Scrolling through Instagram when I was 18, I stumbled upon a Seiko diver that I knew very little about. As always, Google came to the rescue, and I soon discovered that I was looking at a SKX007. At that point in time, my definition of a “nice” watch was one that was dressy and elegant. Two words that doesn’t go hand in hand with the SKX for sure. As different as the SKX was compared to my first automatic, the Orient Sun & Moon, the SKX caught my eye with it’s simple, basic and no-nonsense aesthetic that it carried so well. Not long after my geek-mode kicked in, I finally owned a SKX, and it is this exact watch here (yes, I faded the bezel awhile ago). With the SKX now discontinued, does that make it more desirable? With the number of options available today, is it still relevant? It’s time to take this old diver diving into the details.
If we’re being honest, there’s nothing fancy about the SKX, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a great watch. Firstly, let’s talk looks. Right in front of our eyes is a very essential and functional watch that if I may say so, looks pretty darn good while being practical. Underneath the hardlex crystal is a basic black dial with reasonably sized indices that make the dial look balanced. To compliment the fact that the SKX is an ISO-rated diver, one of the things that gets us nerds going is the lume on this thing as Seiko’s LumiBrite is here to disrupt the peace while it’s dark.
Of course, if you’re familiar with the write-ups here, a lot of emphasis is put on how the case looks and wears. As expected from Seiko, the SKX007 wears great for a 42.5mm case mainly due to the 46mm lug-to-lug width that it flexes. Coming from a case of this size, having essentially no overhang when worn on my 16cm wrist is a wet dream in my books. Complimented by the iconic 4 o’clock crown position, the case is worthy of being worn as a daily. However, the fact that the watch is head-heavy seems to be a slight turn-off. On the bright side, the curvy case pulls off an illusion where the it looks thinner than its actual thickness of 13.25mm.
As a diver, the SKX007 is an icon that is worth considering if you would like to add something classic into your collection. With there being balance in terms of specifications, looks and price, I find that it stands in a unique position. Just like how the word G-Shock always come up when discussing about Casio, the SKX is the same when talking about Seiko divers. Is it still relevant if you’re considering on buying your first dive watch or just as a watch in general? Personally, yes. It’s basic, functional, practical, and beautiful in its own right.
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