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The Seiko 5 is made in Japan, equipped with a Seiko caliber 7S26C Movement, which is Seiko’s own Malaysian factory made movement. The 7S26C movement was first introduced to the market in 1996. This 7S26C movement is used in many popular Seiko diver watches as well. All images courtesy of The Watch Company, unless stated otherwise.Featured image courtesy of Seiko. First is the movement. The SNK809 runs on the same Seiko 7s26 automatic movement that powers the famous SXK007—along with the rest of the SXK, SNK, SNZ, and Recraft models. This is Seiko’s basic in-house workhorse movement, which has proven to be reliable over the years. Although designed to be a field watch, the SNK803 has a paltry 30m of water resistance. That’s just about enough to handle some light drops, but you wouldn’t be taking this with you when it’s pouring outside. SNK803 Dial
The Seiko SNK803, however, stands out from its peers by utilising a watch case that is considerably smaller than the standard for field watches. The Seiko SNK803 is presented in a 37mm stainless steel case. This is quite a slender case size even today. As such, the Seiko SNK803 is actually best suited for men with smaller-to-average-sized wrists, or for women, who have slimmer wrists. Its smaller size means that the Seiko SNK803 is also much less heavy than the average field watch, so you can easily tote this piece around all day as a companion to your daily routines.The case is fashioned out of bead-blasted stainless steel. This gives the piece a field watch feel that extends to the dial, which we will discuss later on. The bright nature of the color choice contrasts well with just about any wrist, making this dial pop. The Seiko 5 is the chosen one when it comes to entry level mechanical watches. Not only is it affordable, durable and stylish—it’s from a brand that’s got a heritage unlike any other. Overall, the strap is… okay. It’s nothing to write home about. A positive of this strap is that the lug width is 18mm, making it easy to find replacement straps to swap in. Conclusion: A No-Brainer Seiko has developed this crystal to be great against sun glare to minimize reflections, despite not having an anti-reflective coating.
If multiple versions exist they are assembled by identical machines using the same components under the same quality controls and should therefore be of equivalent quality. Whether one reason pulls more than another, one thing we know is that this watch is the perfect amalgamation of all that was mentioned. The Seiko 5 SNK803 Automatic watch is a timepiece that offers great value for money. In its price range, it may very well be the best automatic watch. It is sleek, stylish, elegant, and timeless. It can take a beating which makes it an exceptional everyday watch. The Seiko 5 line of watches was first introduced in 1963 and was Japan’s first-ever automatic day-date watch. The SNK803 is one of many watches in the Seiko 5 line. This model is available with a number of different dial colors, but this exact reference, the SNK803, has a beige/cream dial.Due to its smaller size, it is popular among people with smaller wrists and those who have a preference for smaller watches. The watch sits nice and sleek on the wrist thanks to its flat casebook and thin profile. At times, you may even forget that you are wearing it. Seiko is one of the few watch brands that’s a household name. From their humble roots in 1881 Japan, Seiko has become one of the largest manufacturers of watches in the world.
The glass is hardlex crystal (Seiko’s proprietary type) which isn’t as scratch resistant as sapphire, but it is more impact resistant and it’s more scratch resistant than mineral quartz or acrylic glass. Yes, the Seiko 5 SNK809 is a good watch—for the right buyer. There are definite reasons that so many people select a Seiko 5 as their first mechanical watch. Or even as their only watch. And why so many people continue to add them as inexpensive additions to a larger watch collection. This Luminox watch is driven by a quartz Ronda 6004.D Calibre. This reliable quartz movement has a battery life of about 40 months. At a price of less than 100 USD, the Seiko SNK803 offers great value for money. We would argue that it is one of the best watches for the money when it comes to automatic watches. The Seiko SNK803’s sporty, casual look is finished off with a rugged beige canvas strap which wonderfully complements the watch’s dial. If you are not familiar with canvas straps, this type of strap is frequently paired with outdoor watches due to their portability, comfort, and most importantly, its waterproof capabilities. Straps made of nylon, fabric, and leather perform terribly when exposed to wet surfaces, which can result in damage to the strap. As such, canvas straps are a much more recommended alternative for field watches like the Seiko SNK803. PriceFor one, there are the snug dimensions of both a 37mm case diameter and a lug-to-lug of 43mm, making this watch wear perfectly on a variety of wrist sizes. The case of the SNK803 is divided into three parts. The faceting of the case makes this watch look smaller and diminutive. This Luminox watch runs on the SW220-1 automatic calibre. This is one of the most ubiquitous movements in the market, with a solid 38-hour power supply. The strap is a beige canvas strap that matches the dial of the watch. It is quite basic and has a diameter of 18mm at the lug. There’s nothing special about the strap. It works, but the good news is that you can easily change it shall you wish to do so. Conclusion You’ll find a few other variations online, but these are the most commonly ones I found in my research.
The last weak point of the SNK809 is the finishing details and quality control. In most cases, you’ll get a perfectly good copy. But, with huge production numbers, the low cost of the watch, and Seiko’s notorious occasional quality control oversights, you probably have a better chance of getting one with slight imperfections than you would with a more expensive watch. Conclusion: Yes, the Seiko 5 SNK809 is worth buying After 5+ years of wear now, the Seiko 5 SNK is still one of my favorite casual watches to wear year-round. Lastly, we wanted to bring some of Seiko’s awesome texture work into play. From Seiko 5 through Prospex and Presage, Seiko employs some of the most unique and dynamic dial textures on the market. Textures that can tell a story at a glance, and add an emotional value to watches that go beyond their price tags. For the limited edition, we wanted textures that were classic, handsome, and noticeable, but not distracting. The use of two textures creates a unique contrast and sense of depth I am very happy with this little "Fleiger style" watch, particularly with it's dial, which compares to any that I have seen in the affordable watch space. The dial has a great deal of well composed detail, this is subtle and hard to see in photographs. In person this very inexpensive watch actually looks high-end. There’s approximately a ±30 seconds time loss or gain which means that the watch either loses or gains 30 seconds a day compared to a more accurate battery powered quartz watch. In my opinion, 30 seconds isn’t that bad at all. Additionally, The Seiko 5 SNK803 has a power reserve of roughly 40 hours which is plenty. Customization adds to the Seiko 5’s cool factor.
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Another great Luminox watch is the Luminox Atacama Field Ref. XL.1901. As with the aforementioned Luminox Atacama Adventurer Field Ref. XL.1761, this timepiece is one of the most popular Luminox watches on the market.
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