Seiko 5 SNKL15 Review & Complete Guide
It’s no secret that Seiko makes long-lasting and durable watches that offer great value for money. They are particularly appreciated by many watch enthusiasts because the automatic watches that Seiko offers (they are quite a few) are often affordably priced, yet will continue to tick for years. In other words, they are workhorses that will continue to tick for years.
Of all of the brand’s watches, the Seiko 5 collection is extremely popular because it offers that and much more. At an affordable price, you’ll get a long-lasting automatic timepiece that you can rely on.
But with so many watches in the Seiko 5 collection, which should you choose?
Seiko 5 SNKL15 Review
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
The Seiko 5 SNKL15 is one of those watches. This is a perfect everyday timepiece that blends casualness with sportiness and works just as great with a suit as with a pair of jeans. At the same time, it is extremely affordable, but offers build quality and finish that is superior to most competitors in the same price range.
Having said that, it is easy to see why the SNKL15 is so popular.
In this article, we are reviewing and looking closer at the Seiko 5 SNKL15 in detail.
Seiko 5 SNKL15 case
The Seiko 5 SNKL15 has a quite small stainless steel with only a diameter of 37mm. The case has a thickness of 12mm, and the lug-to-lug measures 45mm. Is this a bad thing? Not really. And this is proven by the huge popularity of this watch.
Seiko has found a balance by making it slightly bigger than the size of classic dress watches, but also slightly smaller than most sports watches. This said, it becomes extremely versatile but also suits many different wrist sizes. This watch, therefore, slides under a cuff with ease. But to balance its dressiness, the case has a touch of sportiness to it, whilst also retaining classic and elegant lines.
The lugs are curved and taper towards the bracelet.
What does this actually mean? It means that the top of the lugs of the case is satin-brushed, but the sides are polished, resulting in a nice contrast. The case is also beveled on its sides.
The bezel of the case is polished to keep it clean and elegant.
This watch offers a water resistance of 30 meters which really isn’t a lot. It means it can handle water splashes and raindrops, but not much more than that. Considering its price range and the fact that Seiko hasn’t built this watch as a sports/diver’s watch, the water resistance is reasonable in my opinion, although it would have been nice to have at least 100m of water resistance so you can actually go swimming with it instead of taking it off.
The crown is positioned at Seiko’s iconic 4 o’clock position and is recessed into the case. Considering its low water resistance, the crown is not a screw-down, but only a push-pull.
Seiko 5 SNKL15 movement
The SNKL15 is powered by the in-house Seiko caliber 7S26. This is a self-winding movement that beats 6 times per second or 21600 BPH. The power reserve is approximately 43 hours.
Since this watch is positioned in Seiko’s most affordable range of Seiko 5 automatic watches, this movement lacks both the hand-hand winding and hacking seconds functions.
The positive thing about this movement, apart from being affordable is that it is durable, robust, and long-lasting. It’s a workhorse movement that will continue to tick for years without needing servicing.
Seiko 5 SNKL15 dial
The watch is presented with a silver-colored dial with a circular shape in the middle, and on the outer part of this circle, it has a striped finish. Silver is a very classic and elegant color that simply works with everything and doesn’t stand out. However, the silver dial has a lovely shimmering effect, and the striped pattern on the outer part of the dial prevents it from simply being flat and boring.
The dial has applied polished rectangular markers on it which enhances its finish. The applied hour markers have bevels that allow them to reflect the light beautifully. On the outside part of the hour markers, it has added dots of Lumibrite to help with legibility in the dark.
The watch has dauphine/sword-shaped hands which are elegant and fit very well into the design of the watch. These also have Lumibrite applied to them to help with legibility.
At 3 o’clock, the watch has a day and date window with a metal frame around it. This certainly helps make the watch more practical for everyday wear.
The dial is simply clean and refined, yet has plenty of details that show Seiko has paid attention to the details, despite its affordable price.
Seiko 5 SNKL15 bracelet
The case has a lug width of 18mm and the watch is presented on a Jubilee-style stainless steel bracelet with polished middle links and brushed outer links which are larger.
It’s no secret that the Jubilee bracelet is elegant and classy. That said, it really does add to the everyday classiness of this timepiece. But still, shall you wish to change, this watch looks great on other straps too, for example, a leather strap.
Speaking of the bracelet, as is common for affordable watches, it is not very impressive in terms of build quality. The bracelet rattles and has some play. The bracelet doesn’t give 100% reassurance of quality, and this is, as mentioned, often a downside of affordable watches, including Seiko’s. At the same time, the bracelet looks quite nice and sits comfortably on the wrist.
Specifications
- Diameter: 37mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Water resistance: 30 meters
- Lug width: 18mm
- Lug-to-lug: 45mm
- Power reserve: 43mm
- Movement: Seiko in-house caliber 7S26
Conclusion
All in all, the Seiko 5 SNKL15 is a great versatile watch for everyday wear.
Yes, it has some downsides, such as the rattly bracelet, but at this price point, it is something we have to expect. Overall, it’s still a great timepiece that will continue to tick for years to come, and that works just as great with a suit as with casual clothing. Seiko has really struck a great balance between elegance and casualness.
If you factor in the affordable price of this timepiece, there are actually a few better alternatives to an automatic watch than the SNKL15.
The Seiko 5 SNKL15 is available to order on Amazon.
