Seiko 5 SNK795 Review & Complete Guide
Seiko makes some of the best affordable and most popular watches on the market. If you are looking for an automatic watch for less than 200 USD, the SNK795 is one of the best candidates out there. This watch punches well above its own weight and offers great value for money.
Seiko 5 SNK795 Review
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The Seiko 5 SNK795 is a high-quality automatic watch that offers great value for money. With a price tag of around 150 USD, there are few watches that can compete. The watch has a clean and classy design, yet looks sporty and durable. It combines the best of both worlds through sporty elegance and durable and robust quality. Its simple design makes it suitable for dressed-up and formal occasions, but its sporty steel construction also makes it suitable for casual occasions.
In this article, we are going to review the Seiko 5 SNK795 and look at this watch in detail to understand what makes it so popular.
Seiko 5 SNK795 case
The Seiko SNK795 is a rather small watch with a diameter of 37/38mm. With that said, it generally works for men with small or medium-sized wrists. It can also work for women with large wrists. The watch has a relatively short lug-to-lug of 43m. With a thickness of only 11mm, it sits very slimly on the wrist. Between the lugs, it measures 18mm.
The watch has a simple circular-shaped case design with a polished bezel and short and simple lugs that curve out from the case. The top of the lugs and the sides of the case are brushed satin-finished which creates a nice contrast against the bezel and enhances the perception of quality.
Positioned at 4 o’clock, we have the crown. The crown does not screw down. It has a push-pull function. The compromise with not having a screw-down crown is often the water resistance, and that is the case here too. The Seiko 5 SNK795 has a water resistance of 30m water resistance which is enough to handle water splashes but not suitable for submerging, swimming, or diving.
If we turn the watch around, we can see the movement ticking inside through the see-through case back. This is an appreciated detail amongst watch enthusiasts and horologists as it serves as a reminder about the intricate piece of craftsmanship that is fitted inside.
On top of the case, the watch uses Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex crystal. This is not as scratch-resistant as sapphire crystal, but still harder than regular mineral glass. At this price point, we cannot expect the watch to use sapphire crystal. The Hardlex crystal sits flat on top of the case.
Seiko 5 SNK795 dial
The Seiko 5 SNK795 has a clean and refined dial. The dial is black with a polished/slightly matte finish. The black dial keeps it toned down, and also makes it exceptionally versatile.
The dial has applied rectangular metal markers with a luminous dot sitting at the edge towards the edge of the dial.
The outer edge of the dial has the seconds markers printed in white. At 3 o’clock, we have the day and date window which has been nicely implemented with a metal frame around it.
The minute and hour hands have a clean and simple design with a sword shape and applied luminous Lumibrite to them. The seconds hand is made in red which is a really nice contrasting touch to the otherwise monochrome dial.
The dial printing is kept at a minimum with only an applied Seiko logo, applied Seiko 5 logo, and ”Automatic” as well as ”21 jewels”.
Seiko 5 SNK795 movement
The watch is equipped with a mechanical automatic 7S26 movement. This movement is not the most accurate nor beautifully finished, but it is widely praised for being a durable and robust workhorse. This movement will continue to tick for years.
Overall, the movement is quite basic and used in most entry-level Seiko watches. The watch beats at a frequency of 21,600 BPH. The two main complaints about this movement, however, are that it doesn’t have a hacking function or hand-winding ability. But at this price range, it’s not something we expect.
The movement has a precision of -15 to 25 seconds/day and a power reserve of 40 hours. One thing is for sure – this movement will last for years without a service.
Seiko 5 SNK795 bracelet
The Seiko 5 SNK795 comes fitted on a stainless steel bracelet. When it comes to affordable watches, the bracelet is often the part that is compromised with the most, and this is also the case here. The bracelet looks quite good and fits well into the design of the watch but the downside is that it feels rattly and hollow. The bracelet is very light and flimsy. This doesn’t come as a surprise at this price point, but the good news is that this watch looks great on other straps as well such as NATO straps. If you want to dress the watch up, it also looks great on a leather strap.
An issue with the bracelet is that it has hollow end links and uses folded metal plates.
Specifications
- Jewels: 21
- Frequency: 21,600 BPH
- Power reserve: 40 hours
- Caliber: Seiko 7S26
- Diameter: 37/38mm
- Lug-to-lug: 43mm
- Lug width: 18mm
Conclusion
All in all, the Seiko 5 SNK795 is an extremely versatile sporty watch that offers great value for money. It is powered by an automatic movement, has a see-through case back, and has a surprisingly high build quality and finish for the money. Priced at around 150 USD, there are not many better alternatives on the market.
The Seiko 5 SNK795 is available to order on Amazon.
