Customer Reviews

Seiko Men's SKA389 Kinetic Black Ion Watch

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am currently deployed to Iraq and the watch I came with stopped working so I thought I'd order a new watch. I wanted something that didn't require a battery, wouldn't stop working and that was reliable. Having owned a Seiko kintetic in the past it was natural for me to look at their selection.

I settled on this one because I don't need the bling. I like the black finish and red dial. I recieved this watch very quickly (I'm in Iraq) and began wearing immediately. I have had no issues with it and love it. This watch is not bulky like I expected it to be, very low profile on your wrist and wears comfortably. I wear this watch on combat missions, during PT, in the gym, everywhere. I only take it off when I sleep.

I would recommend this watch to anyone looking for good quality and a nice masculine watch.

Some Seikos have a lot of charm and personality (the Sumo, the Monsters, the Razorback, etc). This watch ain't one of those. It is instead a highly polished efficient timekeeper that does its job in a flawless though bland manner. It keeps time, it's well made, it looks nice in an understated way, and it will probably last for 10-15 years without needing a battery or service. This is remarkable, yet also unexciting. Some watches are for collectors, others are for utilitarians. The SKA 389 (notice the lack of a catchy nickname!) is in the latter category.

First, how it works. This is a quartz movement, accurate to within 3-5 seconds per month. This is about 30 times better than the best automatic movements available. That said, the movement lacks the soul of an automatic - the second hand moves in discrete boring one second chunks from one notch to the next, without the fluid sweep of a mechanical watch. If you want aesthetics, there is little on display here, but if you want the time delivered accurately, here you go.

Unlike a regular quartz though, the SKA will not need a battery in a few years. The Kinetics use a rotor to generate electrical current which is then stored in a high capacity titanium lithium ion battery. (The current models of Kinetics no longer use the capacitors that the initial models did. Seiko had problems with that device and switched over to these batteries.) Unlike your cell phone battery, this combination of battery and power level is good for roughly 20 years according to Seiko. The tech hasn't been around that long of course, so we can take that as an estimate only, but I would say you'll get at least a decade out of it without needing service or a new battery.

Seiko wants you to think of this watch as being a hybrid of automatic and quartz technologies, so they have an "exhibition" (see-through) case back so you can watch the rotor as it turns around in back. You can also hear a mechanical whir and feel the rotor turn as you swing your arm. The actual movement though is not visible through the case back (just as well, as most quartz movements resemble circuit boards more than anything else) so instead you see the rotor and a few big gears that generate the current. There is nothing elegant here, and if you are expecting something like a decorated jeweled ETA movement here, you will be sorely disappointed. You'll watch the rotor turn for maybe 5 minutes, show it to a few friends, and then never look at it again. In comparison, the average automatic watch movement is far more charming to observe, even over the long term, but again the SKA 389 ain't about entertainment or charm.

Seiko tells you in the manual that the max power reserve on the SKA 389 is 6 months. (That is how long the watch would take to stop if you took it off and didn't wear it.) To hit that level, you'll have to swing the watch back in forth in your hand many thousands of times or walk about a mile in less than 48 hours. Wearing the watch over the course of a single day will get you about a week's reserve, so most users who are not vigorously active will only slowly build up a reserve, and will probably rarely hit the full six month reserve. Regardless, you'll have more than enough power on hand to take the watch off at night, for a weekend, or even a whole week. This is far superior to even the best automatics, which will give you 40-50 hours of maximum reserve power at full wind.

Aesthetics: functional and low key. The matte black finish is elegant and the watch feels well made. As with all Seikos, finish and detail is impeccable, and the watch looks far more expensive than it is. My complaints are with the size of the watch and the band. The 40.5 mm diameter of the watch is smallish for ordinary male wrists. As with all Kinetics, the square base plate (that the circular face sits on) is disproportionately large (part of the generator assembly I guess) so the watch has a bit of a squarish shape on your arm rather than the more traditional circle, which makes the 30mm face of the watch look smaller than it is. According to current style, men should have about a 42mm faced watch (or bigger) so this watch is unstylishly small, at least unless your wrists are also small. My 7.5 inch wrist is by no means huge, but this watch looks teeny on it. Adding insult to injury, the band is also quite narrow, so narrow band and average to small sized face means this watch will be utterly lost on a big guy's arm. If you don't mind this, or if your wrist is not that large, this is not an issue.

Warranty is three years. The watch also has a "power reserve" reading feature where you can press a second button and get a rough indicator of your power reserve by the movement of the second hand. After sweeping to show you the power level, the second hand freezes in place until the time "catches up" with it and then starts moving again. A neat gimmick, but one you'll probably use only to make sure the watch is working correctly. There is a date complication on the face. The watch has a steel bezel that can be used as a countdown timer, and this bezel rotates smoothly and precisely. It is functional and understated (see a trend here?) but does not feel as sturdy or precise as the excellent bezel used on, say, the Monster series of dive watches. Water resistant to 100 meters. Hands and markers are luminescent, with average lifespan of glow in the dark time, maybe four to six hours or so of readability in the dark I would estimate.

All in all, this is a good watch for people who want to own one watch. It's not especially collectible, and doesn't have much of a dynamic personality. It will get the job done and work well and last long in the process. Think of it as the Toyota of watches, though without the current recall issues. If you are a guy with small wrists who need a reliable and reasonably attractive watch, you probably won't go wrong with buying this especially at the excellent Amazon price offered at time of this review. If you're a watch buff who likes to collect timepieces with character, you may want to pass on this. The "eternal-battery" feature is nice and the kinetic charging feels somewhat grittier than the bland potted plant solar charging systems offered by Casio and Citizen, but this particular example of the Seiko Kinetic line is not built for personality.

