June 8, 2022.
Exciting news arrived that sent watch fans around the world into a frenzy.
SEIKO 5 Sports announced a brand-new GMT model.
As soon as the watch was announced, major watch media outlets and social media around the world began buzzing with excitement.
“Finally, an SKX Style GMT!”
Watch fans immediately took notice, and anticipation quickly spread across the global watch community.
Then, when the SKX Sports Style GMT models (SSK001 / SSK003 / SSK005) were released in July 2022, they attracted an incredible amount of attention from watch enthusiasts.
Demand was so strong that
almost the entire initial shipment sold out through pre-orders before the watches even reached regular store shelves.
It truly felt like:
“The long-awaited SKX Style GMT had finally arrived.”
That was how the story of the SKX Style GMT began.
SEIKO SKX007・SKX009・SKX011
When talking about the design roots of the SEIKO 5 Sports SKX Style GMT (hereafter referred to simply as the GMT), there is one watch that simply cannot be ignored.
From left to right:
・SKX007
A diver’s watch with a black dial and black bezel, widely known by the nickname “Black Boy.”
・SKX009
A diver’s watch with a red-and-blue bezel and a navy dial, widely known by the nickname “Navy Boy.”
・SKX011
A diver’s watch with an orange dial, widely known by the nickname “Orange Boy.”
“Inspired by the SKX series.”
“A case and dial inspired by the SKX series.”
A model reborn from a diver’s watch into a GMT.
That, in essence, is what the SEIKO 5 Sports SKX Style GMT is.
Why Did the SKX Become a Global Favorite?
Today, the SKX is regarded as one of SEIKO’s most iconic and popular models.
But what made it a watch that became so widely loved by people around the world?
Appeal No. 1: A Genuine Diver’s Watch at an Affordable Price
One of the biggest reasons behind the SKX’s appeal was its remarkably affordable price.
What surprised watch fans around the world most was the price.
In some overseas markets, it could be purchased for less than $200.
Despite that affordable price, it was still a serious mechanical diver’s watch.
Even though the SKX was affordable, it was never just a watch that looked like a diver.
With 200 meters of water resistance, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and a screw-down crown, the SKX was a genuine diver’s watch built to comply with ISO 6425.
Naturally, it earned a strong reputation around the world as a highly capable diver’s watch available at an affordable price.
The important point was that it was not simply cheap.
It was a proper diver’s watch.
There was no need to treat it as carefully as an expensive luxury watch or constantly worry about scratches.
You could wear it at work, at the beach, or while traveling without hesitation.
“A serious watch you could wear without worrying about it.”
I think that unique position was one of the biggest reasons why the SKX became so widely loved by watch fans around the world.
Appeal No. 2: A Refined Design Built to Last
The SKX has a highly refined design that is instantly recognizable as a SEIKO diver’s watch.
With a case measuring 42.5mm wide and 46.0mm lug-to-lug, it is by no means a small watch.
Even so, thanks to features such as the 4 o’clock crown and relatively short lugs, it wears smaller than the numbers might suggest.
In a good way, it sits surprisingly compact on the wrist.
Another part of the SKX’s appeal is its versatile design, making it easy to wear in both business settings and everyday life.
And above all, the fact that its basic design remained largely unchanged for many years while continuing to win support from watch fans says a great deal about just how complete and well-balanced that design really was.
The SKX is also characterized by its 4 o’clock crown, a thick bezel that is easy to grip even while wearing wetsuit gloves, and extra-thick spring bars connecting the case and strap, designed to withstand tough conditions.
The Simple and Tough 7S26
The SKX was powered by SEIKO’s automatic movement, the 7S26.
It had no manual winding function and no hacking function.
By today’s standards, it was a very simple movement.
But that simplicity became part of the SKX’s character.
Give it a shake, get it running, and wear it.
It lacked the sophistication and visual appeal of a high-end movement, but it earned a reputation as a tough mechanical watch that could be worn every day without worry.
The 7S26 ran at 21,600 vibrations per hour and offered around 40 hours of power reserve, making it a movement designed with practical everyday use in mind.
