can be this light, especially at this bargain price.
The watch was running when I received it. So I did nothing except adjusting the time, day and date. After wearing it during the days since yesterday, I check the accuracy using my atomic clock. Surprisingly, it keeps exactly the same time as the atomic clock! Not even one second too fast or too slow! I cannot be happier! I was expecting 5 to 10 seconds off.
Maybe one day of testing is not enough? I hope it will keep its performance like this for years.
Some reviewers talk about the ticking noise. I can hardly hear anything from the watch unless it is within one inch from my ear. I hear exceptionally well, but this watch is very quiet to me.
This watch is probably the most satisfying watch I have ever bought. It is also among the least expensive.
I am a 6', 200 lbs guy. This watch looks good on my wrist, not too small at all. It is so light that I often forget I am wearing a watch.
Update 11/3/13:
Found a way to keep the watch accurate!
The watch gains a few seconds per night if you leave it face up. It loses a few seconds per night if left side way. So every night before going to bed, I check the watch with an atomic clock or computer, and then decide how to put it for the night. Voila! It is always very accurate! No more than 5 seconds off!
Please keep in mind, my rating of this watch is in proportion to its price. I'm not expecting Hamilton Khaki quality for ~$65.
That being said, this watch is an amazing value -- a quality mechanical watch for not much more than a Timex Weekender. I like the size, and the design. It looks much nicer in person than in photos, like many watches. I primarily bought this as I wanted something lighter weight than my every-day watch, a Seiko SKX-007. And it's excellent at that. It's actually lighter than it looks. The printing on the dial is excellent. I love the hands. Very easy to read. The exhibition caseback is a nice touch, even if an unadorned 7S26 isn't anything special, I still find it fun.
The reason this isn't 4-star is because of the quality of the strap. It's really terrible, ugly, itchy, and poorly finished. It's just poor quality nylon, assembled poorly. The strap that comes with a $30 Timex Weekender is much nicer. I have a couple of NATO straps on the way to replace it -- I don't have anything else at 18mm on hand.
The only other real weakness of this watch is that of the 7S26 movement -- the lack of a manual wind function. As I have a handful of watches I switch between, it would be nice to be able to quickly wind by twisting the crown, rather than shaking the thing. Same issue with my SKX-007
The things I think that could be more to my liking, but I'm not holding against it in the review:
- I'd prefer if they went with a 20mm strap without increasing the width of the case much if at all. I think it would look better on my wrists.
- I don't like the "5" logo in Seiko 5 watches. I think it's a little gaudy
- I'd prefer a brushed finish to the bead blasted.
I paid $75 dollars for this watch. I've seen it listed of over $100. The prices are all over the place, so if it costs over $50, just wait until the price comes down.
I've purchased about seven Seiko 5's. Except for this one, they all ran about 15 seconds fast a day so I had to regulate them myself, which is a very delicate and frustrating job, plus it's easy to destroy the movement.
This was when it was new: This watch keeps unbelievably good time. I didn't have to regulate it. It usually gains or loses about two seconds a day. I regulate it by setting it down in different positions at night. The movement on this one is 7S26C, which none of my other Seiko 5's had, and it's made in Malaysia, not in Japan, so the new movement must have something to do with it the greatly improved accuracy.
The seller says you can wind it with the crown (the winder). You can't. If it stops you have to kind of shake it to get it going.
I don't know how waterproof it is; it just says "Water Resistant". I'm not going to submerge it.
Update: Now it's running slower and every nighttime position I've tried slows it down. If I don't force it to run faster it loses about 5 to 8 seconds a day. The older movement always sped up at night. I've discovered that shaking the watch (to wind it) makes it speed up while I'm shaking it so I shake it every morning to get it back to the actual time.
Update #2: I regulated it (not easy if you've never don eit) and got it right the first time; it usually takes at least 15 tries. Now it's back to running super accurately.