I wanted a basic watch that could act as an everyday watch as well as something could be worn out for the evening. The black band looks great, and I get more compliments than friends who spent much more for a flashy watch. I am more than satisfied with the purchase of this watch.

Own many watches, Seiko Monster was my favorite, but was unsure of this as some of the negative comments held me off. Wanted a Luminox but not a plastic case and the are 4 time this cost. When it went to $129 I had to bite. At first I was not sure about the shinny black and the more of a gun metal black on the band and the bezel was very stiff to rotate. Also I was conserned that due to the fact it took a long time to get the winding charge to 30 day reserve too[fast rapid back and forth will help charge] it was unsure if the charge would hold.

No worries . I am a very picky person[just ask my wife] Now it is my first choice. Gotten many complements on it , even from an EMT friend with a Luminox[metal case one not plastic], and TAG and he wants one. Keeps perfect time, like the finish now as the contrast looks great, the bezel with some dry Teflon lube spray and use is fine now, the stem never has pulled out in wearing it, tension just right and I do not really need a screw down[I would prefer it] as I am not constantly having to adjust the watch like my auto winders and would worry about seal due to wear.
NO batteries to constantly change, with potential for dust and leaks each time you open the back. Accuracy is just great. You can check the charge and it has stayed at 30 days ever since I got it there, even sitting still for several days. I would pay the regular price even as the quality is excellent, even has drilled through holes for the band pins. Easily worth $200.
Band was easy to adjust[easier than the Monster] just right in size and weight for an average wrist and no hair pulling.
No defects, everything lines up and is flawless in the finish and is scratch resistant even with things coming in contact that would seem to cause a scratch.
Buy it you will not be disappointed, nothing in this price range comparable in Ion plated Black. I hate taking it off!

This watch is excellent. High quality, currently stationed in kuwait and it has held up against some of the worst weather and conditions possible.

What a beautiful piece of work by Seiko. I'm tired of replacing batteries and this technology seems as good as the eco drive by Citizen. I just had an expensive $350 pilot watch ruined by someone replacing the battery and not re-setting it correctly. Getting older and don't need all the fine detail anymore, and this watch just has that comfortable "right" feel to it....very solid....and yet you can view the movement through the translucent bottom. This will be my main timepiece from now on for every occasion.

I received this watch recently and really like the style and functionality. It looks great, without being flashy. Its clearly tough enough to wear at the gym and the look also holds its own when worn in nicer dress at the office. If you like things that are understated and well made, this is your watch.

I just received this watch a few days ago, so my review is based mostly off first impressions. Please take what I say with a grain of salt.

I was looking for a watch that had some class and distinct styling to it, but I wanted a weekend watch as well. This watch definitely fit the bill. It can be "dressed up" or "dressed down", depending on how you want to look. The dial is very readable and pleasant to look at.

My personality is such that I hate any kind of bling. I hate shiny-ness or over the top decor. The watch itself is fine in this regard, but my biggest gripe is with the band. I don't think the images accurately depict the band. The band has some shiny accents, which I personally felt was a bit much. The picture gave me the impression of a more matte/dulled steel finish, but after holding the watch in my hand, this wasn't really the case. For some people, this may be a good thing, but I personally would have liked the shiny-ness toned down a couple of notches.

The watch seems to keep very good time, although I haven't accurately counted it down the second. The kinetic mechanism appears to be solid. When shaking the watch in your hand to charge the battery, you can actually hear the weight from the inside of the watch moving around. But when walking or casually moving your arms, the sound is not audible.

The watch definitely has some weight to it, which I personally think is a good thing. This watch comes off as being a watch-lovers watch, in the sense that you can really feel it as a part of you. The shape of the watch offers a masculine and rugged appearance, but not so over the top that it will give the impression you are overly insecure about your manhood. The black color was one of the main reasons I was drawn to the watch (along with the price), and it looks quite sharp.

The red touch on the moving bezel is quite tasteful. The glow-in-the-dark hands/numbers are fine, although I wouldn't recommend it for use when camping. The clasp is sturdy and well made.

If you are looking for a watch you can wear to work, but still keep on when hanging out drinking beers with your buddies, this watch is great. In terms of quality and form factor, it doesn't get much better than Seiko. Just keep in mind that the bling is not as subtle as the images depict.

I've had this watch for a while now and decided to change my earlier review, and if Amazon allowed it I would bump it up a star. I still think not having a screw-down stem is a mistake if you're going to have any water resistance. That, and I dislike the little button to check the power level with on the watch, because if it is out of power it will stop, you know? Its relative charge is not something I am interested in knowing. That aside, it has kept good time and the black finish is holding up well, which is something I worried about. It is a good looking watch and slightly different from the usual fodder at this price level. All in all, a good buy and worth four stars.

Imagine, if you will, a world where there is only one watch dealer with a store in every mall and row upon row of only one watch on display for every man, woman and child - the Seiko Kinetic Black Ion watch. This is the world I envision. Yes, the Seiko Kinetic Black Ion watch should be the official watch for all the people of planet earth!

This watch is heavy, which I like, but not cumbersome or clunky. It feels comfortable, solid and substantial - and it's extremely handsome to boot! It's readable at a glance which was essential to me and the very bright, clear luminous dial finishes off this practical and attractive package. I know it's going to be sturdy in the long term because of the of the reviews by our military guys in Kuwait and Iraq and, of course, it's a Seiko. Thanks, guys, for your service and your reviews!

By the way, click where it says "see all 4 customer photos" just below the initial picture. All of these pictures give you a very accurate representation of the contours and finish of the watch. It's a little more glossy and doesn't have the matte finish that the main picture shows. The shape (as you can see in the customer photos I referred to) isn't quite so flat either. As I said before, it has an extremely handsome and rugged look and the black band makes it both elegant and masculine.