Seiko 5 Men's Automatic Watch with Black Dial Analogue Display and Black Fabric Strap SNK809K2

Product Information

At the time of its release in 2017, the SARX055 was quickly greeted with positive attention and in typical Seiko fanboy fashion was given a nickname, “The Baby Snowflake”. It’s not a highly decorated, flashy mechanical movement, but it’s a nice touch that ups the Seiko’s visual appeal. Night time visibility on this Seiko never really gets as much credit as it should; it’s pretty good! These jewels are actually tiny and synthetic stones that are used as bearings in the movements of a watch. When thinking of the entry point for the Seiko Prospex series, one of the first models to come to mind is the Samurai.

There aren’t Rolex or Patek levels of case finishing, accuracy, or movement decoration, but that’s not the point here. The Seiko SNK807 is the one pictured throughout the whole article, so it should be no surprise that it's my favorite of the bunch. It’s not Seiko’s first time tapping into this design language for a reissue, with Seiko releasing the famously expensive and limited SLA017 back in 2017, but the SBP143 offers a more affordable alternative with a wearable 40. The clasp featured on the original strap has a buckle style clasp, each of the holes for the clasp are reinforced to make them longer lasting, this is also something you don’t often find in cheaper watches. There is no manual-wind feature here, which means that the watch has to be shaken gently to engage the automatic winder in the movement.Okay, so this model is not a part of the Seiko 5 collection but it does share something in common with the esteemed collection, being a great watch at a bargain and I felt this list could not be complete unless this was included. If you’re like me, you can spend hours at a time browsing watch forums without a real idea of what you’re looking for. Despite perhaps not delivering the same level of value as many JDMs for the same dollar amount, there is no question that these pieces are nice while offering something a bit different. From the entry-level Seiko Prospex models moving into their higher-end divers like their Marine Masters, there is a bit of this midtier world of Seiko divers that tend to get lost in the mix.

You can’t go far wrong with any of the Seiko 5 watches, but we’ll take a close look into this watch anyway.

It’s worth noting this is more of a traditionally sized men’s watch at 36mm, ideal for people with skinnier wrists who often don’t like these oversized watches you see a lot these days. The holes are reinforced with vinyl and the entire strap exudes a ruggedness that seems capable of handling whatever you throw at it. Moreover, it has features that are much more interesting and appealing than its apparent issues and drawbacks. The SNK809 is styled like a field watch, which is a style that mainstream consumers will be able to more easily appreciate.

With a water resistance of 99ft, you can confidently even go swimming or snorkeling with your automatic without a care in the world. The Seiko SNK809 is a cheap watch – and you can see where some of the corners have been cut in its production.Apart from sounding like a rap rock band from the early 2000’s, Hardlex offers great scratch resistance and will keep things nice and clear much better than regular mineral crystal. I think the olive green dial is perfectly suited for the military look of this watch, and so is the canvas strap. While I’m not a fan of the black canvas strap, with the ability to easily change the strap I’m sure I could find something a bit more me to add to it.