Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 Review & Complete Guide

Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 Review & Complete Guide

If you are looking for an affordable automatic and affordable timepiece that you want to just work and do the job, you have come to the right place. Seiko has widely appreciated for its automatic timepieces that offer great value for money, and are built as reliable workhorses that continue to operate for years.

There are all types of different watches on the market. More specifically, there are also a ton of different Seiko watches on the market, too. Seiko makes everything from dress watches, dive watches, and sports watches, which means there’s truly a Seiko watch for everyone.

In addition, different people wear watches for different purposes. Some people want a beautiful piece of jewelry, whilst the single most important thing for others is functionality and durability. Ultimately, a watch is made for telling the time, and therefore, you may be looking for someone reliable and long-lasting. 

Speaking of which, that is exactly what the Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 is.

Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 Review

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The Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 is, as the name suggests, part of the Seiko 5 sports collection. The concept of this model line was to make affordable yet long-lasting and durable sports watches that operate as workhorses. And with that, Seiko has succeeded exceptionally well. In fact, the Seiko 5 collection is one of the most popular model lines from Seiko, and today, it is packed with countless models for all tastes and preferences.

The SNZG15j1 is a small, clean, and simple timepiece that is made as an everyday tool watch. The primary purpose of this watch is to be reliable, and it’s evident that Seiko has made this watch with one goal and purpose in mind – to be a robust everyday timepiece.

Some people say that this watch is a bit boring, and perhaps it is. But again, it’s not trying to be something else. This watch is exceptionally versatile and surprisingly durable.

In this article, we are going to review and look closer at the Seiko 5 SNZG15j1.

Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 case

The watch has a stainless steel case with a diameter of 42mm, a thickness of 12mm, and a lug width of 22mm. With that said, the watch is large, but it is not enormously huge. This watch will fit well on men with large and medium-sized wrists.

When it comes to the case, it has a very simple and clean design. No fluff, no bullshit. Just a clean case. It has relatively short lugs which means a relatively large dial. At the same time, the lugs curve gently downwards, allowing them to ”hug” the wrist and make the watch sit planted.

What does stand out about this case, however, is that it has a matte finish. The bezel is simple, fixed, and matte as well.

Considering its price point, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Seiko uses its proprietary Hardlex crystal. If this watch would have been priced higher, it would be nice to have a sapphire crystal, but we certainly cannot expect it now.

At 3 o’clock, it has a simple push-pull crown. Seeing that it is not a dive watch, the security of a screw-down would be nice, but it is not crucial. Speaking of which, the watch offers a water resistance of 100-meters. Whilst this should in theory mean that you can take it swimming and snorkeling, you should be careful considering its affordable price. The good news is that it should mean that it can handle water splashes and similar with ease. But.. as mentioned, the watch should, at least on paper, be able to handle a swim without any issues.

If you turn the watch around, you’ll be able to see the mechanical piece of engineering beating inside. This is a nice feature of this watch, despite the fact that it obviously doesn’t have a Patek Philippe decorated movement. – More on this further on.

Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 dial

This watch is built as a simple, clean, and long-lasting everyday timepiece. With that said, it needs a simple and clean dial. It has a matte black background. Around the outer edge of the dial, it has a raised chapter ring. This adds depth to the dial and makes it more interesting. Seconds markers have been printed around the outer edge of the dial, and for each 5-minute marking, they have been made broad and thick. In addition, they also have Lumibrite applied to them.

On the ”inside” dial, it has white painted large Arabic 12-hour numerals. Just next to these, we have 24-hour Arabic numerals. With that said, this watch is very evidently military-inspired. The 12-hour and 24-hour dial is distinctive for military watches. Equally so Arabic painted numerals in white, contrasted by a black dial.

As a military watch should, it offers great legibility, which is something that is of course very convenient for an everyday timepiece.

At 3 o’clock, we of course have the Seiko 5 iconic day and date window. The window has a white frame around it which instantly catches the eye. Both a day and date function helps make the watch more practical for everyday wear, so that is a huge plus.

Moving on, The watch has large sword-shaped hands. These also have Lumibrite applied to them. As a nice touch to the otherwise completely monochrome dial, the seconds hand is allow-shaped and has a red tip.

The watch has some dial text, which starts with the applied Seiko logo at 12 o’clock, and the Seiko 5 logo applied beneath it. In turn, we have the text” sports” beneath it.

Below the center of the hands, the texts ”Automatic”, ”23 jewels”, and ”100m” are printed in white.

Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 movement

Moving on to the movement, it is actually quite impressive for Seiko to make an automatic watch in this price range with such durable movement as the 7S36C, which is an in-house automatic Seiko caliber. This movement offers a power reserve of 41 hours and 23 jewels. Since this is Seiko’s entry-level automatic movement, it is lacking hacking seconds and manual winding functions – both of which can be found in Seiko’s premium Automatic movements.

The downside of this movement is that it doesn’t keep exceptional accuracy. But at the same time, at this price point, we cannot expect COSC performance. The good news is that it is possible to have a watchmaker regulate it for better performance if you want, and if necessary.

Whilst accuracy is important for any watch, the purpose of the Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 is to be durable and long-lasting. After all, the watch does have some sportiness to it, and therefore, it should be able to take a beating.

And when it comes to durability and longevity, the 7S36C definitely lives up to this. This movement has proven to be a workhorse that can continue to tick for years, even decades, and need little to no maintenance. The movement can handle shocks and beatings and is very sturdy.

As mentioned, the SNZG15j1 has a see-through case back which allows you to see the movement beating inside. The movement, however, is definitely not the most beautiful you’ve seen. And frankly, we don’t expect it to be either. The movement inside is not decorated in any way and looks industrialized and tool-like. Considering the concept of this watch, it actually goes very well with the watch. A watch built as a tool also needs a robust movement to back it up. With that said, the industrialized-looking movement is in my opinion perfect for this watch. And I do not find it negative that it hasn’t been decorated.

Plus, it’s still nice to have the see-through case back as it works as a reminder of the mechanical piece of engineering and craftsmanship that powers this watch, which is definitely something that is appreciated by watch nerds.

Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 strap

The Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 is presented on a black canvas strap that matches the look of the watch well. However, the strap does not give a good impression of quality, and it is actually not that comfortable, either.

This is the reason why a lot of owners change from the original strap to something else, more comfortable, for example, a leather strap or NATO.

In terms of quality and comfort, the strap downgrades the watch, but the good news is that it is easily solved.

Specifications

• Case diameter: 42mm
• Case Thickness: 12mm
• Depth Rating: 10Bar / 100m /330 feet
• Lug Width: 22mm
• Movement: Seiko Caliber 7S36C
• Frequency: 21600 BPH

Conclusion

All in all, the Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 is an affordable automatic watch that is built to be robust, durable, and long-lasting. This is a perfect everyday watch for everyone who wants something versatile that works for just about any occasion and outfit, but also one that you won’t have to pay too much attention to. You can simply put it on the wrist and it will continue to tick for years.

Yes, it has some downsides such as the accuracy, the strap, and perhaps the finishing on some parts, but at this price, the watch overall offers great value for money. There are few automatic watches in this price range that is as sturdy and long-lasting as the Seiko 5 SNZG15j1.

The Seiko 5 SNZG15j1 is available to order on Amazon.

Main Photo credit: Bladereviews.com