Seiko SNKE063 review
G
Author: DrSpeed
I would like to review for you a “humble” Seiko 5 model, the SNKE63.
I was in search of an ordinary beater, a watch that I could mistreat to my fancy and could be kicked about, get scratched and dented, a workhorse I wouldn't care about, just use, period.
That way I could keep my other watches safe.
I chose the SNKE63 because I wanted a cheap utalitarian automatic. (I could have bought a plastic quartz of course, but there are limits!). I figured its no nonsense looks and sturdy looking casing would fit the bill and ordered one from a reputable Dutch internet dealer for 59,- Euro's.
The SNKE63 has a black military styled dial with arabic numerals at 6,9 an 12 o'clock, and day/date at the 3 o'clock position.
With it's brothers the SNKE57, SNKE59 and SNKE61, (with a white, green and blue dial respectively) it forms a small family of explorer-style watches.
The hands have a sword shaped form and the second hand has a ball at the back end, like most Seiko divers have, with a red tip. The colour of the tip varies in the different models.
The steel bezel is fixed and unadorned.
Its case diameter is 39 mm with 20 mm lugs, a bit larger than most Seiko 5's. The casing itself has a respectable thickness, I'd say about 2-3 mm's. The watch including springbars but without it's original metal strap weighs 55 grams.
Workmanship and finish are up to the usual fine Seiko standard.
As a member of the Seiko 5 tribe it's equipped with the well known and reliable 7S26B movement, day/date and transparent back through which the movement is visible.
I didn't check for accuracy, but it seems to be good enough (for me anyway) during normal wear; I didn't notice any major problems, and made it in time for work.
It's rated as “water resistant”, so no diving with this one, but fine for the ordinary use I had in mind for it.
The lume is adequate, not as good as on my SKX007 diver, but sufficient to read the time in the early morning hours.
It constitutes excellent value for money IMHO.
So far, so good. Nothing wrong with the SNKE63, and nothing special also.
I didn't like the original metal strap (nothing wrong with it, I just don't like wearing metal straps in general), which I replaced with a NATO Bond one.
Now, I shouldn't have done that.
It suddenly occurred to me that this watch looked really good. A tough watch, yet refined in it's own way. Indeed a watch that a certain British operator could have worn himself, had he not had an expense account with MI5 enabling him to thrash Rolexes and Omega's and the likes.
Wear it with a dinner jacket and it would feel right at home in the casino. Get parachuted behind enemy lines and it would serve you equally well under your black BDU's. If you're taken prisoner and some thug nicks it, it's no great loss.
The only problem is that I'm too fond now of this watch to use it as I intended to. I'm being careful with it! Now what? Back to a plastic quartz?
I would like to review for you a “humble” Seiko 5 model, the SNKE63.
I was in search of an ordinary beater, a watch that I could mistreat to my fancy and could be kicked about, get scratched and dented, a workhorse I wouldn't care about, just use, period.
That way I could keep my other watches safe.
I chose the SNKE63 because I wanted a cheap utalitarian automatic. (I could have bought a plastic quartz of course, but there are limits!). I figured its no nonsense looks and sturdy looking casing would fit the bill and ordered one from a reputable Dutch internet dealer for 59,- Euro's.
The SNKE63 has a black military styled dial with arabic numerals at 6,9 an 12 o'clock, and day/date at the 3 o'clock position.
With it's brothers the SNKE57, SNKE59 and SNKE61, (with a white, green and blue dial respectively) it forms a small family of explorer-style watches.
The hands have a sword shaped form and the second hand has a ball at the back end, like most Seiko divers have, with a red tip. The colour of the tip varies in the different models.
The steel bezel is fixed and unadorned.
Its case diameter is 39 mm with 20 mm lugs, a bit larger than most Seiko 5's. The casing itself has a respectable thickness, I'd say about 2-3 mm's. The watch including springbars but without it's original metal strap weighs 55 grams.
Workmanship and finish are up to the usual fine Seiko standard.
As a member of the Seiko 5 tribe it's equipped with the well known and reliable 7S26B movement, day/date and transparent back through which the movement is visible.
I didn't check for accuracy, but it seems to be good enough (for me anyway) during normal wear; I didn't notice any major problems, and made it in time for work.
It's rated as “water resistant”, so no diving with this one, but fine for the ordinary use I had in mind for it.
The lume is adequate, not as good as on my SKX007 diver, but sufficient to read the time in the early morning hours.
It constitutes excellent value for money IMHO.
So far, so good. Nothing wrong with the SNKE63, and nothing special also.
I didn't like the original metal strap (nothing wrong with it, I just don't like wearing metal straps in general), which I replaced with a NATO Bond one.
Now, I shouldn't have done that.
It suddenly occurred to me that this watch looked really good. A tough watch, yet refined in it's own way. Indeed a watch that a certain British operator could have worn himself, had he not had an expense account with MI5 enabling him to thrash Rolexes and Omega's and the likes.
Wear it with a dinner jacket and it would feel right at home in the casino. Get parachuted behind enemy lines and it would serve you equally well under your black BDU's. If you're taken prisoner and some thug nicks it, it's no great loss.
The only problem is that I'm too fond now of this watch to use it as I intended to. I'm being careful with it! Now what? Back to a plastic quartz?
