Seiko 5 SNKL81K1 review

Seiko 5 reviews are a dime a dozen, as are the watches themselves. Almost every review ends with the reviewer in question showering the fabulous fan-favourite 5 with praise. I'm going to try and be different, though.

Maybe I should get the bad out of the way first. Quality control is there, sort of. It's like a lottery, to be honest. Because the 7S26C movement is assembled by The Terminator (i.e. robots) you either get one that runs super accurately, with some particularly zealous owners boasting about COSC certification levels of accuracy, or, you get mine. I have to adjust mine by about a minute or two every week. That's a lot better than the quoted +40 to -20 seconds per day, but just about anything (including scurvy) is better than having a watch run like that. You can always adjust it if you have the tools, but most newbies normally don't have a timegrapher and caseback remover tool.

Also, get ready for a horrid bracelet. This is the one thing all Seiko 5 owners can agree on. As soon as you get your five, buy a leather strap or aftermarket bracelet. Sometimes I wear mine on the bracelet, just because I don't have another one and it looks quite nice. Thankfully my arms aren't very hairy, but if yours are, good luck.

I wore mine a lot while on holiday caravanning. It was then that it got its first scratch on the crystal. Even though it's a tiny little hairline scratch, it does make you wish you had something a little stronger than Hardlex, which is basically just mineral glass. You really can't expect sapphire at this price, so it doesn't bother me. Sapphire crystals are available on sites like AliExpress, if you're keen to spend more money; I haven't bothered just because import duties and South Africa's horrid postal service would either cost me an arm and a leg or simply lose my parcel.

The last niggle I have is the absence of hacking or hand winding. You can sort of get your second hand to hack if you move the crown backwards slightly when adjusting it. I don't think this is healthy for the movement, which is why I don't do it. You could probably get away with it, because the movement is hardy and easy to replace if you destroy it. Maybe refrain from the bootleg hacking.

The display caseback is a major selling point to me. When buying it, it's main rival was the Orient TriStar, which didn't have a display caseback. I thought "If this is to be my first mechanical watch, I need to see that it's mechanical and be able to show everyone that it's mechanical," hence the Seiko being on my wrist now

On to the really good stuff. The 5 looks far more expensive than it is. It's greatest strength is being able to be worn for any occasion. If I'm lounging around in the living room in the middle of an African summer, you can be sure my 5 is sticking to my sweaty wrist. If I have to attend one of the few events that would require a teenager to wear a blazer, you can be sure my 5 will make an appearance. It is the most versatile fashion item in existence. No pair of shoes and no shirts can even compare.

Finishing is also brilliant. A sunburst champagne dial is an absolute stunner, going from a lemon-yellow colour in the dark to lustrous gold in the light. Some may want a bit more contrast than my reference with its gold hands, gold applied logo, gold "5" shield regalia and gold coloured lumed indices.

Luminescence is excellent. Seiko's Lumibrite glows brightly for very long, and is by far the most dark-legible watch I own.

All in all, I have failed at being different. I've showered the 5 in praise, just like everyone else. It's excellent, which is why the geniuses at Seiko discontinued it. My only note here is to consider the Orient TriStar if you're thinking about buying a 5. 19mm lug width does work against the TriStar, but besides that they are nearly identical. I hope to see one in the flesh soon to properly conclude this review. But for now, the 5 is probably the best beginner mechanical watch you can buy.