Loading ...The SKJ Kinetic divers: gone but not forgotten
Not too long ago, Seiko made a series of classic Kinetic divers with strong design influences from the world famous Rolex Submariner diver’s watch. These were fondly remembered as the “SKJ” Kinetic Sports divers and they remain the only homage copies of the Submariner with the Kinetic movement.
There were also only three generations of this style of Kinetic divers and they were marketed internationally as generic models, i.e. not belonging to any particular Seiko sub-range such as the Sportura, Arctura, Coutura, etc.
These models sat unnoticed in the midst of the many obscure Kinetic models that shared the same movement. Unlike the international sub-ranges like the Velatura, Premier and Sportura, Seiko didn’t spend on advertising the SKJ Kinetic divers. To the Seiko company, they’re just a few of their countless generic models – if you happen to like them, buy them.
Chrono Wars: Citizen Cal 2100 vs Seiko 7L22
Being an owner of both the Citizen Promaster Eco Drive E2100 and Seiko Sportura 7L22 Kinetic chronograph, I thought a comparison between these two distinct yet similarly featured movements would make an interesting subject. 
Why am I comparing these two movements? Well, for starters they are both quartz-controlled watches with unique, mechanically actuated chronograph functions. These two hybrid calibers are also mainstream calibers and both companies have manufactured numerous models based on them.
The most glaring difference between the Cal 2100 and the 7L22 is that the former is solar powered while the latter is a motion powered movement.
Let’s examine the merits and demerits of both animals.
Seiko 5 SNKE01K “PMGS” review
Watch History
- Date acquired: Sept 21st 2006
- Production Date: June 2006
- Source: Hing’s Watch Store, Petaling Jaya
- Price paid: MYR199 (approximately USD60)
- Status: Possibly discontinued
Background
I’ve seen many basic Seiko 5 models and there are just too many to choose from. Some retain the classic vintage look while others come with interesting, sporty designs.
If there’s one thing I know about Seiko, they have myriad models of Seiko 5s that many of them have short production market life spans. Seiko does produce their best selling designs for years and drop those that aren’t profitable. Therefore they move on and introduce new models to keep the market fresh.
I don’t really collect modern Seiko 5s and it’s not often that a particular model grabs my interest. But this one did. It’s the SNKE01K and is fondly dubbed as the “Poor Man’s Grand Seiko” or PMGS for short. What’s so interesting about this watch?
Sizzling Fajitas, anyone?
Recently, there was an interesting thread in the Seiko & Citizen Watch Forum about copycat Seiko watches. Copycat manufacturers are not to be confused with counterfeit watch makers, who blatantly pass off their fake products as genuine ones.
Okay, counterfeit makers would prefer to be called by a more polite name “replica watch” manufacturers. Either way, it’s the same thing. It is an outright copyright and trademark infringement of the original brand owner and sales and distribution of such fake watches are considered a felony in most countries.
I’m not talking about homage watches either. A homage watch is one that is styled after a very well known and established model but with intentional visual alterations so as not to be sued by the original manufacturer of the watch.
Seiko, Casio, Citizen and Orient have been “guilty” of making homage watches designed after the ones from the famous Swiss brands - Rolex and Omega to name a few. Alpha, AMF, Invicta and Sandoz are also other watch companies that have made homage watches that are almost close to the real thing.
Seiko SNKF05K “BFS” Automatic review
Watch History
- Date acquired: August 28 2007
- Production date: June 2007
- Source: Mee Sing Watch Store, Pertama Complex Kuala Lumpur
- Price paid: MYR400 (USD121)
- Status: In production
Background
Sometimes I hate Seiko. I really do.
Especially when the company releases an affordable model that makes me want to buy one immediately and then I see an almost similar model with a different dial and both are equally attractive. I get torn between the two and here’s the dilemma: Choose one or buy both?
Well, that’s exactly what happened to me when I had just purchased a brand new, SNKF11K and also craved for the SNKF05K at the same time.
It’s also infrequent that Seiko throws at my face two newly launched, affordable and attractive looking models that in fact, I ended up buying both of them in a matter of two days apart. It’s certainly good business for Seiko but bad for definitely my wallet. Who said that watch collecting isn’t addictive? 
Seiko SNKF11K “BFS” Automatic review
Watch History
- Date acquired: August 21 2007
- Production date: June 2007
- Source: Hing’s Watch Store, Malaysia
- Price paid: MYR400 (USD121)
- Status: In production
Background
I seldom buy watches on impulse. Usually I would conduct several weeks or months of research and mulling about before deciding to buy a particular watch. When my watchmaker took out the stunning looking timepiece out of his box (he hadn’t even had the time to display it in his watch glass case) my jaw simply dropped.
