I was first introduced to seiko, and in particular their range of divers by a good friend, and fellow contributor to this blog, Cal Moore. ‘They’ and more specifically, the famous SKX007, had come up in conversation, and had prompted many wasted hours of procrastination sifting through eBay listing after eBay listing, Instagram photo after photo, drooling over this range of watches, and their simple elegance as an entry level diver. It wasn't long, thereafter, that i acquired my SK diver, i settled in the end for a 1984 SK7002, in mint condition on the chunky, frankly ghastly rubber strap. Since its acquisition, I, unsurprisingly, have interchanged it between nato and perlon. It was an absolute steal, and has been a frequent wear for me every since i first got it.
The thing that i love about this brilliant watch, is its versatility. Although obviously designed as a dive watch, I feel that it could be put on a bracelet and worn with a suit, or worn, as I have done, on a colourful perlon, for a more casual ‘beater’ look. The second, and possibly the crux of this article, thing that I love about this watch, is one of the most important thing any prospective buyer of any watch, holds near the top of their wish list, is reliability. The whole SKX range is powered by the Japanese 7s26 movement. Being Japanese made, this is an absolute workhorse of a movement, and these watches, second hand or brand spanking new, have the potential, if treated well, to go as long as 15 years without a service, which makes them a very attractive proposition for people who want a good looking, rugged, beater watch, which they don't have to worry about maintaining regularly.
Since acquiring it, the thing that has really got me ‘hooked’ on the whole Seiko Diver train is the ability to ‘mod’ your particular model. Whether this be through adding domed crystal, a new dial colour, or bezel insert, there is a trend of personalising your seiko diver. This is mainly due to their simple but robust Japanese design and build. Something which companies, such as http://www.artificehoroworks.com/, have turned into a business, selling individually modded seiko’s to your personal specification.
Without meaning to ramble on, I truly believe that if you are a young person trying to break into the watch world with your first piece, or even if you are a seasoned collector that wants something cheaper to go swimming with than your Patek 5711, then this is definitely the watch to look at.
Reliable, great size, affordable, stylish, collectable, and just a complete classic dive watch. There is no higher praise that I can give it.
Felix Arnold
Editor and Co-Founder