| Watch Information | |
|---|---|
| Brand, Seller, or Collection Name | Seiko |
| Model number | SKX173 |
| Part Number | SKX173 |
| Model Year | 2011 |
| Item Shape | Round |
| Dial window material type | Hardlex |
| Display Type | Analog |
| Clasp | Buckle |
| Metal stamp | none |
| Case material | Stainless steel |
| Case diameter | 43.00 |
| Case Thickness | 14.00 |
| Band Material | Polyurethane |
| Band length | mens |
| Band width | 20 millimeters |
| Band Color | Black |
| Dial color | Black |
| Bezel material | Stainless steel |
| Bezel function | Unidirectional |
| Calendar | Day and date |
| Item weight | 10.40 Ounces |
| Movement | Automatic |
| Water resistant depth | 660 Feet |
| Warranty type | Contact seller of record |
Product Specifications
Product Details
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
73 of 78 people found the following review helpful
By Pimentón
Amazon Verified Purchase
I've been a fan of divers watches since college days. I first ran across a Seiko 150m model about 1988 and I've since come to regard this SKX173 200m as THE classic dive watch. Not only is it great for water activities and sports, but it's also great for dry land functions such as telling time and looking cool.
The automatic mechanical power isn't just some outmoded watch technology from the past. It's fascinating to have this intricate and accurate time-machine on your wrist. And the auto-winding mechanism is a real plus. If, like me, you find yourself the owner of multiple watches in these days of expensive batteries for quartz models, replacing power cells can become a high-priced hassle. All you have to do is wear this watch and move around normally and it runs without a thought. The only downer for me is that I want to give my other watch models some wrist time too, so then things tend to run down. But then, just pick it up, set it, strap it on, and off you go. I have always found it quite accurate enough for my ordinary time-keeping purposes.
One of the classic and attractive feature of diver watches is the rotator elapsed time bezel. If you like the countdown timer feature on your digital watch, this rotator simply does the same thing in an analog way. Just turn the 0 indicator to the preset position of the minute or second hand and WATCH (yes, pun intended) how much time goes by. There is also a a version of this elapsed time ring in red (from 0 to 20 secs.) and blue (from 20 to 60 secs.). If you want a slightly different dive-watch look, I've found that these replacement rotators are readily available on the net.
The jet-black face makes for a bold, easy-to-see-at-a-glance contrast with the square-cut hour markers and attention-grabbing hour and minute indicators. Another plus here is long lasting glow in the dark visibility. Some other brand's marine model I've got has markers that fade to invisibility after an hour or so in the dark. You can tell time on this watch all night long and even, I suppose, in murky water. There's even a luminous dot at 0 secs. on the elapsed time rotator.
The 22 mm. black rubber waterproof strap, held in place by heavy duty, industrial strength spring pins, makes a great looking match with this steel and black watch. And apparently Seiko diver straps are indestructible. Other rubber straps seem to be programmed to serve their brief time and then self-destruct. But even the band I've used on my Seiko 150m for 16 or 17 years shows no sign of cracking or breaking. After wearing this watch for a while the heavy strap seemed to mold itself to the size and shape of my wrist. It just sort of makes itself at home on your arm.
The steel case has a great look of solidity and a pleasant heftiness. It's big (42 mm across) but not geeky big, just the right size and weight to project a certain masculine handsomeness. A nice design touch is the position of the crown at 4:00 instead of the usual 3:00, not only a nice and noticeable difference, but it doesn't cut into the back of your hand in case of hard work or heavy lifting (one of my favorite watches to wear to the gym). BTW, the crown is only for stetting the time and date, as it's not needed as a winder.
In case you can't tell, I really like this watch. So much so that I also got the more recent model SKXA35 with the bright yellow dial (See it on Amazon. Really cool too!).
With the quality and durability of this SKX173, you're in for some long-term watch fun and interested comments like. "Great watch! Where'd you get it?"
