This is a detailed, hands-on review of the Seiko SNK809, one of the best affordable automatic watches you can buy.
If youโre like me, you can spend hours at a time browsing watch forums without a real idea of what youโre looking for.
More often than not, I end up focusing on a watch that I canโt afford or that is more expensive than it needs to be.
Thatโs not at all what we have here, and though Iโve passed over it on my watch searches many times, I can say now that Iโd give it more than a second glance if I see it again.
The watch Iโm talking about is the Seiko SNK809, and after a week with it on my wrist, I can confidently say that itโs not only the best watch under $100, it may be one of the better choices in the sub-$500 range.
Depending on where you buy it, the SNK809 can be had for as little as $65, but itโs even a steal at twice that. Seiko has a winner with the SNK809, and for the money, thereโs nothing else on its level.
The company relied on its rich history and experience building accurate, excellent movements to construct a watch in the sub-$100 range that easily shames timepieces costing many times more.
A few small gripes pop up along the way, but theyโre not enough to tarnish what is otherwise a great watch with a solid value proposition.
Letโs take a look at what makes the Seiko SNK809 so special.
SNK809 Design
Itโs hard to look at the SNK809 and view it as anything other than a utilitarian timepiece. Itโs not beautiful, fancy, flashy, or any of the other things that people look for in a nice watch.
The watch, with its matte aluminum finishing, clean dial, and compact 37mm case, is an exercise in simplicity.
The qualities that give it such a straightforward appearance are a nod to the watchโs military roots, but theyโre also a great opportunity for Seiko to show off its ability to build an insanely high-quality watch and sell it for peanuts.
The SNK809 carries a military vibe overall that lands somewhere between a classic pilotโs watch and a rugged field watch, though the dial markings tilt further in the pilot direction.
At 11mm thick, itโs got the compact dimensions to make it wearable with suit and shirt cuffs, but thereโs enough heft for it to stand up to significant abuse. Seiko opted for its own in-house Hardlex crystal instead of acrylic.
Itโs not quite as hard or scratch resistant as sapphire, but itโs far more durable than mineral glass and looks better, too.
The Crown
Seikoโs tradition of placing the crown at four oโclock continues here, but there are a few quirks that have to be noted at this price point. There is no manual-wind feature here, which means that the watch has to be shaken gently to engage the automatic winder in the movement.
Thatโs probably a good thing, as the crown is very small and somewhat hard to grip. Thereโs also no screw-down functionality here, which limits water resistance to only 30 meters, so the watch will be fine in the rain but should stay out of the pool.
Stock Strap
Now, we come to the strap, which is easily the SNK809โs weakest point. Itโs not surprising to see a cheap canvas strap at this price point, but it is surprising just how bad the strap actually is.
The black nylon material looks and feels cheap, which clashes with the mostly premium feel of the watch itself. Itโs rough and uncomfortable out of the box, and can snag on clothing and other surfaces.
After a few days of wear, it becomes softer and more comfortable, but itโs worth looking at an affordable replacement. The good news is that the SNK809 looks great on a variety of straps, including rubber and leather watch straps.
We didnโt say all of that as a suggestion that Seiko should have fitted a bracelet to the SNK809. Budget watches can be great at many things, but bracelets at the lowest price point can feel like theyโre made out of tweezers.
A bracelet also doesnโt fit the aesthetic here, but thatโs another point.
The Dial
The SNK809 lands somewhere between a classic IWC pilotโs watch and a Hamilton Khaki Field Watch, and borrows some of the best elements of both.
The sharp hands are fully lumed, and the second hand is lumed on its counterweight with a flash of red on the pointer end.
Each hour marker is accented by a seconds counter that steps up by five for each hour, all the way to 60 seconds. Thatโs a classic pilotโs watch feature, and though it makes the SNK809โs dial much busier, it fits within the overall aesthetic.
The indices have lumed dots on their outer edge, and their placement on the outside of the dial means thereโs room for the date window and a lume dot for better nighttime visibility.
A bonus for a watch in any price range is a day/date complication, and the SNK809 has it.
Depending on where the watch is purchased, at least two different languages are available for the day indication.
Automatic Movement
You can scour eBay and find hundreds of cheap watches with automatic movements, but theyโre mostly cheap knockoffs that were made in mass quantities in a factory somewhere overseas.
The SNK809 has a mass-produced movement, but itโs Seikoโs in-house 7S26 automatic movement with 21 jewels and a 40-hour power reserve.
We mentioned earlier that the SNK809 doesnโt have a manual wind function, but thatโs far from a complaint at this price point. Wearing the watch or gently shaking it briefly will get things ticking, and wearing it regularly will keep it running with the power reserve.
Seiko rates the movement at -20/+40 seconds a day, a number far from chronometer territory, but thereโs not much to complain about for the price.
The SNK809 also features an exhibition caseback, also made of Hardlex, which lets the watch show off its stuff. Itโs not a highly decorated, flashy mechanical movement, but itโs a nice touch that ups the Seikoโs visual appeal.
Final Recommendation
Align your expectations correctly, and youโll be pleasantly surprised with the SNK809. There arenโt Rolex or Patek levels of case finishing, accuracy, or movement decoration, but thatโs not the point here.
The SNK809 does exactly what itโs supposed to do, and nothing more: Itโs accessible, affordable, and offers a more than solid entry point into the world of mechanical watches.
Beyond the strap, thereโs not much to complain about, and the Seiko gives watches costing twice as much a run for their money.
I got this watch a long time ago. I purchased a new rubber strap for it, and it felt much better. As for the power it seems over time to be much better than when I first got it. I don’t find the time off as much as when I first was wearing it. I dig it but now wanting something a little more. Hamilton or Oris, but that is a purchase in the future
Have this watch and it’s junk. Wearing it night and day doesn’t keep it powered. Spinning the rotor multiple times by flicking the watch 3/4 times a times a day is the only way to keep enough power as it doesn’t manual wind. The movement is a cheap, made in Malaysia movement.
I recently bought this watch with the green face and love it. Put a chocolate brown leather strap on and it looks outstanding IMO.