Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Seiko Black Monster SKX779 mini review

 
My very first automatic watch was a Seiko Monster. Its a fairly cheap watch (I bought it for less than USD 150) but it does not feel cheap e.g. the bezel operates very smoothly, the metal bracelet that came with mine had strong and beefy links and has a divers extension. It has a very attractive face with the large hour indicators swathed in lume. The drawback to the lume is that it does not seem to stay bright for as long as other watches e.g. watches using superluminova.
 
Another drawback to this watch are the fact that it uses a Hardlex crystal face which hardly is a drawback as I have had this watch for some time and there isnt a single scratch on the face. The 7s26 movement is a fairly robust movement (most Seikos are) and it is a non-winding (winding is achieved by shaking the watch) and non-hacking movement i.e. you cannot stop the movement once it gets moving.
 
In the picture below, you can see my watch on the rubber strap (which I actually prefer to the metal bracelet). Sometimes, I put a 20mm NATO strap on it and it looks great on that too.

Even though it is a great watch, I never end up wearing the Monster much. The main reason is the size of the watch - its around 42mm in diameter. I am not much of a big watch fan as I typically wear a long sleeved shirt during work and it just sticks out too much. The huge bezel which allows one to operate it wearing gloves is in no way as slim as the ones on the Submariner or the Seamaster. I feel that it is more of a tool watch - to be used on days where you are working or playing outdoors - chopping wood, diving etc.

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