These days, with the internet, you can buy almost anything you wear without ever seeing it in person.
I tend to be pretty decisive, so I often buy things online without seeing them in person first.
In this article, for those who want to see the watch in person but don’t have the chance to, I’ll share my first impressions and thoughts after seeing an SKX Style GMT in person for the very first time.
My First Impression of the SSK017: Beautiful, but Somehow Like a Cheap Toy
To get straight to the point, my first impression of the SSK017 was that it looked “beautiful” but also “somehow like a cheap toy.”
I might upset SKX Style GMT fans around the world by saying this, but the truth is that when I looked at the watch as a whole, I felt it somehow looked like a cheap toy.
So, which is it — beautiful or a cheap toy?
Are you praising me or insulting me? Make up your mind!
It Was Much Smaller Than I Had Imagined
When you look at online shop photos, the watch is often shown filling the entire screen, making it look quite imposing.
So when I finally saw it in person, my first reaction was that it felt small and surprisingly compact.
Even the “MADE IN JAPAN” text at the 6 o’clock position on the dial is difficult for me to see clearly with the naked eye.
I thought this might make the actual size easier to understand, so I took a photo of the SKX Style GMT placed next to a plastic bottle cap and a cotton swab.
This photo shows a plastic bottle cap placed on top of the SKX Style GMT crystal.
The crystal is only slightly larger than the bottle cap.
(Does this make the size easier to understand?)
It’s a little hard to put into words, but the actual size was so different from what I had imagined that I couldn’t help saying, “Wow, it’s tiny. It almost looks like a toy.”
Since I have a slim wrist, I was worried before buying it that the watch might be too large.
But once I actually put it on my wrist, I realized that the size feels just about perfect.
People who already know the SSK might say, “You didn’t even know how big it was?” Haha.
The Highly Praised Hardlex Bezel Looked a Little Cheap to Me
From what I’ve seen online, the bezel of the SKX Style GMT is generally highly regarded.
- Material: Hardlex (hardened glass)
- Feature: A metallic vapor-deposited finish gives it a beautiful shine that changes depending on the angle of the light.
After reading that description, I completely got the wrong idea.
I imagined a shine similar to Rolex’s Cerachrom bezel inserts.
The bezel insert on the GMT-Master II has a sloped, curved profile, and when light reflects off it, it creates a kind of brilliance that I’ve never seen on any watch other than a Rolex.
So when I read that the SKX Style GMT bezel has a metallic vapor-deposited finish that produces a beautiful shine depending on the angle of the light, I ended up imagining something similar to the shine of a Rolex.
Shape and Material of the SKX Style GMT Bezel Insert
It certainly produces a beautiful shine depending on the angle of the light, but to me, it still looks like the shine of glass.
I was also a little disappointed by the font and the printed bezel markings.
I’m calling it a little cheap and toy-like only because I made the unreasonable mistake of comparing it to a Rolex.
I wouldn’t have minded paying a little more if the bezel had been ceramic with engraved numerals.
My Take on SEIKO’s Strategy
When the SKX Style lineup was relaunched, watch fans around the world were thrilled.
At the same time, some were disappointed that it was no longer a true diver’s watch.
- If you want a true diver’s watch, buy a PROSPEX.
- If you want a ceramic bezel insert, buy a PROSPEX.
- If you want a more serious diver’s watch with higher-grade materials and specifications, go with PROSPEX.
That’s probably what SEIKO is saying.
SEIKO 5 Sports is one of SEIKO’s more accessible casual watch lines.
Within that lineup, I think the SKX Style GMT — with its GMT function and slightly higher price point — is one of the models that best represents 5 Sports.
Comparing it to a Rolex in the first place was probably my mistake.
Is this guy okay?
I really think it would be perfect if they just gave it a ceramic bezel.
Come on, SEIKO — please make it happen!
That said, once you look beyond the bezel, the watch is so well finished that it’s easy to forget it’s a casual watch.
The dial area in particular is beautifully finished. I even came across an article comparing the Cyclops lens on a Rolex with the one on the SKX Style GMT. Haha.
