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Hello everyone,
Not sure how many people browse through this part of the forum, but this is actually my introductory post, so hello! I've recently found myself becoming very interested in watches, particularly those of the mechanical variety. I soon discovered Watchuseek and have been lurking quite a bit. I had been looking for inspiration as for what to request for a Christmas gift. After much back and forth with myself and reading many threads and watching many videos, I finally decided to ask for a Seiko SKX781 "Orange Monster."
A couple weeks after reaching that decision, I just could no longer stand the wait for what would be my first mechanical watch. Which brings me (slowly) to the purpose of this thread. After some more research and deliberation, a Seiko 5 seemed like a good choice for something affordable that could serve me well for (hopefully) several years. I decided to pick one that would fill a suitable role. As I work in an office environment, I wanted something that wasn't too flashy. The OM I am hoping to receive will be my casual/going out watch; I'm 25 and I think an orange faced diver on a steel bracelet will both fit in among the (mostly) fashion watches of my peers while also setting itself apart. However, I think it may be a bit too much for my workplace; that's not to say I'd never wear it there, but I would prefer something more understated.
I came across the Seiko SNZG15 and it caught my eye. I looked around and found a couple of positive reviews, one of which was done by caml here on this forum (https://www.watchuseek.com/f304/seiko-snzg15-j1-review-693057.html). After looking around online I found the watch in question for sale at http://www.creationwatches.com. They had the SNZG15J1 (J1 denotes it was made in Japan) for what seemed to be a reasonable $125.00. I placed the order and received the watch a week later. As a side note, I would definitely order from Creation Watches again. I live on the east coast of the USA and would have received the watch even sooner if not for FedEx being closed on Thanksgiving and my apartment complex's office being closed on Black Friday.
I received the exact model of watch I ordered, albeit in a fairly decent though unmarked and nondescript box. However, it was nicely packaged and had all the original tags, as well as a manual giving instructions for operating the movement, which in this case is Seiko's 7S36 movement. The watch arrived ticking, and after a quick look through the instruction manual I set the time, day and date. I must admit that I should have paid more attention to the instructions at that first glance, because I ended up changing the date between 9pm and 4am, which it says not to do. However, I then did it the right way and so far everything seems to be fine.
I was very impressed with the look of the watch in person. The raised chapter ring gives it a sense of depth, which I like. I also appreciate its utilitarian feel, with the white marks and numbers on the black dial. I think it could be argued that the Seiko logo plus the "5" badge plus "Sports" print make the dial too busy. However I find this to be fairly well balanced with the three lines of text below the hands, for "Automatic," "21 Jewels" and "100M." It gives it a slightly sportier feel to me, which is fine. The fence post hour and minute hands fit the watch perfectly. I like the red on the end of the second hand, and the fact that it is lumed. However, I also think the lumed triangle on the second hand could stand to be larger. I believe it would be more functional and the lume on it would be more visible. More on that later.
The case has a matte finish to it, except between the lugs; the area between the lugs is polished. I find this to be a small annoyance and wish Seiko had continued with the matte finish there. It is also polished on the back of the case, around the display window. I actually like this as I believe it complements the polished metal of the movement. The movement is clean looking but not decorated, which is of course to be expected at this price point. However, this is my first mechanical watch and I love that I can view the movement.
The crystal is Seiko's Hardlex crystal, and while I have only had the watch a few days it has managed to do its job by preventing my clumsy self from scratching it. Please note that there does not appear to be any anti-reflective coating (which you will probably notice in the photos below). I am not sure whether the display window crystal is also Hardlex or some more standard kind of mineral crystal.
The crown does not screw down. One click out allows you to adjust the day and date; turning it in one direction adjusts the date and in the other it adjusts the day of the week. On my watch it has the day in English and what I believe to be Arabic. Two clicks out allows you to adjust the time. There is no hacking or handwinding with this movement, however I have been able to stop the second hand by turning the crown just slightly clockwise. I suppose this could be harming something in the movement so I would not reccomend this.
The luminosity on this watch seems to be very good. The picture of the lume below was taken after charging it with a flashlight for about 30 seconds. The lume won't stay that bright for very long, but it does retain a very good degree of visibility throughout the night. As I said above, the second hand's lume is very small and will fade more quickly than the more substantial hands and hour markers. The numbers and 24 hour markers are not lumed.
