Seiko SRK050 - A Simple, Timeless Piece

What better way to start the Entry Level Watches blog than with my first watch?

The Seiko SRK050 was my gateway into watches. Its simple dial, with small seconds and roman numerals provided an elegance I was looking for to match business casual days without being too flashy.

At 39mm it sits okay on my relatively small wrists and its sapphire crystal gives me piece of mind against potential scratches. While I don't take this watch into pools, it is water resistant up to 165 feet (5 bar, 50 meters).

Seiko uses the 6G28 quartz movement in this piece, which they claim is accurate to ± 20 seconds per month with a battery life of 3 years. 

It's quite thin and lightweight; easy to forget you're wearing it. However, the cow leather strap did take some time to break in as it was extremely stiff out of the box. 

Seiko lists this watch along with its various-colored brothers and sisters at about $250 but it can be often found for ~$120 on grey marketplaces. Its grey market price certainly makes it a steal but full retail price is a bit steep.

Due to the white dial, this watch is very playful with light. As the picture above suggests, it will accept and bounce back any light source with intensity. Definitely a piece for the disco!

While the majority of the hour markers are printed on, we do get a few gold-colored metal studs with the roman numerals which match the case and the OEM strap buckle. Small details but they look great.

On the wrist, expect this watch to sit relatively flat. There isn't much curve or contour to the lugs. If your wrist is big enough, it'll sit well right in the middle. Despite its 39mm diameter, it does wear a millimeter or two bigger which is about the limit for me. If your wrists are any smaller you may find this a tad too large.

Truthfully, the Seiko SRK050 gets less and less wrist time lately as more intricate or complicated designs catch my eye, but the simplicity of this piece means it'll still be wearable in 50 years (with a battery change!)

It's hard to go wrong here - I recommend adding this watch to your collection.