Seiko 5 SNKD99 Review & Complete Guide

Seiko 5 SNKD99 Review & Complete Guide

If you ask a watch enthusiast (read: watch nerd), about a good brand for affordable automatic watches, a majority will likely say Seiko.

Seiko makes exceptional watches at affordable prices. In terms of their build quality, reliability, and finish in relation to their price, there are few other brands that can compete.

The good news is that Seiko has a huge range of affordable entry-level automatic watches for any occasion and with all types of designs. With that said, chances are, you will be able to find a watch that suits your style from Seiko.

The most popular entry-level sports collection with automatic movements from Seiko is the Seiko 5 sports collection. This collection includes affordable, sporty, and durable automatic watches in all types of sizes, designs, and types.

One of the watches in this collection is the Seiko 5 SNKD99.

Seiko 5 SNKD99 Review

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The Seiko 5 SNKD99 is an automatic watch built with a sporty look and finish, and is equipped with a durable movement. Despite its sportiness, it has a touch of elegance to it which makes it extremely versatile as well.

Of course, like more or less all watches in the Seiko 5 collection, the SNKD99 offers exceptional value for money.

In this article, we will review and look closer at the Seiko 5 SNKD99 and see what makes this timepiece so popular.

Seiko 5 SNKD99 case

The SNKD99 features a sporty and robust stainless steel case with a diameter of 37mm. It has a thickness of 11mm, a lug width of 20mm, and a lug-to-lug measurement of 40mm. Having said that, this watch isn’t huge. It will, therefore, fit many different wrist sizes, which of course is part of the reason why it is so popular. Its discreet size also helps make it more versatile and wearable.

The case offers a water resistance of 50m. This is not a dive watch, but being a sports watch, we at least need some kind of water resistance, and this is exactly what this watch offers. A 50m water resistance makes it resistant to water splashes, but not suitable for deep diving/scuba diving. It could work for swimming, but it may be a good idea to avoid this. Having said that, the water resistance is more than sufficient for this type of timepiece. Especially considering its price.

The watch has a satin-finished fixed bezel on which 60-minute graduations are engraved and then painted in black. Each fifth minute is printed in digits, and between them, a black line helps distinguish them. The bezel really adds sportiness to this watch and reminds a bit of the Rolex Explorer II with its fixed engraved bezel, although of course, the purpose of the bezel is completely different.

The watch has short lugs that are polished, and equally so are the sides of the case. This creates a nice contrast between polished and brushed which enhances the watch’s impression of quality and shows that Seiko has paid attention to the details.

Positioned at the Seiko 5 standard position of 5 o’clock, we have the crown. This positioning is great as it prevents the crown from digging into the wrist. The crown is a push-pull crown and therefore not a screw-down crown. This naturally has an effect on the water resistance of this watch, but as mentioned, the water resistance of this watch is sufficient for this type of timepiece in my opinion.

Sitting on top of the case, we have Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex crystal. On a timepiece at this price, we can’t really expect a sapphire crystal, but the Hardlex has still proven to be much more resistant to scratches than regular mineral crystal.

Seiko 5 SNKD99 dial

Moving on, and we have come to the dial, which definitely is the part that stands out the most, and in my opinion, which makes it particularly attractive.

The watch has a striking dark blue dial with a beautiful sunburst brushed effect. As you know with sunburst dials, they catch the light beautifully and change look depending on the light, and if the sunlight hits it.

The watch has applied rectangular metal markers with a polished finish. Sitting against the outer edge of each hour marker, the watch has applied lime dots in order to help you read the time in the dark.

Positioned at 3 o’clock, the watch has a day and date window in traditional Seiko 5 fashion. The watch has a white background and the day and date printed in black.

The watch has leaf/dauphine-style hands with pointy tips. The hands have applied Lumibrite on them to help with the legibility.

The dial has a few lines of text, but it doesn’t feel cluttered. At 12 o’clock, it has an applied Seiko logo, and right beneath it the Seiko 5 logo. Below the center of the hands, it has the text ”Water 50M Resist”, and beneath that, ”Automatic”, and beneath that, ”21 Jewels”.

Seiko 5 SNKD99 movement

The watch is equipped with the Seiko in-house automatic caliber 7S26. This movement has proven to be a sturdy and reliable workhorse that will continue to tick for years without needing a service. In fact, this movement has proven to be able to work for more than a decade before needing a service.

The purpose of this movement from Seiko is to be sturdy, robust, and reliable. This makes it particularly suitable for this watch considering its sporty appeal.

The downsides of this movement, however, is that it does not have hacking seconds or a manual winding function. These two functions are reserved for Seiko’s more premium timepieces.

The movement beats with a frequency of 6 beats per second, or 21600 beats per hour. It has a power reserve of approximately 41 hours and 21 jewels.

Seiko 5 SNKD99 bracelet

The watch is presented on a satin finish there-link bracelet which is very similar in design to the Rolex Oyster bracelet. In my opinion, the satin-finished bracelet fitted between the two lugs provides a wonderful contrast, whilst also matching the bezel perfectly.

As is so often the case with affordable watches, the bracelet on this watch is not the most impressive in terms of build quality. It has some rattle and does not give a 100% impression of quality. It works in terms of looks, but the bracelet somewhat harms the impression of the quality of this timepiece.

The good news is that with its lug width of 20mm, you can swap it for a strap of your choice. Because due to its sporty nature, it looks especially great on a NATO strap.

Specifications

• Diameter: 37mm
• Lug width: 10mm ( the bracelet has a semi-integrated design which makes the lug width 10mm.
• Thickness/height: 11mm
• Lug-to-lug: 40mm
• Movement: Seiko caliber 7S26
• Frequency: 21600BPH
• Jewels: 21

Conclusion

All in all, the Seiko 5 SNKD99 is a watch that offers exceptional value for money. It has a unique and sporty look, which, due to its fixed bezel is slightly reminiscent of the Rolex Explorer II. For its price, it has a finish and build quality that punches well above its own weight, and with the reliable 7S26 movement, this watch will continue to tick for years.

Its striking blue dial is a stunner to look at, and surprisingly, it is extremely versatile and works for both formal and casual occasions. All in all a great everyday piece that just ”works” whenever you decide to throw it on the wrist.

The Seiko 5 SNKD99 is available to order on Amazon.