Appeal No. 3: The “MADE IN JAPAN” Models
The SKX series included not only overseas-produced models, but also J models carrying the “MADE IN JAPAN” marking.
For models such as the SKX007 and SKX009, the versions commonly known as J models became especially well known.
These models featured “21 JEWELS” and “MADE IN JAPAN” markings at the bottom of the dial, giving them a special status among watch enthusiasts around the world.
You could even call it a bit of SEIKO playfulness that appeals directly to collectors.
The SKX itself was already highly regarded as an affordable and practical watch.
But the fact that some versions also offered a distinctly Japanese identity added another layer of enjoyment for collectors.
Outside Japan, SEIKO is strongly associated with Japanese watchmaking, and many enthusiasts are drawn to the “MADE IN JAPAN” marking itself.
Of course, having the MADE IN JAPAN marking does not mean the watch performs completely differently from other SKX models.
Even so,
“If I’m choosing an SKX, I want the MADE IN JAPAN version.”
That feeling alone gives the J models a special appeal, and they remain popular in the secondhand market and among collectors today.
The SKX was already an affordable and practical diver’s watch, but it also gave enthusiasts the option to choose a version that felt distinctly Japanese and unmistakably SEIKO.
I think that was another reason why the SKX captured the attention of watch fans around the world.
In Contrast, the Overseas-Produced SKX011 Is Rarer
In the secondhand market for the Orange Boy, the overseas-produced SKX011K is actually the rarer version.
Most examples currently found for sale are the Japanese-produced SKX011J.
Why Is the SKX011 “K Model” So Rare?
The Black Boy (SKX007) and Navy Boy (SKX009) exist in large numbers in both “J” (Made in Japan) and “K” (overseas-produced) versions.
However, the Orange Boy (SKX011) is a completely different story.
The SKX011K (overseas-produced) is said to have been made for only about two years, around 1996 to 1997.
To begin with, the Orange Boy was a model produced in far smaller numbers than the other two color variations.
Among them, the overseas-assembled
SKX011K (K1 / K2) is believed to have been discontinued after only a very short production period following its launch.
As a result, very few examples survive today, even on a global scale, and they are often regarded on overseas watch forums as extremely rare pieces.
Meanwhile, the Japanese-made
SKX011J continued to be produced in small numbers until the model was discontinued in 2019.
As a result, the vast majority of Orange Boys seen today on the secondhand market and online are
SKX011J (J1) models.
That is why, when you search for the SKX011 today,
almost all of the examples you find are J models.
However,
just because the overseas-produced version is rarer does not mean it is more valuable or more expensive.
For example, a pair of Levi’s made in China.
That alone does not necessarily make it desirable to enthusiasts.
SEIKO is the same.
There are enthusiasts who find value in the fact that a watch is “MADE IN JAPAN.”
It is not just about rarity, but also about where the SEIKO was made.
I think that is part of what makes watch collecting so interesting.
MADE IN JAPAN is valued.
And for us Japanese, that is also a source of pride.
Conclusion
The SKX was more than just an affordable and tough diver’s watch.
Its refined design, everyday practicality, and the added appeal of owning a MADE IN JAPAN version helped it become a watch loved by enthusiasts around the world.
The watch that inherited that SKX design and was reborn from a diver into a GMT is the SEIKO 5 Sports SKX Style GMT.
So, will today’s GMT models one day be regarded as highly as the SKX?
The SKX once surprised the world with one simple question:
“A genuine mechanical diver’s watch at this price?”
And the GMT created a similar reaction:
“A mechanical GMT at this price?”
SEIKO’s first diver’s watch was the 1965 “62MAS.”
Within SEIKO’s long history of diver’s watches, the SKX went on to become one of its most internationally recognized and popular models.
The SKX Style GMT, meanwhile, is writing a new chapter as the first GMT model in the history of SEIKO 5 Sports.
It is still a current-production model today.
But when the day eventually comes for production to end and the baton to pass to the next generation, this GMT may be viewed very differently from how it is today.
The DNA of the SKX lives on in the GMT.
I hope this site can help you find
the one SKX Style GMT that is right for you.
