Seiko 5 Men's Automatic Watch with Black Dial Analogue Display and Black Fabric Strap SNK809K2

Bought one of these, and I'm really pleased, and not just because the price was jumped way up since...it looks lovely. The quality and build are nice and it looks sleek and smart on the wrist, a real James Bond piece of equipment. It is a little smaller than many men's watches in this age of aggressive overbuilt bezels, but I like it - it will not look as if you have a miniaturised ladies' watch on if you are a male. It also means it won't catch on everything. Hardlex crystal resists scratching. The numbers and arrow aren't luminous, it has 12 pips plus the hands, but this is perfectly adequate and it goes equally well for both office and sports use. It will tolerate showers and swimming but no divingApparently these are genuine Seikos with a Malaysian rather than Japanese movement - fine, I bought several and none have given me a reason to complain. What negatives I have read about these watches for the greater part appear misguided. It has an aviator dial and hands, to precisely indicate seconds and minutes which tend to be more important than hours if you're piloting a high-performance aircraft! It is an automatic watch that must be worn most days to keep the mainspring wound by a gyro utilising the natural movement of your wrist - they're finely engineered but tend to lose a few seconds a day. Also bear in mind that for a relatively low price, you're getting a very smart and utilitarian watch by a good make - if you want titanium shockproofing and 200m - plus of water resistance, then expect to pay more! Overall a lovely piece of engineering and I'm delighted with mine...

Great watch looks good.I have had the watch for a while and it works well.

I've had this watch for about six months now and I'm very pleased with it. I paid £50, but even at this price it's still good value. As others have commented the 37mm dial is much smaller than many modern "men's sized" watches, but having thin wrists I prefer this size. The matt finish is unusual and distinctive and the dial is very clear, making this an easy watch to read at a glance.The fabric strap was comfortable and had plenty of adjustment, but I've now replaced it out of personal choice with a quality leather bund-type strap, which I think looks better.As for accuracy, mine's holding around a couple of seconds a day at the moment, though as with all mechanical watches this will vary depending on how you wear it and how you set it down at night. I know you can get much better timekeeping from a quartz watch at half the price, but that's not why you're buying an automatic. I see them as a traditional alternative to the Ecodrive or Kinetic technologies - no risk of a battery ever letting you down. You do need to be wearing an automatic every day though to keep it ticking - otherwise it'll run down in about 40 hours. However, unlike an Ecodrive that's been kept in the dark for too long, you can get an automatic going again in a matter of seconds - a quick shake to get the rotor spinning, and off it goes.Another reviewer mentioned the movement was "non-hacking" - that you can't arrest the seconds hand when setting, making it a bit hit and miss when syncronising to another time reference. However, I found that if the mainspring isn't too tightly wound, you can apply a little backward pressure on the gear-train via the crown and this will arrest the seconds hand for syncronising (it stops the watch). Not proper "hacking", but a handy work around if you like your watch spot on.The only thing that made me hesitate before clicking the "buy" button was the 30m water resist which, like another reviewer, I didn't expect to see on a watch otherwise marketed as "military field style". I would have preferred 100m, but decided a reliable 30m was worth a risk. It's survived several sweaty walks on rainy days without steaming up, so I'm quite happy with that.A very easy four stars - agonised over five - 100m water resist and a slightly better strap would have clinched it, but for under £60.00 and a lovely little Seiko 5 that looks this good, I'm not complaining.

When I opened the box, the first thing that hit me was the size. In the modern day of poorly proportioned, overpriced fashion watches, it was great to see that it fitted perfectly onto my wrist. It is small without looking dainty or feminine. As far as accuracy goes, it isn't the same as a quartz movement, but I don't see why anyone would complain. For an automatic watch at this price point, it is unbeatable. I reckon it could beat a watch over twice its price for accuracy. The sandblasted finish is a godsend- a quick wipe and it is clean (no streaks or permanent marks). The dial is a brilliant colour, and the thickness of the case is excellently proportioned.In addition, the exhibition case back is amazing. Sure, not the most decorated movement out there, but the fact that Seiko included one on a watch of this price point is brilliant.It's not all amazing though. The strap is comes on is slightly stiff and itchy at first, and over time becomes frayed. This isn't an issue, a £5 nato or other strap can easily fix this issue. I find that a tan leather strap looks great, and unlike a nato, doesn't block the case back.The water resistance isn't up to swimming standard, although I don't see why it would be an issue if there was a short-ish dip in the water. It's tough enough to survive everyday life, but don't plan on going diving with it.Overall, a great value watch with some brilliant features. The loom is really helpful, and gives the illusion of the watch being more expensive than it is. Great job Seiko. Change the strap though.