SEIKOMen's Automatic Analogue Watch with Rubber Strap SKX007K

The watch is terrific. It came in quickly, and it is in perfect condition.Like many of you (I'm sure) I have been torn between several dive watch options in this price range for weeks now (Seiko automatics, Seiko solars, Orients, etc.) Eventually, it came down to either the skx007 or the Orient Ray, two of the most highly praised "sub $200" divers. Twice in the past two weeks, I have almost pulled the trigger on the Ray (both the blue and the black ray have made it all the way in the cart!) Why? 1) It looks great in pictures. 2) It is cheaper and is sold by reputable vendors on Amazon (such as Long Island). 3) It is highly respected by watch people. However, deep down, I just kept feeling like I would be happier with the Seiko, mainly because it is a true diving icon with its own original style. It cannot be accused of being a Submariner (or anything else) homage; it stands on its own. I am very glad I made the decision to go with the skx, and I'll tell you why:1) No picture online does this watch justice. It is absolutely a beautiful watch in person. Even on the rubber strap, it looks good in nearly every situation. I went with rubber for a couple of reasons. One, I am going to put in on a NATO in the very near future anyway, so keeping the price down with rubber made sense. Two, my Rolex Datejust has a Jubilee on it, so I really didn't care to have another watch on a Jubilee. However, if you go with the Jubilee (or other style bracelet), the watch will be right at home with a suit.2) I was able to buy this watch at a very good price from "The Watch Locker", which is a reputable vendor that is "fulfilled by Amazon". This was very important to me, as it was the uncertainty of buying from an independent, overseas vender that nearly pushed me toward the Orient. I have read stories where people got "defective" skx's from vendors such as these and had a very tough time getting their problems resolved. Therefore, I highly recommend waiting until the price is right from a "fulfilled by Amazon" vendor, so that you can rest assured that you won't have any issues getting what you want.3) The alignment of the dial, chapter ring, bezel, day, and date are virtually perfect! Misalignment of one or more of these is the biggest complaint I have seen with the skx007. (This is why I ordered from a "fulfilled by Amazon seller!) However, I am happy to announce that my watch's alignment is totally acceptable to me, and that is saying a lot because I am a major perfectionist.4) The 7s26 movement seems to be very accurate. I haven't timed it exactly over a 24 hour period, but it hasn't gained or lost any significant time since I have owned it, which is good enough for me. In fact, it seems to be as or more accurate than my Rolex! Granted, the Rolex is nearly 30 years old, but it has been serviced by Rolex fairly recently and met whatever standards they hold them to.There are several other reasons why the skx great watch, and you can read all about them on various forums. I mainly wanted to hit some of the points that tend to be grey areas when reading reviews on the internet. The bottom line is, you will be blown away by the skx007 when you open the box for the first time. If you buy it, you certainly won't be disappointed.

I ordered the SKX007K (malaysian) version from Amazon, it was delivered overseas by "Adeline" from Sweden. The watch arrived sooner than announced, in perfect condition.Pros:- True divers watch, ISO rated, 200M WR- Beautiful design. The brushed/polished stainless steel finish, black dial and bezel plus rubber strap is masculine, sporty and elegant.- Seiko pedigree: centennial tradition, in-house manufacture automatic movement. Heir to a reputable line of divers watches. Not many brands can claim all those.- Original design. This watch doesn't try to imitate other brand divers' -- It's proudly 100% Seiko.- Amazing value. Swiss brands charge thousands of dollars for comparable watches. You get all that from Seiko for a couple hundreds.- Pretty accurate for an automatic. I've had this watch for over five months now, and needed to readjust the time just a couple of times.- Mine came with spanish/english day/date, a plus for me.- Lume is impressive. Lasts long enough to see it when I wake up. Best lume ever among the watches I've owned.- Malaysian version (SKX007K) comes with a cleaner dial. The face of the Japanese version (SKX007J) has some extra text, i.e. "21 jewels" and "Japan Made". Malaysian and Japanese versions are virtually identical, and are made by the same type of robotic factories, so there's no real difference between them, except for the price (Taxes?) If you really need that tiny "Japan Made" in the dial, then go for the SKX007J- Wide variety of aftermarket straps and bracelets for this model.- Hardlex crystal is fine, better than mineral crystal. No scratches so far. Personally, I can't tell the difference from sapphire.Cons:- Non-hackable, non manual winding movement. That adds a little extra work to set the time. You really shouldn't roll the crown backwards on a non-hacking automatic movement, as it can affect the mechanism. To set the time properly, you should set the day-date to yesterday, then roll the crown forward past 12:00 AM to change the date, then set the correct time. Never roll the crown backwards! And you simply can't set the time accurately up to the second. No way.- Rubber strap is a little stiff, not quite comfortable at first. Gets better in a few weeks if you manage to endure it.- Strap is maybe a little too long, but you're supposed to be able to wear it over a wetsuit, anyway.Keep in mind that this is an automatic, mechanical watch. Many of the complains I read about automatics are out of ignorance. Automatics are mechanical watches that wind themselves with the natural movement of the arm (hence the name). In order to keep good time, you have to wear them every day to keep them full wound. Just don't expect them to be atomic clocks. You will need to set the correct time every now and then, maybe once a month or so. This is part of owning a mechanical watch. And has been for centuries before quartz watches.Automatic divers have other advantages to them: you will never need to open them to change batteries, which is a good thing in a divers' watch. And Seiko has a reputation for making durable watches. You can expect them to work for 20+ years. My dad's did.Beautiful, original design, pedigree, good lume, true divers watch. All this probably makes the best well spent 200 $ in a watch, ever. Enjoy!