“Wow! What IS that Seiko?” I blurted out. It wasn’t a Seiko 5 and it was the largest 7s-caliber Seiko that I’ve ever laid eyes upon. It was even larger than the SKX007 and even the Monster diver! My watchmaker said he didn’t know, he had just taken delivery of a new batch of Seikos earlier that morning.
I looked at the hang tag and it said SNKF11K. I’m usually blasé towards new releases from Seiko (they’re usually a rehash of old models with minor design tweaks) but this one was a totally fresh design. I thought it was one of the very few models that Seiko got it right from the start.
Seiko SKXA35 Diver’s 200m review
Watch History
- Date acquired: July 31 2007
- Production date: March 2007
- Source: Seiko Company Store, Seattle USA
- Price paid: USD140 (w/o shipping)
- Status: In production
Background
This yellow faced Seiko divers’ watch actually took quite some time for me to decide. Yellow is not my favorite color in a watch (orange is more acceptable) and I think most yellow dials are hard to read. It’s neither white nor orange. It’s probably an in-between hue. Perhaps the most positive point of a yellow colored watch is that it’s very unique and striking on the wrist.
It’s not a popular color for a watch and that’s probably why one seldom sees yellow dialed watches in the stores or on people’s wrists. I was considering the black SKX173 7s26 diver but I already own two SKX007J divers. The SKX173, apart from its rectangular index markers and the lumed ball on the tip of the sweep second hand, didn’t offer much difference from the classic SKX007 divers.
What made me eventually choose the SKXA35?
The controversial "Seiko 6319-7040" diver
If you have already read my previous article on spotting fake Seiko watches, you may have learned how to distinguish the counterfeits from the real ones. Some are fairly easy to spot while others need careful scrutiny to determine whether it’s fake or not.
Recently I came across an auction by a well known eBay vintage watch seller from the Philippines and what caught my attention was the fact he described the watch as "controversial". This popular Power Seller eBay merchant has never peddled fake vintage watches in the past and he would know a fake one from an original Seiko.
However, this particular watch for auction stumped the seller and after looking at photos of his listing I have to admit that the watch stumped even me. The seller couldn’t verify whether this watch was a fake or probably a one-off Seiko model that nobody knew about, so he listed the watch as a "controversial Seiko diver".
How to tell when your Seiko watch was made (Part 2)
In my previous article on how to date your Seiko watch, I mentioned the nifty Jayhawk’s Production Date Calculator. In most cases it should return the correct date of manufacture.
However, there are circumstances in which the calculator may give you inconclusive or erroneous results. Or no results at all. When that happens, I would resort to what I call "dead reckoning" or rough estimation.
Dead reckoning is similar to navigating your way at sea by orientating yourself with the heavenly objects like the sun, moon and the stars. You won’t be accounting for wind conditions and at best your estimate may be a few miles off your actual position. That’s when a GPS unit comes in handy!
Manually estimating the production date of a Seiko involves the element of anachronism. What is anachronism? Basically, it is the utilization of an event, a person, an object, language in a time when that event, person, or object was not in existence.
In other words, an anachronism is something that occurs out of its proper time. The chronological error of an anachronism can occur in either direction: it can result from something from the past being represented as if it belonged in the present, like an archaism, or it can result from presenting something at a time before it actually appeared, occurred, or existed.
Anachronism is the secret to manually estimating the production date of your Seiko watch.
What’s Water Resistance About?
It says “100m W.R.” on your watch dial. And perhaps “10 ATM” on the watch’s caseback. You already know it refers to the watch’s maximum water resistance but is there more to it than those mere numbers?
If you have a 100m rated watch, would you wear it for scuba diving?
Well, why shouldn’t you? After all, the manufacturer labeled your watch as “100m water resist” and and you’re not likely to venture any deeper than 50 meters into the briny blue, so why not?
Perhaps your watch “looks like the very ones that you see professional divers wear on the National Geographic or Discovery Channel so you start thinking you could take your watch on your next diving trip too!
Then, you consult your watch owner’s manual and you get a shock. You learn that the manual states that your 100m rated watch is good for hand washing, showering and pool swimming only.
Sounds confusing? Why is a 100m rated watch good only for swimming and snorkeling only? What does the water resistance rating actually mean? Heck, I was once just as confused too!
