Customer Reviews

Seiko Men's SKX175 Automatic Dive Silver-Tone Watch

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've had a Seiko 200m diver for 7 years now and it is just as good if not better than the Tags, Omegas, Tissots and various other swiss watches I've owned. What it may lack in "prestige" it more than makes up for in quality build, reliabilty and just plain toughness. With a oyster style band this watch has been mistaken for a Rolex GMT many times. I've used this watch as my main diving watch for years and it performs better than any other watch I have ever used, super bright markers, very accurate automatic 21 jewel movement, just a great watch. Much better diver than my Brietling which cost me over $1000. This is a bargin for the price.

I'm 2 or three years into my second one. I'm hard on watches and the first one I had lasted many years of diving and hard use. And the first watch still works, The face came loose and will turn around under the crystal (now that is confusing when you first see it). This one (as well as the old one) has been to well over 100 feet of sea water many, many times and has seen a lot of hard wearing. The only time I take it off is in the shower. And no the shower won't hurt it. It's rugged and solid and useful for non divers who want a truely water proof watch as well as, obviosuly, divers. The polyurethane bands that come with them will crack and break. Keep and eye on that and replace the band before it does break and your watch drops down into the Cayman Trench or some such place. The metal bands also are not just great. They are made in such a way as to snag and eventually come loose. I replaced the band on this one with one I made from nylon webbing. Both of these watches that I've had do tend to run a little fast, gaining about 5 minutes per week.

A couple of general notes one dive watches. A watch must be rated to 200 meters or more to be suitable for scuba diving. They will have a screw down crown (as this one does) to prevent leaks around the stem. Pay the extra money and get a self winding watch. Battery powered watches will often leak after the first battery change.

I ordered this watch sight unseen at 11:00am. It arrived in Phoenix from Dallas by Fedex the next morning. It is nice to know that there are still companies that offer this level of service. Thanks Watchzone for the beautiful watch.

As for the watch itself, I've only had it for a few hours. Here are my first impressions: It is massive and manly, made of highly polished stainless steel with a dark blue face and a rotating blue and red bezel. A Diver's watch, it is rated for immersion in saltwater to 200 meters. It is automatic and so no battery is needed. The luminous paint used on the hands and hour marks is not tritium but a glow-in-the-dark paint that Seiko claims will glow for 5 to 8 hours after 10 minutes exposure to bright light. This is the only feature that I have a problem with. The price was the lowest I saw on the internet with some venders asking up to seventy five dollars more. The watch came discreetly and securely packed in a Fedex box with the original Seiko jewelbox with pillow and a three year warranty card.

i bought this watch from amazon.com after reading all the reviews i could find (as well as the reviews on similar seiko models). having never seen the watch, i was a little skeptical, but i was able to find some additional photos on ebay. out of the box i absolutely love the look of the watch. the face is simple and very easy to read, a true masterpiece in design. a very handsome watch with a rugged and yet refined look (matches me perfectly harharhar). everything seems to be functioning properly. the luminous hands are very bright after exposure to sun and stay visible through the whole night. there are a lot of complaints about accuracy on this website but for the last 7 days (since i got the watch) it has consistently gained about 6 seconds per day, which seems very acceptable for an automatic watch of this price. also to note i wear this watch about 20 hours per day (if you include sleep), i only take it off to workout, surf and shower. many people complain about the bracelet and yes, it does feel pretty cheap and doesn't inspire much confidence at all (as far as not breaking). despite this, it is quite comfortable and looks good as well. the watch itself is nice and heavy and not as big as i suspected it would be. i have a 7" wrist and had to have a few links removed but the watch looks great on my arm, perfect size. before this purchase i was debating between a few different watches: the bulova marine star and the swiss army classic chrono. both seem to be pretty nice watches but i didn't like how the bulova is just a rip-off of the omega seamaster and the swiss army's face was just a little to busy for me (plus is more expensive than this watch). obviously if money was not an issue i would probably be wearing a rolex submariner or an omega but this watch seems to be a really good value for the money. i was considering wearing it out surfing but after hearing how my dad lost his when the band broke i'm thinking twice about that. with a rubber band i would take it out in a heartbeat. since i prefer not to know what time it is when surfing though, this isn't critical for me. all in all i would recommend buying this watch if you're looking for an 'affordable' yet beautiful and quality watch. and i would buy from amazon.com again.

update (2/18/09): after about 5 months the watch is gaining about 10 seconds per day, very acceptable. i have put it through quite a bit of abuse with minor damage. the face isn't truly scratch resistant, but i wouldn't expect that at this price. i've had several people mistake it for a rolex. i still love the watch!

