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Diving with an old boy - SEIKO SKX013

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Yes, It is summertime. Heat waves are already here and the sea is calling. It was time for an automatic adventurer that can decently deal with sea water, yachting, snorkeling and most kinds of summer activities, so I started looking for a mid-size diver's watch. 'Out there' I found several market options and budget solutions ( from brands like Vostok, Citizen, Invicta ) but the watch that really got my attention was the Seiko SKX013. A watch that many collectors seemed to refer as a legend for it's category and I could clearly see why..
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Simple design, durable manufacturing & good finishing. This watch seemed to be what I was looking for. Elegant proportions and great wearability on a very dynamic sporty look. By the moment I noticed it, everything else looked just like an alternative. Sadly the next thing I noticed was that SKX line discontinued just few years ago and Seiko's current options on automatic dive watches was not close to it's characteristics and price. Online the watch is now available in quite high prices ( at least in Europe ) and trying to find a decent re-sale or even a homage, like 'San Martin' or 'Islander', felt more like a treasure hunt. After lot of searching I spot one available in Europe near it's official retail price. Case, movement, face & hands are original vintage (1997) in very good & working condition. New Seiko bracelet, a mod (non-original) rotating bezel & recent waterproof tested at 10atm. Even that what I got now by paying about 260 EU is not what I would have got few years ago, when the watch was still under production, I am very happy that managed to collect one of these and make it my sport watch.
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Was it the best choice? Will I have to replace or update a 25 years old movement in near future? In any case I already took this old-school guy several times underwater and the feeling was really rewarding.!! So now I can officially wish you all a happy Summer!! :)
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Case Size: 38 mm diameter Power Reserve : +/- 45 hrs Reliability: YES Date: YES ( day-date ) Hacking Second Mechanism: NO Wound by Crown: NO Water Proof: 20 ATM (200m) Movement: SEIKO 7S26 ( Automatic )
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nsdesign
75
Apr 8, 2023
Good news! Seiko releasing a new serries of sport watches on 38mm diameter: SRPK29, SRPK31, SRPK33, SRPK35. Comparing to SKX013, the new SRPK line has less water resistance (100m) and passive crown but the movement 4R36 is hacking, hand-winding, day/date, and 41 hours of power reserve. Unless you are a pro diver, I think It's a great option. https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-new-38mm-seiko-5-sports-srpk29-srpk31-srpk33-and-srpk35
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RabecaHall
0
Aug 29, 2022
What an awesome, awesome, watch! I wholeheartedly recommend you buy a Watch from them! I’m sitting here trying to figure out a way to add a picture of the watch, they added a lightning bolt secondhand to it and really made it pop!
ravi_javi
18
Aug 22, 2022
I love your post, but not sure why you posted on Drop, since they completely disrespected and abandoned any customer that was interested in anything besides audio and keyboards
nsdesign
75
Aug 26, 2022
ravi_javionly because I like their layout haha. Do you have any blog/site to propose? Thank you
Dumontguercio
1
Aug 16, 2022
The Seiko SKX013 is the best dive watch for small wrists. It's affordable, tough, and look manly. It has a 38mm case width, yet has a lot of wrist presence. In my opinion, the Seiko SKX013 is the only option worth considering if you're in the market for an affordable small dive watch Rebaid.com

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SargeII
413
Jul 1, 2022
Thanks for sharing! Haven't read a post like this on Drop for quite some time.
nsdesign
75
Jul 2, 2022
SargeIIThanks for reading :)
RayF
22218
Jun 24, 2022
Interesting--great write up! For those who don't know (and I had to look it up) it's the case size that MOST distinguishes the 38mm SKX013 from the 42mm SKX007. From a distance, you might even confuse the two. That's my 42mm 007 below...
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nsdesign
75
Jun 25, 2022
RayFThank you Ray! Yes, I went for the 013 because 38mm fits better on my wrist. I Love both versions, great photo!
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