Seiko SNXS79 Review

With SNXS week underway, I take the liberty of publishing my review of this watch, specifically the Seiko 5 SNXS79 #snxs7xweek #snxs79 hopefully @hakki501 will enjoy it :-)

Before I get into the review of this small and inexpensive mechanical watch, I feel compelled to share what preceded its purchase. Well, it went something like this.

My modest and not very extensive collection of watches required a new addition, and given the financial situation created by the birth of my first offspring, I could not fish in the rich waters teeming with Greek letters and oysters with crowns. Nor could I take advantage of the predatory waters of the Japanese backwaters, where the SARX035 has been beckoning me for more than 2 years. I had to stick to a small pond with golden (in this case rather grey) fish from the land of the rising sun. I have been charmed by the little fives several times.

The small Seiko 5 arrived to me in good health from far away Albion and on the first impression they seemed perhaps too light and flimsy. It was not a feeling comparable to the old Prim watches, where you sort of expect that flimsiness. The material of the case and the bracelet is of course stainless steel and not brass, but previous experience with mostly divers or solid pilot watches has done its part. Nevertheless, the first impression is unwaveringly bad in my case and after just a few minutes on the hand, the true charm of this small watch with great charisma became apparent. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, however, and prefer a strict description to feelings and impressions.

The Seiko SNXS79 is an automatic watch with date and day of the week display in two languages. All this in an in-house design in the strictest sense of the word. The diameter of the watch is a very wearable 37 mm, the thickness is 12 mm and the width of the bracelet is uncommon 17 mm. The correct timing is taken care of by the time-tested 7S26 calibre, which can also be found in legends such as the SKX007/9 or the first generation of Monsters. It is a time-tested movement with a very efficient automatic winding, high durability and reliability. It is free from the advances of modern calibers such as hacking or manual winding. The heart of the calibre beats at a standard frequency of 3 Hz, and although the officially stated variation can easily put off a potential buyer, my piece runs steadily a few seconds into the minus per day.

The dial is covered with a mineral glass, elegantly named Hardlex, again from Seiko. I am under no illusions about Hardlex, and it has managed to receive a few scratches on other Seiko 5 watches without much difficulty. On the other hand, on my SKXs, it managed to survive a fall at a decent speed on the bike. It did get a few indelible scars from his battle with the asphalt, but it convinced me of his resistance to cracking. Had I had sapphire on them at the time, I'm 90 % sure that my little thing sliding down the road at 35 km/h would not have been able to take it with such equanimity. But back to the Seiko 5 that have the Hardlex immaculate, for this is not a sports watch, but rather a social and office-versatile one. The same Hardlex covers the movement, giving it an industrial look. In this case, it really is not a work worthy of a quiet, breath-holding look for a few minutes. I myself would rather appreciate a tasteful solid caseback with some nice picture of a traditional Japanese motif.

The case, as mentioned, is made of stainless steel and I personally see its shape as one of the biggest weaknesses of the watch. It's not ugly by any means, but the straight and space-protruding lugs along with the boring side profile give way to thoughts of a little more careful work by the designers. The entire case is glossy with no hint of trying to break up the areas of shine with some matte motif. The whole is not helped by the drowned and all too plain crown at the 4th index position. There are Seiko 5s among us with much nicer cases, that's just an undeniable fact.

The metal bracelet comes at a premium to the price of the watch, but it certainly doesn't look bad and despite initial concerns, it is not a depilatory tool. The finish is done with a light brushing and the bracelet itself is made up of 3 repeating pieces. It also tapers towards the clasp, making the watch incredibly comfortable to wear even with its light weight. The aforementioned clasp is of the tear-off type with the SEIKO logo protruding and plenty of holes for micro-adjustment - I counted 5 in total, so everyone can easily find a setting suitable for themselves.

You might get the impression that I am rather criticizing the watch, but this is due to the fact that the proverbial icing on the cake is yet to come. The main attraction, the femme fatale, the highlight is the dial. It's not just a boring military or mousey grey, but a gorgeous sunburst dial that can play out its tones and perform its magic in different lighting to the point that one forgets the original intention of finding out the current time. Instead, one just stares dumbly open-mouthed at the magnificence, gently winding the wrist to continue this visual orgasm. I believe that these situations can put one in uncomfortable situations, and I have found myself several times gazing in mute amazement for several dozen seconds at this magical dial. The shimmering embossed indices, together with the embossed logo and silver hands, can conjure up so many reflections that the reflection off the glass creates an interesting three-dimensional effect not dissimilar to that of a mirror maze. At such moments, the whole assembly gives the impression of infinite space inside such a small watch. My only regret is that I'm not able to remotely capture the beauty of the entire dial in photos, so I can only recommend a personal encounter with a prepared handkerchief. It is the beauty of this whole ensemble that gives vent to all the minor flaws and negatives. On a clear day, I could perhaps only wish for a colourless anti-reflective treatment on the inside of the crystal, because when I look at the watch in these conditions through the viewfinder of a DSLR with a polarising filter or through sunglasses with polarising lenses, a world of even more remarkable qualities is revealed. Seiko does these crystals perfectly, and the watch would definitely benefit from a similar upgrade, even at a higher cost.

As is appropriate with Seiko, the luminescent layer of indexes and hands can provide the observer's eye with an accurate indication of the current time even on dark winter nights. It glows its traditional green colour and can emit photons until the early hours of spring. The seconds hand is devoid of luminous paint, so it makes do with a silver finish. Both the hour and minute hands are rectangular in shape with an edge extending through their centre. The indices are also rectangular. The rectangles are larger at 6 and 9, while a double rectangle proudly stands at 12. At position 3 is a bordered date window with a date and day of the week indicator. Saturdays are shown in blue, Sundays in the traditional colour of the centre of the Japanese flag. All indices are filled with Lumibrite material, which also comes from the colossus' own laboratories on behalf of Seiko. Much has been written about the qualities of this substance, and as I mentioned, the watch can really shine when illuminated.

Seiko SNXS79 is an absolutely unbeatable watch in its price category. For their price in other brands you get maybe so spare part of the bracelet. Is Seiko a good watch for the money? No. They are great regardless of the amount of money required to buy them. They have a bunch of flaws that help shape their character. It's not even a watch that draws attention to itself. They don't overwhelm with their presence and hide themselves under their sleeve rather than put themselves out there to be admired. Technologically, they don't push the world of watchmaking into the cosmic reaches and they didn't need precious metals, exotic materials or animal sacrifice to exist. They are simply just watches, but they can fulfill the role of everyday wearables and do not offend even on the wrist during a theatrical performance or on the dance floor. However, one proper glance at its dial and one is lost, hypnotized and absorbed. All negatives are forgotten, all criticisms remain unspoken. You are caught in the charismatic web of this little wonder of the watchmaking world.