Good price and good deal too. Hey, man, go for it. Get this watch!
The automatic mechanical power isn't just some outmoded watch technology from the past. It's fascinating to have this intricate and accurate time-machine on your wrist. And the auto-winding mechanism is a real plus. If, like me, you find yourself the owner of multiple watches in these days of expensive batteries for quartz models, replacing power cells can become a high-priced hassle. All you have to do is wear this watch and move around normally and it runs without a thought. The only downer for me is that I want to give my other watch models some wrist time too, so then things tend to run down. But then, just pick it up, set it, strap it on, and off you go. I have always found it quite accurate enough for my ordinary time-keeping purposes.
One of the classic and attractive feature of diver watches is the rotator elapsed time bezel. If you like the countdown timer feature on your digital watch, this rotator simply does the same thing in an analog way. Just turn the 0 indicator to the preset position of the minute or second hand and WATCH (yes, pun intended) how much time goes by. There is also a a version of this elapsed time ring in red (from 0 to 20 secs.) and blue (from 20 to 60 secs.). If you want a slightly different dive-watch look, I've found that these replacement rotators are readily available on the net.
The jet-black face makes for a bold, easy-to-see-at-a-glance contrast with the square-cut hour markers and attention-grabbing hour and minute indicators. Another plus here is long lasting glow in the dark visibility. Some other brand's marine model I've got has markers that fade to invisibility after an hour or so in the dark. You can tell time on this watch all night long and even, I suppose, in murky water. There's even a luminous dot at 0 secs. on the elapsed time rotator.
The 22 mm. black rubber waterproof strap, held in place by heavy duty, industrial strength spring pins, makes a great looking match with this steel and black watch. And apparently Seiko diver straps are indestructible. Other rubber straps seem to be programmed to serve their brief time and then self-destruct. But even the band I've used on my Seiko 150m for 16 or 17 years shows no sign of cracking or breaking. After wearing this watch for a while the heavy strap seemed to mold itself to the size and shape of my wrist. It just sort of makes itself at home on your arm.
The steel case has a great look of solidity and a pleasant heftiness. It's big (42 mm across) but not geeky big, just the right size and weight to project a certain masculine handsomeness. A nice design touch is the position of the crown at 4:00 instead of the usual 3:00, not only a nice and noticeable difference, but it doesn't cut into the back of your hand in case of hard work or heavy lifting (one of my favorite watches to wear to the gym). BTW, the crown is only for stetting the time and date, as it's not needed as a winder.
In case you can't tell, I really like this watch. So much so that I also got the more recent model SKXA35 with the bright yellow dial (See it on Amazon. Really cool too!).
With the quality and durability of this SKX173, you're in for some long-term watch fun and interested comments like. "Great watch! Where'd you get it?"
Good price and good deal too. Hey, man, go for it. Get this watch!
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
First, I love this watch. It has become my everyday wearer, and I suppose that is the highest praise from a watch nut. If you think you would like a diver's watch, consider the SKX173.
Looking through the other reviews, there seems little new ground that I can cover, so I'll just gush for a while.
The nighttime luminosity is excellent, the watch uses Seiko's Lumibrite, which is an organic luminous material. It is not radioactive and works very well. In any ambient light, the matte black dial with clear, tasteful luminous markers and dissimilar hands ensure that you always have the time at a glance. The absence of shiny metal surrounds for the hour markers keeps the dial look clean. The large arrow shaped minute hand is effectively differentiated from the hour hand so that I never confuse the two. Luminosity of dial and hands are roughly equal. If anything, the hands appear brighter. The luminous dot and bold triangle on the bezel also assures that you are able to track elapsed time in any lighting condition. The 120 click unidirectional bezel moves smoothly and with just the right tension to assure that accidental turns are minimized. I use that feature every day. I find a watch without a rotating bezel to be less useful unless it is a chronograph. Exposure to sunlight or light high in UV (fluorescent, for example) charges the luminous material. I have no trouble seeing the time at night. The flat crystal sits slightly below the bezel, which should help prevent scratches. Though, you can catch a reflection from it if the light hits it just right. I like a day and date function on a watch. Most diver's watches don't display the day. I love the blue Saturday and red Sunday. I like that there is not a ring around the date window, again a very clean design. The absence of a date magnifier keeps the look classic and businesslike.
