2 week review of the Seiko SSK001 GMT.

I have had this watch for a few weeks now and so far I am loving it. When I was looking for my first automatic watch, I had a few criteria:

• display case back

•100m of water resistance or more

•high legibility

•good lume

•a good bracelet and overall premium looks

I think this watch fills all of these areas very well. All of the reviews I watched on YouTube about affordable watches were complaining about bad bracelets, misaligned bezels etc… So then I turned towards the Chinese sector, where I saw a lot of value, so naturally I was very tempted. But I wanted something genuine with a good brand name. When I saw this Seiko, I said to myself, if you find it for a good price, then I would buy it. And so I did.

I love almost everything about this watch, the bracelet looks very nice in my opinion and it balances out the watch head quite well. Sure some people will complain about the clasp, but when it’s on your wrist, you hardly notice it.

I like the mix of polished and brushed elements, especially the bezel finishing on the side. On the top, the bezel has a gorgeous mirror like finish that elevates the entire look of the watch. It really is the main show and captures a lot of people’s attention, which may or may not be a good thing. It just plays with the light so well. It is friction fitted, which isn’t a bad thing, in fact it is really satisfying to turn.

The dial is also very interesting. 90% of the time it just looks like a deep black. The other 10% of the time (when in bright sunlight), it has a greyish textured and sparkling finish. It’s very hard to describe. Overall legibility is very good and isn’t hindered by the extra hand. I also like the cyclops. However, when in direct sunlight, you can’t read the watch, not because of the crystal, but the bezel is so reflective that it blinds you every time you try to read the time. The lume is also very good, although I do find that you have to be out in the sun for a few hours at a time for it to last most of the night.

The watch is comfortable on wrist and the weight of it is very satisfying. Some people complain about the thickness, but I find it sinks into the wrist quite nicely. It is only a problem when you throw a nato strap on it, then it is a chunky boy.

As for the movement, mine is running at approximately +8spd which was a nice surprise.

As a whole I think this watch is tied together very well and watching that second hand sweep around the dial was the icing on the cake for me.