Seiko SNKK71K1 Automatic Watch for Men & Women - Stainless Steel Strap, Classic Analog Design - Perfect for Business, Casual Wear & Special Occasions

I have nine quartz or atomic watches and this is my first mechanical watch for twenty years and it’s a fantastic watch for the money. The finish and detail on this watch competes with watches of much higher price. It has a simple elegance, but is generally robust enough as an everyday watch. It is also surprisingly accurate for a cheaper mechanical watch and I find it only loses a handful of seconds per week and about 1 minute every 5 weeks or so. Like most mechanical watches you have to be a little more careful with it but I love its looks, quality and comfort. Highly recommended for watch addicts on a budget.ProsQuality and design. The watch itself is beautifully detailed and finished and is only slightly behind my £4000 Rolex and much better than my £350 Casio G-Shock Steel. The same cannot be said of the supplied strap (see cons). It has a simple understated elegance that is slightly retro, but also timeless.Very comfortable. I removed the supplied bracelet and fitted a good quality black leather strap. The watch is small and will suit small to medium wrists. With a leather strap I found that it did not slip on the wrist and given its size and weight it is easy to forget that you are wearing a watch. The comfort is aided by the winder being offset so it does not dig into the wrist like some cheaper watches and I think this adds to its overall elegance.Small. It is a small watch and not at all bulky but still easy to read.Perception of time. For many years I have been wearing quartz and atomic watches that have accuracy of seconds per year. Wearing this lovely mechanical watch has had a surprising effect upon my psyche; it is as though the watch is giving me an excuse to be a little less mindful of time. I’m not a psychologist so I can’t explain this, but I feel a little more relaxed when wearing it.Good accuracy. I timed several minutes using a 1/100th second timer and found that the Seiko 5 can be +/- a few 100ths of a second out per minute. But over a long period this averages out and it seems to only lose a handful of seconds every week.It’s Mechanical. There is something good about wearing a watch that actual people have been involved in building and that actually ticks. It feels more real than a cold digital watch with few, if any moving parts.Nice sweep. The second hand has quite a steady sweep action as opposed to a digital ‘jerky’ movement.Transparent back. The window on the back enables you to see the precision mechanics and its movement.Real retro. This watch has a simple but sophisticated retro look, especially with a leather strap. It is authentically retro as it uses a mechanical movement that has been in production for at least fifty years.Automatic movement. No need to wind it (this can be a problem) as your movement does it for you.40 hour reserve means you can take it off for a while without it stopping.ConsNot fit and forget. It took me a couple of days to trust its accuracy and it will need a little time adjustment every two or three weeks.Day and Date. You will have to change the date manually on certain months and setting the date and day is a bit of a faff.Supplied bracelet. It’s ok, but it is not of the same quality as the watch itself. To show this watch off you need to spend good money on a strap and this may exceed £200.Watch glass. The glass is scratch resistant, but I have already got two scratches on the face from normal usage. This is the weakest aspect of the Seiko 5.Water resistance. Only really splash proof but that’s not a big problem. I have accidentally taken it into the power shower for about 30 seconds and it was fine.Ticking. Being a watch enthusiast, for me the tick doesn’t sound as pleasing as more expensive movements.No winder. Cheaper mechanical watches cannot be manually wound, which is a problem for people like me who have a selection of watches.The Seiko 5 stops within two days meaning I have to reset it instead of being able to keep it going by winding it.No Hacking. Second hand doesn't stop when you adjust the time.RecommendationsBuy a better strap. Try metal and leather straps.Read the manual on how to set the date and day otherwise it may not change at the correct time.Keep it well wound as I found the accuracy decreases if it is not well wound.I am going to my local Seiko Jeweller to see if I can get a sapphire glass fitted as the supplied glass is prone to scratching.