The watch came with a two piece nylon strap with a one prong buckle, with a matte finish to match the case. I think this strap fits the look and feel of the watch rather well. For reference, my wrist is about 6 3/4" around. At first I found it to be a bit stiff, and the side of the strap against my wrist has some areas which are not smoothly finished (the holes and restraining loop). After a few days, it has gotten a bit better and I find it to be relatively comfortable; the strap isn't so stiff now and I don't feel the scratchiness of the holes/loop. That being said, I have already ordered a Maratac "Bond" Zulu strap. Please note that the strap width is 22mm. Also please note that I have not measured it myself and am just passing along information that I read. Hopefully it's right!
As I said before, I am planning to wear this watch mostly at work. If and when I get the Orange Monster, I will wear that when I go out to the bar and other more casual times. Eventually I plan to get a dress watch for those occassions I need to dress up. However, in the meantime I think the SNZG15 will suffice for when I'm wearing more formal attire. I think it would work even better with a leather strap.
All in all I am quite pleased with the watch. It is the beginning of what I hope will become a collection of mechanical watches. Obviously I am starting off towards the bottom of the ladder when it comes to price, but looking at this watch I don't think I'm starting off near the bottom when it comes to value. I would definitely recommend it to someone considering a mechanical watch under $200, should the look of it catch your eye.
Thanks for reading what I fear has become a rather long winded and rambling first post. However having received so much information and guidance in the form of watch reviews from others, I wanted to toss my own little drop into the bucket. Should you find any factual errors in what I've written, please don't hesitate to correct them. Should you disagree with any opinions I've stated, please feel free to say why you disagree. And now, for some amateur pictures of the watch taken with my phone's camera. Not the greatest reward for a long read but hopefully they'll give some sense of the size and look of the watch in person.
![Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap]()
![Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Jewellery]()
![Analog watch Watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap]()
![Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap]()
![Hand Finger]()
![Finger Hand Strap Fashion accessory Thumb]()
![Strap]()
![Watch accessory Strap Watch Material property Wrist]()
![Watch Watch accessory Analog watch Fashion accessory Jewellery]()
![Watch Watch accessory Strap Wrist Material property]()
![Watch accessory Watch Wrist Strap Fashion accessory]()
![Green Black Light Lighting Neon]()
Not sure how many people browse through this part of the forum, but this is actually my introductory post, so hello! I've recently found myself becoming very interested in watches, particularly those of the mechanical variety. I soon discovered Watchuseek and have been lurking quite a bit. I had been looking for inspiration as for what to request for a Christmas gift. After much back and forth with myself and reading many threads and watching many videos, I finally decided to ask for a Seiko SKX781 "Orange Monster."
A couple weeks after reaching that decision, I just could no longer stand the wait for what would be my first mechanical watch. Which brings me (slowly) to the purpose of this thread. After some more research and deliberation, a Seiko 5 seemed like a good choice for something affordable that could serve me well for (hopefully) several years. I decided to pick one that would fill a suitable role. As I work in an office environment, I wanted something that wasn't too flashy. The OM I am hoping to receive will be my casual/going out watch; I'm 25 and I think an orange faced diver on a steel bracelet will both fit in among the (mostly) fashion watches of my peers while also setting itself apart. However, I think it may be a bit too much for my workplace; that's not to say I'd never wear it there, but I would prefer something more understated.
I came across the Seiko SNZG15 and it caught my eye. I looked around and found a couple of positive reviews, one of which was done by caml here on this forum (https://www.watchuseek.com/f304/seiko-snzg15-j1-review-693057.html). After looking around online I found the watch in question for sale at http://www.creationwatches.com. They had the SNZG15J1 (J1 denotes it was made in Japan) for what seemed to be a reasonable $125.00. I placed the order and received the watch a week later. As a side note, I would definitely order from Creation Watches again. I live on the east coast of the USA and would have received the watch even sooner if not for FedEx being closed on Thanksgiving and my apartment complex's office being closed on Black Friday.
