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Seiko 5 SNK805 Automatic Watch Review
Seiko is one of the most well-known watch brands in the world. And it is not famous for no reason. Primarily, Seiko is known for its affordable yet high-quality mechanical wristwatches, but the collection is huge, and from Seiko, there really is a watch for everyone.
The Seiko 5 series is one of the most popular of them all.
For those who are looking for a nice automatic watch at a price that doesn’t break the bank, the Seiko 5 Automatic green dial is an impressively strong candidate.
In this post, we are looking closer at and reviewing the Seiko 5 SNK805 Automatic watch with a green dial.
Seiko 5 SNK805 Review
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The Seiko 5 is one of the most popular automatic watches in this price range. But once you look at the specifications and what it offers for a price of less than a hundred dollars, you can see why.
To begin with, the design of the watch is spot on. It has been in production for a long time, and it is easy to see why Seiko has not felt the need of discontinuing the model. Why change a winning concept, right?
In terms of design, it can be classified as a field watch. It has a sleek profile and a clear military-inspired look. This is further extended via the green color of the dial and strap that the SNK805 has. This model is also available in other colors to suit all tastes.
The watch is not as bulky as a diver’s watch, but it is not as dressy as a dress watch. The result is a watch that works as a perfect everyday timepiece that can be worn on most occasions and with most outfits. Plus, this watch can take a beating too. One may think that at this price, it is almost too good to be true.
Seiko 5 SNK805 dial
The dial of the watch is military green which goes great together with the military field watch vibe of the watch.
The dial is clean and legible and features the iconic (and necessary) elements for it to be called a SEIKO 5. This means a day and date indicator in a single window, neatly placed at 3 o’clock.
The dial of the watch is slightly matte (sandblasted), which provides a nice texture and of course prevents glare and reflections, which ultimately improves legibility. The sandblasted finish of the dial adds to the tool-like personality of the watch and also goes well together with the matte case (more on that later)
Printed on the dial are markings that have been broken into two rings. The outer ring of the dial indicates minutes and the inner dial indicates hours.
In terms of proportions, there is really nothing to complain about here. On the outer edge of the dial, you can find small dots at each five-minute marking. These are lame dots that glow in the dark and help improve the legibility of the watch in low-lit conditions.
Moving on to the hands, both the minute and hour hands are diamond-shaped and look very sporty. One may say they look like swords, which of course would be a great detail bearing the military inspiration of this timepiece in mind.
Both the minute and hour hands are filled with luminous material to further improve legibility. The watch is also equipped with a secondhand with a red tip. The opposite side of this hand has a luminous dot on it so you will also be able to read the seconds in the dark.
The circles and printed numbers on the dial are reminiscent of pilot watches. This, again, goes very well together with the military style.
Seiko 5 SNK805 case
The case of the Seiko 5 SNK805 has a rugged look thanks to its matte finish. Would the case be polished, it would lose a lot of its tool-like character and appear more like a classy everyday watch. A good choice by Seiko. The sides, on the other hand, are polished, which creates a nice contrast, and gives the watch a greater perception of quality and being well-finished.
The case is made of stainless steel which is durable, sporty, and will last for a long time to come.
Despite its low price, the case of the watch feels solid and robust. There’s really nothing to complain about here. Being the sporty watch it is, it will be able to handle knocks, bangs, scratches, and impact.
The case measures 38mm without the crown and is relatively lightweight, but not lightweight enough to feel low quality and rattling. Seiko has found the sweet spot. The watch weighs 50 grams and is 11mm thick.
According to specifications, the watch can handle pressure up to 100 feet or 30 meters. Note that this is static pressure, which is not the same as 30 meters beneath the surface in practice. With that said, the watch can handle water splashes. Some owners have tried swimming with it and have reported good results, However, we wouldn’t recommend swimming with it. The water resistance isn’t the most impressive, but let’s not forget this is neither a dive watch nor an expensive watch.
Fitted on top of the dial and to the case is a flat Hardlex crystal. This is a rather thin crystal. Hardlex is Seiko’s proprietary hardened mineral.
Thanks to the rather thin crystal, the crystal sits flat and doesn’t stand up like the crystal on some other watches does. At this price, we can’t expect a sapphire crystal. The handles crystal will not scratch the way an acrylic crystal will, and will thus manage just fine in normal wear. If you accidentally knock it against a harsh and hard object, however, it may acquire scratches.
Being 38mm, the watch is relatively small. This is further boosted by its slim profile with a flat case back. It is comfortable to wear and at times, you will almost forget that you are wearing it. This makes it popular amongst those with smaller wrists, or those who have a preference for small watches.
The crown is placed at 4 o’clock, which is both a design feature of many Seiko 5s, but most importantly, it removes the issue of having the crown dig into your hand, improving its comfort. Plus, the crown is slightly integrated into the case which prevents it from sticking out too much and thus keeps it rather protected.
Turning the watch around, you have a see-through case back which displays the movement. And this brings us to the next point.
Seiko 5 SNK805 movement
The Seiko 5 snk805 Automatic watch is powered by Seiko’s 7S26B movement. This is an automatic movement equipped with a rotor. According to specifications, the movement has an error of -35 +/45 seconds per day. Now, this is not COSC performance by any means, but let’s not forget that this watch costs less than 100 USD. With that said, this is only accuracy acceptance, which means it may perform better than this (and people have reported it does).
Now, considering the price, you get an automatic durable, and long-lasting movement which is quite nice. But having this in mind, it’s not perfect from a finish, decoration, and technical point of view (as we wouldn’t expect it to be either). But it is still great value for money.
The movement isn’t supposed to be beautiful or highly decorated. It is supposed to be an automatic that does the job and which allows you to appreciate the fine art and technology behind a mechanical movement.
Seiko 5 SNK805 strap
Lastly, the Seiko SNK805 comes on a matching green double-layered nylon strap. The green color of the strap, and the choice of nylon, make this durable strap a great complement to the military and tool-like personality of the watch. The strap isn’t the best in the game and can be slightly hard, but if you would want, it is easy to change the strap to allow for better comfort but also to give it a new look.
Conclusion
The Seiko 5 SNK805 is one of the best mechanical wristwatches in this price range. It has everything and more that you may want, expect and need in a timepiece in this price range.
It’s great looking, durable, robust, and powered by automatic mechanical movement. This means that amongst watch collectors and enthusiasts, it is a watch that is appreciated and respected. It goes to show that price isn’t everything in the watch-collecting hobby.
It is simple and clean but works for any occasion.
There are some downsides to the watch, but having the price in mind, it’s hard to complain.
In our opinion, the Seiko SNK805 is definitely a watch worth buying.
Seiko 5 SNK805 specifications
- Case: Stainless steel
- Movement: Seiko 7S26B
- DIAL: Green. Sandblasted
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Water resistance: 30m
- Thickness: 10.6mm
- Lug width: 18mm
The Seiko 5 SNK805 is available to order on Amazon.
