Seiko 5 SNKL23 Review & Complete Guide

Photo: Watchgecko

Seiko 5 SNKL23 Review & Complete Guide

Can you get a good automatic watch for 100 to 150 USD? Turns out, you can.

But is the Seiko 5 SNKL23 any good?

The territory of entry-level watches can be rather tricky. Most watches in this price range achieve the first criteria of being cheap, but the goal is not to find a cheap watch, it is to find an affordable one. And there is a huge difference there.

The Seiko 5 SNKL23 proves that you can in fact get a qualitative affordable timepiece for 100 to 150 USD. This is a watch that punches well above its weight and offers great value for money.

In this article, we are reviewing this watch and looking at this watch up close to see why it is one of the most popular automatic entry-level watches.

Seiko 5 SNKL23 Review & Complete Guide

As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

The Seiko 5 SNKL23 is a classic, timeless, yet visually striking watch. It is simple enough to not stand out too much, making it great for everyday or dressed-up wear, whilst at the same time having enough details and decorations that it never becomes boring.

As we expect from Seiko’s watches, it is well-built, robust, and finished in a way that far exceeds what we would expect considering their price tag.

Seiko 5 SNKL23 case

The watch has a clean and quite simple case design with a diameter of 38mm and a thickness of about 10.5mm. It has a lug-to-lug measurement of 45.5mm. With that said, it has a moderate size which adds a touch of elegance and makes it more suitable as a dress watch for people who have a preference for small watches.

For even more comfortable wear (and as part of the identity of the iconic Seiko 5),  the crown is positioned at 4 o’clock. The crown is not a screw-down which means the water resistance of this watch isn’t great – 30 meters or 100 feet. Now, this isn’t a dive watch, and at this price point, we can certainly overlook the limited water resistance. The crown is also recessed into the case which makes it discrete and seamlessly integrated.

Turning the watch around, you will notice the see-through case back. Considering the price of this watch, this is a really impressive detail that reminds you of the mechanical piece of craftsmanship this watch really is.

Sitting on top of the dial is a Hardlex crystal. This isn’t as hard as sapphire crystal, but it has still proven to be much more scratch-resistant and durable than regular mineral glass. Plus, at this price point, we cannot really expect a sapphire crystal.

The watch has a rather clean case design with a polished bezel and perhaps most notably lugs that taper a lot. They are brushed at the top and polished on the sides. The benefit of the lug shape is that they create clean and smooth lines that transition to the bracelet beautifully.

And this brings us to the next point….

Seiko 5 SNKL23 bracelet

The watch is equipped with a stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp with brushed side links and polished center links. It is made up of five links in width. Generally, the bracelet is the part that is compromised with the most when it comes to affordable watches, and this is also the case here. The bracelet does the job and works, but it isn’t great in terms of robustness and durability. Again, have in mind the price here. This is why a lot of owners choose to swap to a stylish leather strap or a different strap that is both more comfortable and looks great.

The steel bracelet is equipped with a folding clasp.

Seiko 5 SNKL23 dial

The dial is what really stands out about this watch.

It has a tuxedo dial with a circle in the middle, but rather than making the center white and the outer ring black, Seiko decided to mix it up by experimenting with patterns instead.

With that said, the center of the black dial is a regular flat black, whereas the outer ring, all the way to the edge of the dial, features a striped, almost teak pattern, reminiscent of the Omega Aqua Terra, or a more suitable comparison, pin-stripe dial design.

The hands are very classy and elegant. The watch has dauphine hour and minute hands with applied lume on them. The watch has a simple tapering metal seconds hand.

Around the dial, we find applied metal sticks, and just between each stick and the edge of the dial, there is a dot with luminova for glow in the dark.

Positioned at 3 o’clock, there is a day and a date window with a metal frame around it. This adds to the practicality of this watch and provides the wearer with the most basic information – time, date, and day.

Seiko 5 SNKL23 movement

The Seiko 5 SNKL23 is equipped with the Seiko in-house caliber 7S26. This movement features 21 jewels and is an automatic movement with a rotor.

The downside of this movement is that it doesn’t have hacking seconds nor manual winding function – two things which have been incorporated into the movement for the new Seiko 5 SKX but bear in mind those watches are several times more expensive than the SNKL23. With that said, these trade-offs are something we can live with.

The movement beats with a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour. It uses Seiko’s Diashock shock system. The movement has a thickness of 4.8 millimeters and a diameter of 27mm. It offers a power reserve of about 41 hours and a magnetic resistance of 4,800 A/m.

Seiko 5 SNKL23 specifications

• Diameter: 38mm
• Thickness: 10.5 millimeters
• Lug-to-lug: 45.5mm
• Water resistance: 30 meters/100 feet
• Dial: Black. Tuxedo style with a pin-stripe outer ring.
• Luminova: On the minute hand, hour hand, and on each five-minute marking.
• Crown: Recessed. Not screw-down
• Case back: See-through
• Jewels: 21
• Movement: Seiko caliber 7S26.
• Lug width: 18mm
• Frequency: 21600
• Power reserve: 41 hours

Conclusion

The Seiko 5 SNKL23 is an affordable entry-level timepiece that offers great value for money. It features a tried and true workhorse automatic movement that will continue ticking for years. It is exceptionally well-finished for the price and feels surprisingly solid. With a diameter of 38mm, it is also extremely versatile and works great as an everyday timepiece but also for dressed-up formal occasions. The watch simply looks beautifully refined as if there is not much to add or remove.

The Seiko 5 SNKL23 is available to order on Amazon.