I swapped out the as delivered rubber strap with a Seiko jubilee style bracelet with flip lock clasp. I found that dresses the watch up nicely and is very comfortable. The strap is great, and conforms to the shape of your wrist after a while, I just prefer a metal bracelet. The crown at 4:00 is large, with fine grooving affording a good grip and is not irritating at all. Thanks to the domed back of the watch, it sits high enough on the wrist so that the crown doesn't form that annoying little callous on the back of one's hand. For a watch this large, it is surprisingly comfortable. My wrist measures 6 1/2" around, so I have relatively small wrists. My Omega Seamaster GMT was as large, yet the back so flat that this was a constant issue. My Rolex GMT had a sharper, smaller crown with coarser serrations, but sits high enough so that is not a problem. The SKX173 crown guard is a visually delightful and wonderfully functional design that I have not seen work as well in any other watch. A terrific feature that is underreported, IMHO. I remember thinking, on taking the watch out of the box, "Now this is a crown guard..." It has never snagged on anything. Even if you don't scuba dive, a diver's watch has a tougher, thicker case /crystal and excellent sealing system, affording maximum protection for the movement within. It just makes sense if you want trouble free operation.
A lot of concern has been expressed about timekeeping, so I should address that. Due to the Seiko Magic Lever winding system and despite the low mass rotor of the 7S26 movement, winding for me is efficient. I find it will maintain a full wind on a winder at 650 turns per day, bidirectional- same as a Rolex. The Omega GMT wouldn't maintain it's level of wind at 650 TPD. If the watch is fully wound, I find it runs a little slow (-3 to 4 seconds per day). Catching up those few seconds is easily accomplished by resting the watch crown down. I have not set the watch in two weeks, and it is currently indicating within a few seconds of the correct time as checked against an atomic clock using just these two simple tricks. In essence, fully wound, a little slow; not fully wound, a little fast. Your mileage may vary. Some combination of rest position and activity level will dictate your actions if you want the watch to be spot on. This is excellent performance for an unadjusted mass produced watch and says a lot about Seiko's design talents and quality control. The 21,600 BPH (6 ticks per second) movement ensures lower stress than a high beat movement, increasing longevity. The lack of a hack feature can be overcome by applying slight backward pressure on the crown during setting. Care should be used to not have the watch run backward at this point, because that is bad for the escapement. This works best if the watch is not fully wound. I do not often use this approach, since I can speed the watch up or slow it down in use to achieve a good synchronization within a few days.
All in all, an excellent watch and an exceptional value. I would highly recommend this watch to anyone desiring a classic diver's which will be a faithful companion in your daily life. Great looks, functionality and an outstanding value.
Looking through the other reviews, there seems little new ground that I can cover, so I'll just gush for a while.
The nighttime luminosity is excellent, the watch uses Seiko's Lumibrite, which is an organic luminous material. It is not radioactive and works very well. In any ambient light, the matte black dial with clear, tasteful luminous markers and dissimilar hands ensure that you always have the time at a glance. The absence of shiny metal surrounds for the hour markers keeps the dial look clean. The large arrow shaped minute hand is effectively differentiated from the hour hand so that I never confuse the two. Luminosity of dial and hands are roughly equal. If anything, the hands appear brighter. The luminous dot and bold triangle on the bezel also assures that you are able to track elapsed time in any lighting condition. The 120 click unidirectional bezel moves smoothly and with just the right tension to assure that accidental turns are minimized. I use that feature every day. I find a watch without a rotating bezel to be less useful unless it is a chronograph. Exposure to sunlight or light high in UV (fluorescent, for example) charges the luminous material. I have no trouble seeing the time at night. The flat crystal sits slightly below the bezel, which should help prevent scratches. Though, you can catch a reflection from it if the light hits it just right. I like a day and date function on a watch. Most diver's watches don't display the day. I love the blue Saturday and red Sunday. I like that there is not a ring around the date window, again a very clean design. The absence of a date magnifier keeps the look classic and businesslike.
