Bought this for my 12-year-old son for Christmas and we are impressed with this watch. Numerous watch blogs list this as one of the best automatic watches under $500, so at $55 it's a great starter "nice" watch for my son. Opinions will vary widely, but I think the case is perfect for my son. May be a little small for an adult
BUY NOWman (pictured alongside my Tissot).
If I could give this watch more than five stars, I would. I have been a watch aficionado and collector for over forty years. The wristwatches I have collected have been focused on a particular (Swiss) brand, and have all been mechanical. I have worn quartz watches for everyday work watches, mainly because of their accuracy and value (they’re relatively cheap and don’t require expensive service every 3-5 years). Some of the quartz watches I’ve worn over the years have been Seikos, and I always found them to be high quality. I never paid any attention to Seiko’s mechanical watches, and so only recently became aware of the Seiko 5. I wouldn’t have looked twice at an automatic watch for less than $75 (street price) if it hadn’t said Seiko on the dial. Even so, the glowing reviews of this best-kept-secret sounded like hyperbole. I guess I won’t know if the longevity claims made for this watch are exaggerated until I’ve had it for a long time, but after a month of experience with the watch, I’m optimistic about these claims being true. Everything else claimed about this marvel seems to be accurate. The watch has, since I initially set it, lost about a second per week when I have been wearing it (see note below). I have had quartz watches that haven’t been that well regulated! At this rate, this watch will only need to be reset twice a year for the time change. (Note: I have, as you might expect from someone who collects watches, a watch cabinet complete with some automatic watch winders—holders for the watch that rotate on a programmed schedule to keep automatic watches wound, and to keep the lubricants in the movement from settling during long term storage. When this watch is left on such an auto-wonder, as opposed to being worn, it loses time at a slightly greater rate.)
I really didn’t expect anywhere near this kind of accuracy.
Even if the watch stops in three years, it will represent a terrific value. If it does, I’ll probably just throw it away and buy a new one. There is no sense in spending $150-200 to service a $75 watch.
I did switch straps though—replaced the canvas one (not actually bad looking) with a black silicone strap with stainless steel deployant buckle (more durable, and won’t soak up sweat and get smelly).
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