What I Discovered After Handling the SKX Style GMT in Person
My first impression of the SSK017 was that it looked somewhat like a cheap toy, but once I actually handled it and looked at it more closely, I began to notice many qualities that photos simply don’t capture.
Took you long enough.
The Thick Bezel Creates a Beautiful Sense of Depth on the Dial
It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I absolutely love the thick bezel.
The printing around the raised edge of the dial is beautifully done.
There’s something about that depth that somehow makes me think of the depth of life itself — almost like an entrance to a whole new world.
There’s no doubt that the dial is only slightly larger than a plastic bottle cap, but once the cap is removed, the sense of depth somehow creates an optical illusion that makes the dial look much larger.
Even after placing the bottle cap on the watch and taking it off again several times to double-check, whenever I look at the dial by itself, I still think, “There’s no way a bottle cap is that big.”
Then I put the cap back on and think, “Yep… they’re about the same size.” Haha.
The Dial Is So Beautiful That I Can Hardly Find Anything to Criticize
The dials on all of these models are genuinely beautiful. Everything beneath the crystal is very well finished.
For a watch at this price, the level of finishing is seriously impressive.
(That may be one reason they keep selling out.)
One subtle detail I really like is the curved transition where the dial rises up toward the chapter ring.
That curved transition allows the dial to show a variety of different expressions depending on the light and viewing angle.
SEIKO’s Thoughtful 4 o’clock Crown Design
The 4 o’clock crown is more practical than it looks.
The crown on the SKX Style GMT is positioned at around 4 o’clock rather than the more conventional 3 o’clock position.
This helps keep the crown from pressing into the back of your hand when you bend your wrist, making it less intrusive and more comfortable to wear.
It also gives the watch a cleaner appearance from the front, since the crown does not stand out as much.
That really impressed me. I remember thinking, “What a thoughtful manufacturer.”
It made me realize that, when you make something for customers, you really should think this carefully from the customer’s point of view.
That kind of consideration taught me something about how products should be made. What a thoughtful company.
And as a result, the design itself turned out beautifully.
Even with the crown at 4 o’clock, it still presses against the back of my hand.
That’s because I work on-site.
I Found Notches on the Bezel
When the bezel’s ▼ marker is aligned with the 12 o’clock position, there are small notches near 12 and 6 o’clock that can be used when removing the bezel.
They are quite difficult to see with the naked eye.
Can you see the notch?
The back of the bezel has notches like these.
Don’t make the same mistake I did — never remove the bezel just out of curiosity.
You won’t be able to press it back into place with just your fingers. Haha.
A Kind of Fun You Don’t Get with a Rolex
After buying the SSK017, I realized one thing:
“This thing is a little too flashy to wear in winter.”
So August is my only time to shine, huh?
By September, autumn is just beginning.
Maybe it’s time for a Japan Orange next.
But then again, orange is pretty flashy too.
Maybe I should go with something a little more understated.
And if I’m going to buy another one anyway, I’d like it to be MADE IN JAPAN and some kind of limited edition.
Even thinking about things like that has become part of the fun.
Trying to do the same thing with Rolex would cost a serious amount of money.
But because the SKX Style GMT is relatively accessible, you can enjoy different colors to match the season or your outfit.
When I wear a Rolex, I can’t help worrying about little things — whether it might get scratched while I’m working on-site, or whether the daily accuracy is still within the expected range.
A watch is supposed to be a tool for telling time, yet somehow it can become something you constantly worry about protecting from scratches.
But the SKX Style GMT was different.
At work, it absorbs my sweat. On a motorcycle ride, it travels with me.
I want every scratch to become part of the memories as we grow vintage together.
For me, that’s what the SKX Style GMT is.
Final Thoughts
At first, the SSK017 left me thinking it looked somewhat like a cheap toy.
But after actually wearing and using it, I started to notice one appeal after another that photos simply couldn’t convey — the size, the depth of the dial, the 4 o’clock crown, and the freedom to enjoy the watch without worrying too much about it.
You can’t judge everything from a first impression.
That may be the biggest thing I learned from actually experiencing the SKX Style GMT in person.