I swapped out the as delivered rubber strap with a Seiko jubilee style bracelet with flip lock clasp. I found that dresses the watch up nicely and is very comfortable. The strap is great, and conforms to the shape of your wrist after a while, I just prefer a metal bracelet. The crown at 4:00 is large, with fine grooving affording a good grip and is not irritating at all. Thanks to the domed back of the watch, it sits high enough on the wrist so that the crown doesn't form that annoying little callous on the back of one's hand. For a watch this large, it is surprisingly comfortable. My wrist measures 6 1/2" around, so I have relatively small wrists. My Omega Seamaster GMT was as large, yet the back so flat that this was a constant issue. My Rolex GMT had a sharper, smaller crown with coarser serrations, but sits high enough so that is not a problem. The SKX173 crown guard is a visually delightful and wonderfully functional design that I have not seen work as well in any other watch. A terrific feature that is underreported, IMHO. I remember thinking, on taking the watch out of the box, "Now this is a crown guard..." It has never snagged on anything. Even if you don't scuba dive, a diver's watch has a tougher, thicker case /crystal and excellent sealing system, affording maximum protection for the movement within. It just makes sense if you want trouble free operation.
A lot of concern has been expressed about timekeeping, so I should address that. Due to the Seiko Magic Lever winding system and despite the low mass rotor of the 7S26 movement, winding for me is efficient. I find it will maintain a full wind on a winder at 650 turns per day, bidirectional- same as a Rolex. The Omega GMT wouldn't maintain it's level of wind at 650 TPD. If the watch is fully wound, I find it runs a little slow (-3 to 4 seconds per day). Catching up those few seconds is easily accomplished by resting the watch crown down. I have not set the watch in two weeks, and it is currently indicating within a few seconds of the correct time as checked against an atomic clock using just these two simple tricks. In essence, fully wound, a little slow; not fully wound, a little fast. Your mileage may vary. Some combination of rest position and activity level will dictate your actions if you want the watch to be spot on. This is excellent performance for an unadjusted mass produced watch and says a lot about Seiko's design talents and quality control. The 21,600 BPH (6 ticks per second) movement ensures lower stress than a high beat movement, increasing longevity. The lack of a hack feature can be overcome by applying slight backward pressure on the crown during setting. Care should be used to not have the watch run backward at this point, because that is bad for the escapement. This works best if the watch is not fully wound. I do not often use this approach, since I can speed the watch up or slow it down in use to achieve a good synchronization within a few days.
All in all, an excellent watch and an exceptional value. I would highly recommend this watch to anyone desiring a classic diver's which will be a faithful companion in your daily life. Great looks, functionality and an outstanding value.
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
***UPDATE*** (7/9)
Now that I've worn the watch for a week and a half or so, I can say that I stand by my original assessment below. I wear the watch over 12 hours a day comfortably. I've exercised in it, swam with it, and basically did all the things life throws at you with this watch on my wrist and it never presented a problem but there are two caveats. First, it doesn't fit well with a suit and tie...I've worn it but it does catch a bit on dress shirt cuffs due to its sizable face. Second, given my smaller wrists (see below) I wear it on one hole for normal wear and then have to tighten it up one hole if I'm doing any kind of physical activity. In the end, these are two minor issues that really don't bother me.
The watch, thus far, has kept perfect time...let me repeat that...perfect time...my guess is that others who've reviewed this watch probably don't wear it long enough to keep this automatic properly wound...again, I wear it at least 12+ hours a day...when I get up and then when I go to bed.
