The Seiko SNK809 is a benchmark for affordable automatic watches, and rightly so.

THE JAPANESE LEGEND

The second watch of my collection (by purchase date) is the legendary Seiko SNK809. It is part of the "Seiko 5" collection. The "5" is not a fluke: the philosophy of this collection followed FIVE principles: a self-winding automatic movement, resistance to water, a day-date in a single window, a recessed crown, and a durable case. The SNK809 is the proud child of those principles and - with prices fluctuation between 80€ and 120€ - it is the best option to test the world of automatic watches. Even though I recommend to buy it only for a price under 100€. Some retailers can get greedy, no need to throw your money by the window.

There are literally hundred of "Seiko 5" models, but SNK809 stands out first and foremost because of its rugged, quasi-military style, which borrows a lot to the "flieger" watches. "Flieger" is German for "flyer", and what we call in generals the watches which were specifically designed for aviators. It had to be extremely legible, hence the simple black and white dial with a double row of digits for the hours AND the minutes, resistant to high-altitude pressions, and super precise. That's why this SNK809 is endlessly flexible and adaptable to all kind of straps, first and foremost the NATO straps, as you can see. It is indeed an outdoor watch, at its core, but if you slap it a nice bracelet, it can instantly be upgraded to something more dressy.

RUGGED & FLEXIBLE

There are actually quite a lot of design packed in that seemingly "simple" watch. As an automatic watch, it will start as soon as you move it around for 30 seconds and keep going for as long as you do + 20hours give or take, with a decent precision. Also, as you can notice, the crown is not located at 15:00, but at 16:00, and is slightly more recessed than usual. This is designed in order to avoid sticking out into your wrist. Everything is done to make this watch as light and efficient as possible. It also boasts a little bit of lume, just the minimum to keep track of time when you get into a dark spot - but not for too long. Its day-date complication provides also the day of the week, in two languages. As for the back display case, it's a nice conversation starter for sure. The main complaint about the watch would be the absence of a sapphire cristal: it's only hardlex, which provides decent protection against scratches, but considering the "outdoor" vibes of this watch, it's very likely to get scratched sooner than later.

CONCLUSION

Time and again, the SNK809 has proven my go to watch in case of outdoor activity, or when I need on my wrist something light and not too fussy. If you can find it for 80€, it's a bargain. It won't break the bank, and it won't break your heart.

DETAILS

Brand	Model	Type	Diameter	Width
Seiko	SNK809	Seiko S726	39mm	9.4mm

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Any opinion about Japanese watch?