Seiko SKX781 Review
It’s the Orange Monster. It’s also one of the best value purchases for a mid-range fashion watch that you’re going to find in our industry today. Not only is this an automatic dive watch, rated to be water-resistant to 200 meters, but it has a tremendous level of accuracy with its 21-jewel movement.
The time is always easy to read on this watch with its stainless steel case and orange dial. Day and date functions are placed in the standard location. We love the overall look of this watch and couldn’t wait to give it a trial run. Here’s what we discovered from our experience with this unique timepiece.
#1. Despite accuracy complaints, this watch is remarkably accurate. On the worst day of our trial run, we’re pretty sure we noticed that the Seiko lost about 10 seconds. For the average day, the time changes were negligible. Accuracy is the most complained about problem with this watch, but as long as you give yourself a minute or two each week, you’re going to be fine.
#2. This watch can be difficult to synchronize. When you pull out the crown, the second hand doesn’t stop working. Now some owners have stated they can synchronize their Seiko timepiece by placing a slight backward pressure to a crown that is fully extended, but we can’t make that recommendation. That would put the watch at risk for damage that could void the warranty.
#3. The bezel only turns in one direction. This is part of the diving features that are included with this watch. It’s machined with an upper and lower guard, so you won’t have unwanted movement with it. Paired with the Hardlex crystal that makes the watch more shatter-resistant, you’ll find that the overall durability of this timepiece is better than most will expect.
#4. It’s a self-winding watch. Although it has some features that make it seem like you should be winding this watch every couple of days, this is an automatic watch that you won’t have to worry about. Your power reserve is almost always good for 24-36 hours if you’re not wearing the watch for some time.
#5. The clasp on this watch is tight and reliable. You’ll hear a very satisfying “click” when you put on this watch. Not only is there a double-button catch in the design, but there is also a fold-over security buckle. It continues to stay tight on the wrist all day, though in a comfortable way. If it feels too tight, then you can take advantage of the diver’s extension, which is intended to let someone wear this watch over a wetsuit.
#6. It features the 7S26 movement. It’s not the best automatic movement that Seiko makes, but it is one that works very reliably and with relative quiet. In silent moments, you can hear the winding mechanism working from time to time. The only real issue we have is that the day/date complication must be adjusted every time a month doesn’t contain 31 days.
If you’re looking for an affordable timepiece that looks fantastic and can double as a diver’s watch, then the Seiko SKX781 Orange Monster is certainly a model to take a closer look at today. It looks great, is reasonably affordable, and has a luminosity that makes it easy to read in all conditions. We found it to be a satisfying timepiece.
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