Last, I want to repeat that this watch is a great looking watch. The pic on my computer gives it an almost dark-brownish look...it's not...the bezel, face, and band are dark black.
Read what I wrote below for my first assessment but, once again, this is a serious watch for a GREAT price...enjoy!
*******
While I've just received this watch I wanted to comment on my first impressions for those of similar physical type and for those wanting to use the watch as I will. I will update my review after a period of time.
Right out of the box I immediately took note of the heft of the watch, the fact that the watch is sizable (right on the edge of being too large but doesn't cross the line!), and that the band is a bit long for MY wrist...but, for me, that's fine as I will explain later. I'm around 5 foot 10 and 185 pounds but my wrists are more skinny than the average man so this watch would look fantastic on larger men or on anyone with average to larger size wrists. It is a flat out GREAT looking watch on the wrist...the picture does not do this watch justice. The simplicity of this watch is its strength...I don't want bling...I want my watch to reflect down to earth, attractive, functionality...and this watch does that in spades.
Now, I am a certified diver and I will use this watch as an every day watch as well as a dive watch so the longer band is great for my purposes when I use a wet suit. The bezel moves so smoothly and the size of the face as well as the visibility of the hands and dial are terrific even in the dark.
In the short time that I've worn this watch it has met all my expectations but I'll put it through its paces over time and I'll revise my review at a later date...
Thus far...this is a no-brainer buy...
Now that I've worn the watch for a week and a half or so, I can say that I stand by my original assessment below. I wear the watch over 12 hours a day comfortably. I've exercised in it, swam with it, and basically did all the things life throws at you with this watch on my wrist and it never presented a problem but there are two caveats. First, it doesn't fit well with a suit and tie...I've worn it but it does catch a bit on dress shirt cuffs due to its sizable face. Second, given my smaller wrists (see below) I wear it on one hole for normal wear and then have to tighten it up one hole if I'm doing any kind of physical activity. In the end, these are two minor issues that really don't bother me.
The watch, thus far, has kept perfect time...let me repeat that...perfect time...my guess is that others who've reviewed this watch probably don't wear it long enough to keep this automatic properly wound...again, I wear it at least 12+ hours a day...when I get up and then when I go to bed.
Last, I want to repeat that this watch is a great looking watch. The pic on my computer gives it an almost dark-brownish look...it's not...the bezel, face, and band are dark black.
Read what I wrote below for my first assessment but, once again, this is a serious watch for a GREAT price...enjoy!
*******
While I've just received this watch I wanted to comment on my first impressions for those of similar physical type and for those wanting to use the watch as I will. I will update my review after a period of time.
Right out of the box I immediately took note of the heft of the watch, the fact that the watch is sizable (right on the edge of being too large but doesn't cross the line!), and that the band is a bit long for MY wrist...but, for me, that's fine as I will explain later. I'm around 5 foot 10 and 185 pounds but my wrists are more skinny than the average man so this watch would look fantastic on larger men or on anyone with average to larger size wrists. It is a flat out GREAT looking watch on the wrist...the picture does not do this watch justice. The simplicity of this watch is its strength...I don't want bling...I want my watch to reflect down to earth, attractive, functionality...and this watch does that in spades.
Now, I am a certified diver and I will use this watch as an every day watch as well as a dive watch so the longer band is great for my purposes when I use a wet suit. The bezel moves so smoothly and the size of the face as well as the visibility of the hands and dial are terrific even in the dark.
In the short time that I've worn this watch it has met all my expectations but I'll put it through its paces over time and I'll revise my review at a later date...
Thus far...this is a no-brainer buy...
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The finest watch I've ever owned.