I received the exact model of watch I ordered, albeit in a fairly decent though unmarked and nondescript box. However, it was nicely packaged and had all the original tags, as well as a manual giving instructions for operating the movement, which in this case is Seiko's 7S36 movement. The watch arrived ticking, and after a quick look through the instruction manual I set the time, day and date. I must admit that I should have paid more attention to the instructions at that first glance, because I ended up changing the date between 9pm and 4am, which it says not to do. However, I then did it the right way and so far everything seems to be fine.
I was very impressed with the look of the watch in person. The raised chapter ring gives it a sense of depth, which I like. I also appreciate its utilitarian feel, with the white marks and numbers on the black dial. I think it could be argued that the Seiko logo plus the "5" badge plus "Sports" print make the dial too busy. However I find this to be fairly well balanced with the three lines of text below the hands, for "Automatic," "21 Jewels" and "100M." It gives it a slightly sportier feel to me, which is fine. The fence post hour and minute hands fit the watch perfectly. I like the red on the end of the second hand, and the fact that it is lumed. However, I also think the lumed triangle on the second hand could stand to be larger. I believe it would be more functional and the lume on it would be more visible. More on that later.
The case has a matte finish to it, except between the lugs; the area between the lugs is polished. I find this to be a small annoyance and wish Seiko had continued with the matte finish there. It is also polished on the back of the case, around the display window. I actually like this as I believe it complements the polished metal of the movement. The movement is clean looking but not decorated, which is of course to be expected at this price point. However, this is my first mechanical watch and I love that I can view the movement.
The crystal is Seiko's Hardlex crystal, and while I have only had the watch a few days it has managed to do its job by preventing my clumsy self from scratching it. Please note that there does not appear to be any anti-reflective coating (which you will probably notice in the photos below). I am not sure whether the display window crystal is also Hardlex or some more standard kind of mineral crystal.
The crown does not screw down. One click out allows you to adjust the day and date; turning it in one direction adjusts the date and in the other it adjusts the day of the week. On my watch it has the day in English and what I believe to be Arabic. Two clicks out allows you to adjust the time. There is no hacking or handwinding with this movement, however I have been able to stop the second hand by turning the crown just slightly clockwise. I suppose this could be harming something in the movement so I would not reccomend this.
The luminosity on this watch seems to be very good. The picture of the lume below was taken after charging it with a flashlight for about 30 seconds. The lume won't stay that bright for very long, but it does retain a very good degree of visibility throughout the night. As I said above, the second hand's lume is very small and will fade more quickly than the more substantial hands and hour markers. The numbers and 24 hour markers are not lumed.
The watch came with a two piece nylon strap with a one prong buckle, with a matte finish to match the case. I think this strap fits the look and feel of the watch rather well. For reference, my wrist is about 6 3/4" around. At first I found it to be a bit stiff, and the side of the strap against my wrist has some areas which are not smoothly finished (the holes and restraining loop). After a few days, it has gotten a bit better and I find it to be relatively comfortable; the strap isn't so stiff now and I don't feel the scratchiness of the holes/loop. That being said, I have already ordered a Maratac "Bond" Zulu strap. Please note that the strap width is 22mm. Also please note that I have not measured it myself and am just passing along information that I read. Hopefully it's right!
As I said before, I am planning to wear this watch mostly at work. If and when I get the Orange Monster, I will wear that when I go out to the bar and other more casual times. Eventually I plan to get a dress watch for those occassions I need to dress up. However, in the meantime I think the SNZG15 will suffice for when I'm wearing more formal attire. I think it would work even better with a leather strap.
All in all I am quite pleased with the watch. It is the beginning of what I hope will become a collection of mechanical watches. Obviously I am starting off towards the bottom of the ladder when it comes to price, but looking at this watch I don't think I'm starting off near the bottom when it comes to value. I would definitely recommend it to someone considering a mechanical watch under $200, should the look of it catch your eye.
Thanks for reading what I fear has become a rather long winded and rambling first post. However having received so much information and guidance in the form of watch reviews from others, I wanted to toss my own little drop into the bucket. Should you find any factual errors in what I've written, please don't hesitate to correct them. Should you disagree with any opinions I've stated, please feel free to say why you disagree. And now, for some amateur pictures of the watch taken with my phone's camera. Not the greatest reward for a long read but hopefully they'll give some sense of the size and look of the watch in person.
