It's been 2 years since I got the Seiko SNKL45 and it's still my number one watch for under $100.
When I bought it in 2019 (I bought it for less than $80 in a local e-commerce site), it was supposed to be a Christmas gift for someone else. After seeing the watch for myself, I ended up keeping it! I was attracted to the brownish-black sunburst dial and the red seconds hand.
Throughout 2019-2022, I've had the pleasure of handling different kinds of watches in different budget ranges. After all that, I stand by recommending the Seiko SNKL45 to anyone that's looking for their first budget automatic watch for the reasons below:
1. It looks more expensive than $100!
With the applied hour markers and the mix of brushed and polished on the stainless steel watch case, it has details that don't make it look like a simple cheap watch. It looks like more work and more thought went into it.
Looking closely on the inside of the watch case, how clean it looks indicates good quality control. I've seen videos of fashion watches with specs inside the case -- and they charge the same or more!
I've received a lot of compliments on my SNKL45 over the years. On one occasion, my mom even asked "Is that a Rolex?" -- but take that with a grain of salt (hahaha).
At this price point though, you're only getting mineral crystal (Seiko's proprietary hardlex crystal, to be specific) and a folded link bracelet.
2. It fits different occasions.
With its classic case shape and colors, the Seiko SNKL45 can be used on casual occasions and dressy occasions. It looks good on different kinds of straps.
The red seconds hand adds a subtle sporty vibe, something you can't see from afar which kind of feels like a fun little secret for the wearer. However, if you're not a fan of the colorway, check out the SNKL41 with the white dial and the SNKL43 with the blue dial.
Watch out: While it does "look" sporty, it only has 30 meters water resistance. This rating is only enough for light splashes and hand-washing. Don't shower with it, don't swim with it!
3. The 37mm case diameter is a classic timeless size.
Throughout the decades, watch size trends fluctuated from small to big (around year 2000's), then it seems like it's going back to small again -- or watch companies are making more sizes to be more inclusive.
The 37mm case size seems to be a size that has been acceptable throughout the years. Hopefully, it will continue to be in fashion in the decades to come and so you can pass it on to your future son/daughter.
However, if you have a big wrist and you don't feel comfortable wearing a small watch, then 37mm would not be for you.
Also for the ones with big fingers, it would be tough maneuvering the crown of the SNKL45 because it's tiny.
4. The 7S26 is a convenient and reliable automatic movement.
Even though the Seiko 7S26 is a non-hacking and non-winding movement, it's still a reliable movement (in my experience). All the average person really needs is for the watch to be accurate and reliable (unless you're working in the military and you really need to be synchronized down to the second).
It also has a power reserve of 41 hours so with sufficient activity throughout the day, the watch would have enough power to last throughout the night while you're sleeping.
It also has a quickset day and date, which is surprisingly not that common. My Vostok Amphibia and my Poljot Strela do not have a quickset date and my Ricoh Day-Date and Fossil Automatic do not have the quickset day. For the non-quickset watches, I have to do the 9pm to 3am wind just to move the day/date along. I keep forgetting to double-check for the quickset function before buying, which is how I ended up with 4 non-quickset watches.
Throughout my years in the hobby, I've experienced more watches -- a mix of vintage and modern, manual and automatic -- and in the end, I still go back to my SNKL45 if I need something reliable and convenient.
5. Even if it's "just" a Seiko 5, it's still a Seiko.
Seiko has been around since 1881 and they've got an excellent brand reputation in the watch world. They also led the quartz revolution in 1969 which obliterated a lot of its Swiss competitors. In the world of watches, Seiko is formidable, indeed. They've well-established themselves as the leader in the affordable category and they are also making an impact in the luxury world with Grand Seiko.
Also, out of all the Seiko 5 cases in the market, this SNKL45 bears the closest resemblance to the vintage King Seiko watches and Grand Seiko watches. It's just so classic Seiko, to me!
While there are plenty of reasons to rave about the SNKL45, I do have 1 major negative: The Jingly-Jangley Folded-Link Bracelet. The folded-link bracelet feels cheap and light, which affects the whole wearing experience.
While the SNKL45 does look good on different straps, I usually avoid taking it off the bracelet because I've had a tough time removing and putting back the end links. Compared to my other watches, this was the only one that takes me about half an hour to maneuver.
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Check out the video version of this review down below!
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