I have owned one of these Seiko Dive watches for many years. I've been through two urethane straps and now wear it with a metal Seiko band, but the watch itself is excellent. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Thomas W. Weston
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally- the Watch I Wanted
I got a Bulova Marine Star as a retirement gift, loved it until it died about 8 years later. Bought another identical Marine Star which died after 5 years. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Dan-T-Man
5.0 out of 5 stars
A reference diver's watch
This is a man's watch. It has masculine elegance, size and unmistakable presence. It's design and intended utility define for me the diver watch category. Read more
Published 1 month ago by resovius
5.0 out of 5 stars
Had it exactly...30 minutes, but I love it
As an active diver for 25+ years and both an SSI and PADI instructor (12 yrs), even though dive computers are very prevalent I still recommend that all divers wear a dive watch. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Diveman
2.0 out of 5 stars
Loses time quickly
Purchased this item in early 2008. After about 5 months of daily wear, I noticed it began to run approximately 5 minutes slow every 3-4 weeks. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Riger00
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hardlex
Love this watch but make no mistake, the hardlex 'crystal' is horrible. Scratches way too easy. Other than that, for the money it's a great watch.
Published 1 month ago by derek
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great watch but big for everyday wear
I purchased this model to wear at work to save my Submariner from getting too many more scratches. Although I haven't dived in a while, I am certified and like the idea of having a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by R. Niece
3.0 out of 5 stars
The watch is fine, Band is bad
I received the watch really quick. On opening the package the presentation box had a torn edge. After opening I noticed the back of the watch did not have the 'New" plastic... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dan Prater
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great looking watch
Great looking watch and reliable. Wear it all the time. The band is long enought to fit over my wetsuit sleeve.
Published 2 months ago by Dan MacLeod
5.0 out of 5 stars
great watch
i've own the seiko auto diver since collage back in the 80's band broke while on motorcycle ride. purchased a SKX007 last year, thinking, save some money. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Louis Fincias
Product Description
Amazon.com
This 21-jewel, automatic watch winds itself with the motion of your wrist, so you'll never need to change the battery. It has a stainless steel case and features a black dial with three-hand function, easy-to-read bar markers, and an English/Spanish day/date window at the three o'clock position. Additional features include a screw-down case and crown, a scratch-resistant Hardlex crystal, and a one-way rotating bezel that keeps track of elapsed time. With its Lumibrite hands, markers, and bezel, this watch is easy to read in both light and dark conditions. The watch secures to a comfortable, extra-long, pressure-vented urethane strap that fastens with a buckle closure. Designed for diving, this watch is water-tested to 200 meters. It meets ISO standards and is suitable for scuba diving.
The Seiko Story
From Humble beginnings, Kintaro Hattori’s Vision for Seiko has become reality. A consuming passion for excellence - imprinted in our Corporate DNA passed from generation to generation. Seiko, for 125 years committed to the art and science of time.
A culture of innovation connects a 19th century Tokyo clock shop with 20th century advances in timekeeping to an extraordinary 21st century "quiet revolution." Continually driven by dedication and passion, established a multitude of world’s first technologies… transforming the principles of timekeeping.
The first quartz wristwatch – changed the history of time.
The first Kinetic – marked a new era in quartz watch technology.
In 1969, Seiko Astron, the first quartz wristwatch - was introduced.
In an instant, Seiko exponentially improved the accuracy of wristwatches –And Seiko technology firmly established today’s standard in Olympic and sports timing.
1984, another celebrated first – Kinetic Technology – powered by body movement.
Kinetic – a quartz mechanism with unparalleled accuracy –the driving force behind more world’s firsts.
Kinetic Chronograph – the next generation of high performance timekeeping.
Kinetic Auto Relay – automatically resets to the correct time.
Kinetic Perpetual - combining the date perfect technology of perpetual calendar with the genius of Kinetic Auto Relay.
And now Kinetic Direct Drive – move, and the watch is powered automatically. Or hand wind it and see the power you are generating in real time.
In the realm of fine watches, time is measured by Seiko innovation – A heritage of dedication to the art and science of time.