This watch is absolutely amazing. I received it ahead of schedule and was impressed with the packaging. A classic and very impressive timepiece. I was eager to wear my new watch and have been wearing it ever since. I have not been disappointed with it's performance. This is my first purchase of jewerly from Amazon and I will definitely do this again. Excellent service!

Listen people. Automatic watches are never that accurate. +/- 30 seconds a day is acceptable. Please beware and do more research before investing not just in this Seiko but in ANY automatic watches

I bought this watch a couple months ago and it is superb. It IS a BIG watch but I am a big man and it looks quite hansom on my wrist,but if your not a big guy I woudnt recommend this model. Now onto the timekeeping.When I received the watch it ran a bit fast (30 sec. daily) so instead of waiting the 6 weeks to sent it to Seiko for repair, I took it to the local Seiko dealership/jeweler and had them regulate it for $30, well worth the money and now it runs great. This watch is an absolute tank, I wear it every day, it gets banged around quite a bit, and there has yet to be even the slightest scratch in the hardlex crystal.

The seiko divers watch is exactly what I was looking for. Waterproof and durable. Plus it is a good looking watch.

This is an attractive watch. It keeps good time, without losing seconds over a period of days. It's an automatic, meaning it does not use a battery, and I've found I can go a day or more and it will still work.
It's luminous dials are very bright for several hours -- mine is still new and this will probably fade after a few years. The luminocity is one of the keys to a good dive watch, and from reading other reviews, seems to be important to people.
The case, bezel and crystal are all rugged and sturdy. I've already brushed up against doorways, washed the dog, and other activities with it on and it still looks new. Not even a scratch on the bezel markings, and that's rare for me. Most of the time I've got a scratch on the outside of the case or the bezel of a watch within 48 hours.
The second hand is very precise in its movements, and it truly sweeps around the the dail. Some people don't like this. It's sort of like an electric wall clock of the type many schools and government offices have used over the past 50 years. I like the second hand to move fluidly and not "click" past the numbers. So this is a benefit to me. I've had other Seiko watches over the past 20 years or so and this seems to be the case with those as well.
Those are the pros.
Here are the cons:
The bracelet is like chain mail. It has little interlocking pieces in the center and where it attaches to the lugs making it flex back and forth. When I take it off, because the bracelet flexes side-to-side, I'm afraid the bracelet is going to twist off. I've had this kind of watch bracelet before and, after time, it will bend away from the lugs. Not good. I will probably purchase a stainless steel Rolex type bracelet or a NATO nylon strap for it soon.
The bezel is to big. It's not "rounded" down on the outside, which gives the watch too high a profile, in my opinion. This probably has to do with not wanting to upset Rolex or Omega or with Seiko wanting to not look like a knock-off watch company. Whatever the reason, I don't like the high profile look on my arm.

To recap: It's a good timepiece and sturdy, but the bracelet is kind of whimpy and the bezel pokes out. If you wear it just for diving it'll be fine. It's not a good "everyday" watch however, and probably isn't made for that to begin with.

I have been looking for this exact watch for the past year after the same model that I have had since 1980 died. This watch should last me as long as my first watch that I used to scuba dive in Guam, Spain,The Red Sea, Palua, Japan, Thailand,and several other areas around the world. I have had this watch on as Aircrew on Navy planes for over 6000 flight hours. It has been dropped and banged around more than any watch needs to be and it only failed after 25 years of near constant use. Hope they still make this model in 2031 when I will need it's replacement!