Seiko 5 SNK789 Review & Complete Guide

Seiko 5 SNK789 Review & Complete Guide

Are there any good automatic watches out there for less than 150 USD? The answer is yes. But for every good automatic watch at that price, there are thousands of bad ones.

Seiko is one of the most well-known and appreciated brands when it comes to affordable automatic watches. The brand has a wide array of affordable watches that offer exceptional value

Seiko 5 SNK789 review

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The Seiko 5 SNK789 is a timeless, classic, versatile timepiece that works for any occasion. It is durable enough to work as a sports watch, but also classy enough to work with more formal clothing. It features a durable automatic movement and has a build quality and finish that certainly isn’t reflected in its price.

In this article, we are going to review the Seiko 5 SNK789 and look closer at what makes this watch so great and popular.

Seiko 5 SNK789 case

The Seiko 5 SNK789 features a 38mm stainless steel case. This is a relatively small watch which makes it perfect for those with small wrists or those who have a preference for smaller watches. The case has a thickness of 11mm which also allows it to sit slimmed on the wrist and slide under a cuff with ease.

The case has a lug-to-lug measurement of 43mm thanks to its short lugs. It is, therefore, most suitable for men with small and medium-sized wrists (even women for that matter). The case has a polished bezel and brushed lugs and sides of the case. Positioned at 4 o’clock, we find a small push-pull crown. The crown is slightly recessed. This together with the positioning prevents the crown from digging into the wrist.

The watch only has a water resistance of 30m which means it can handle water splashes such as when showering, but it is not recommended to submerge it underwater. The fact that it doesn’t have a screw-down crown naturally affects its water resistance.

Sitting on top of the case is Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex crystal. This crystal has proven to be more scratch-resistant than regular mineral crystals, but it is not as resistant as sapphire. At this price point, we cannot expect a sapphire crystal.

If we turn the watch around, we can see a see-through case back that allows us to see the automatic movement ticking inside. This movement is not decorated but instead has a very industrialized tool-like look which goes well with the purpose and concept of this movement but don’t expect a Patek Philippe level of finishing in this price range. But it’s still very nice to be reminded of the mechanical piece of craftsmanship that powers this watch (and certainly a huge attractive factor for watch enthusiasts).

Seiko 5 SNK789 Dial

This watch features a white dial which is slightly matte. It has applied rectangular metal markers that reflect the light beautifully. Right next to the outer edge of the markers, we have dots of luminous mass applied in order to improve legibility in the dark. The applied markers in chrome reflect the light beautifully and also enhance the perception of quality.

The watch keeps the dial printing at a minimum, with an applied Seiko 5 logo at 12 o’clock and an applied ”SEIKO” text above it. Beneath the center of the hands, we see the text ”Automatic” and ”21 jewels” printed in black. Around the outer edge of the dial, we have small seconds markers printed in black.

The white dial is also not completely flat. The center of the dial has a very discreet circle.

Positioned at 3 o’clock, we have a day and date window. This window has a metal frame around it. The day and date window is a distinct feature of the Seiko 5s and one that is of course very practical.

As a contrast against the white dial, the seconds hand has been made in bright red. This works as a really nice contrast against the otherwise very monochrome dial.

The hour and minute hands are very simple and clean with a sword shape. The hands have applied lime (Lumibrite) to them.

Movement

The SNK789 is equipped with a Seiko caliber 7S26 movement. This is an automatic movement beating at a low frequency of 21,600 BPH.

The great benefit of this movement is the fact that it is a durable and long-lasting workhorse, but it is not extremely accurate, with an estimated accuracy of -15 to 25 seconds/day. A downside of this movement is that it doesn’t have hacking seconds or manual-winding functions, both of which can be found in Seiko’s more premium movements. But at this price point, it’s two features we can accept the lack of.

Bracelet

In this price range, we just cannot expect a solid and perfect bracelet since this is often what is compromised the most when it comes to affordable watches. The bracelet looks quite good and fits well with the design of the watch, but it is quite flimsy and rattly. It doesn’t feel completely solid and robust, but the good news is that this watch also looks great with other straps such as a NATO, and this is something many owners choose to do in order to improve the comfort and to avoid the rattly bracelet.

With that said, this bracelet is appreciated forts comfort, but it is the built quality that hasn’t received the best reviews. Since it isn’t fully solid (hollow end links and quite a bit of play), it is lightweight and is almost not noticeable on the wrist.

If you are looking to dress up the watch, it also looks exceptionally well with a leather strap.

Specifications

• Movement: Seiko caliber 7S26
• Diameter: 38mm
• Water resistance: 30m
• Lug width: 18mm
• Crystal: Hardlex
• Thickness: 11mm
• Lug-to-lug: 43mm
• Frequency:  21,600 BPH
• Jewels: 21
• Accuracy: 15 to 25 seconds/day

Conclusion

To conclude this article, we can without hesitation say that the Seiko 5 SNK789 is one of the best automatic watches money can buy at a price of less than 150 USD. It features a robust, durable, and reliable automatic workhorse movement, it has a build quality that punches well above its weight, and it has a timeless design that will likely never go out of style.

If you are looking for an affordable automatic watch that will serve you well for years to come, and that is appreciated by watch enthusiasts and people who are not necessarily die-hard watch nerds, there are not many watches out there in this price range that are better choices than the Seiko 5 SNK789 Automatic watch.

The Seiko 5 SNK789  is available to order on Amazon.