Seiko

Seiko Men's SKA201 Arctura Kinetic Watch

• Quality Japanese Automatic movement; Functions without a battery; Powers automatically with the movement of your arm
• Sapphire crystal
• Case diameter: 43 mm

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Kinetic: A powerhouse in technological innovation

Like mechanical and quartz, Kinetic is a platform. Over the past 20 years, SEIKO has created on this platform a suite of Kinetic movements, each bringing unique features to the consumer.

It was at the 1986 Basel Fair that SEIKO unveiled its first Kinetic prototype. Introduced under the trial name of 'AGM', it was the first watch in the world to convert kinetic movement into electrical energy. It was the first step in a development that, 20 years later, has made Kinetic synonymous with environmental friendliness, high performance and long-lasting convenience to a generation of users worldwide. From the launch in 1988 of the first commercially available watch (then under the new name AGS) until today, over eight million Kinetic watches have been sold (as of 2007).

In 1998, Kinetic Auto Relay was released, extending the 'at-rest' operating period of the watch to a remarkable 4 years. 1999 saw the launch of the Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph, a masterpiece which fused the very best of SEIKO's mechanical and electronic watch making skills, and in 2003 another Kinetic Chronograph was launched. At Baselworld 2005, the Kinetic Perpetual made its first appearance, combining Kinetic convenience and longevity with a perpetual calendar, correct to the year 2100. In 2007, SEIKO's emotional technology Kinetic Direct Drive is introduced.

Product Description

Stainless steel case with a stainless steel bracelet. Fixed stainless steel bezel. Silver dial with luminous silver-tone hands and stick hour markers. Minute markers around the outer rim. Luminiscent hands and markers. Date display at the 3 o'clock position. Japanese quartz movement. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Solid case back. Case diameter: 44 mm. Fold over clasp with safety release. Water resistant at 100 metes / 330 feet. Functions: hour, minute and second hands. Seiko Arctura Kinetic Mens Watch SKA201.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00068TK84
• Item model number: SKA201
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,097 in Watches (See Top 100 in Watches)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent mid-range watch, March 31, 2006

By 

chunkybeefstyle (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seiko Men's SKA201 Arctura Kinetic Watch (Watch)

I purchased this watch to replace a Bulova that I prized but that was unfortunately pinched by some unsavory type. I came across this watch while shopping for a replacement. It actually went a little higher than my original price range, but I'm very pleased with the end result. OIverall, I was looking for a metal case and band, clean face (ruling out chronographs), and just enough features to get me to work on time (date and time, solamente).

Comments by feature:

1. Casing: I use this watch for daily wear, and while I am not necessarily doing hard labor, it does take a bit of a beating. As a result, the watch casing has picked up a few small scratches in the past four months, but the SS has otherwise held up. Somewhat pointless numbers engraved on the bezel. I could have done without them for a cleaner design.

2. Crystal: The crystal has held up even better, with no scratches at all; I recommend a sapphire crystal if this is important to you.

3. Band: SS and comfortable. Button release on clasp.

4. Movement: Japanese - some consider Japanese movements to be slightly inferior to Swiss movements, but Seiko has a good reputation for solid craftsmanship, and my time is always accurate.

5. Data: Hour, minute, second hands and numerical date. I wish the watch had a perpetual calendar - I dislike having to remember to change the date at the end of months with <31 days.

6. Face: Clean, no numbers, luminescent hands and hour markings.

7. Power: This is what hooked me and drove me above my price point - kinetic power. However, this isn't the old type of mechanism, where the movement of the weight wound a spring. Instead, movement of the weight charges a battery, which then powers the watch. As a result, time remains accurate up to the bitter end. This is a very useful feature if there is a nuclear holocaust and you can't find any open battery stores. In truth, it will probably save a little money on batteries, but it really just lets you tap the inner geek (not to the level of calculator watch, but I have to be taken somewhat seriously in my line of work). There is even a little button that lets you see how much charge you have left and whether you need to start windmilling your arms like a nutjob. *WARNING* This feature may cause you to move your hand in a potentially lascivious fashion just so you can hear the mechanism at work - just be aware of your surroundings at the time.

Bottom line: A very nice watch for the price, with a minorly geeky gimmick that I have found very satisfying. Cons include lack of perpetual calendar and pointless bezel numbers marring an otherwise clean design.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best watch I've ever owned, January 9, 2006

By 

E. George (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seiko Men's SKA201 Arctura Kinetic Watch (Watch)

This replaces a Fossil Blue watch that I wore for over 10 years. It still works but was showing its age. The new Seiko is gorgeous! It seems well made and is heavier than my last watch. I considered getting a titanium watch instead of stainless steel since titanium is a lot lighter but I also found out it scratches up easier and scratch resistance is more important to me. Speaking of scratch resistance the sapphire crystal is also much more scratch resistant than the typical glass crystal. Also it is flush with the watch case for protection. The face is described as white but is really a very light metallic champagne color. Close to white but not quite. I like the fact that the polished part of the wristband is slightly recessed as that will protect it some from scratches, which was a problem with my last watch. The push button clasp looks nothing like the hidden style amazon shows, but it is nice. I have only had this watch for a day so cannot review on long term reliability but it works great so far and I researched and found that the kinetic watches overall are reliable. You can hear the kinetic mechanism rolling around inside when you move the watch. It is not loud by any means but is noticible in a quiet environment. It is no louder than the rattling noise made by many metal watch bracelets anyway. Some people who reviewed other kinetic watches complained about the sound but I think it might serve as a conversation starter. :) The button at two o'clock is a power reserve indicator which moves the second hand ahead between 5 and 30 seconds. The further the more charge it has. When I got the watch the second hand was moving in 2 second intervals which indicates less than 24 hours of reserve power are left. Very cool! And of course these features don't affect the accuracy. I can't think of anything to complain about with this watch. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good watch for the price., January 9, 2007

By 

adgorman (Silver City, NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seiko Men's SKA201 Arctura Kinetic Watch (Watch)

My husband has really liked this watch so far. The price was great for such a elegant looking watch. He wears it when he dresses up. He really likes that it is Kinetic. We don't have to worry about replacing the battery. The last watch I bought him was a fossil and we had to send it to their servicing center when the battery died and had to wait 4-6 weeks. The kinetic seems to be working out great.