Future Look of the SKX divers?

Oct 01, 2018,17:36 PM
 

Seiko has yet to update the classic SKX dive watches with its newer movements that both hack and are hand-windable such as the 4R35, 4R36, or 6R15.  These Seiko divers such as the SKX007, SKX009, SKX011, etc have been "stuck" with the old workhorse Seiko cal.7S26 that neither hacks nor can be wound from the crown.  Even models that came out years after the classic SKX diver models such as the Monsters have been upgraded with the newer movements.  The Monsters are already on their 3rd-Generation powered by the cal.6R15!  (The 1st-Gen had the same 7S26 movements which were upgraded to the 4S36 in the 2nd-Gen.)


So when will the classic SKX divers get the movement upgrade?

Maybe this collaboration between Seiko and wena (a Sony brand) might show a possible look to a 2nd-Gen SKX diver.  

Note this wena collaboration adds some "Smart" features to the clasp of the bracelet, but the watch head itself is totally mechanical.  So for this discussion, let's forget about the clasp and bracelet and focus on the watch head.

The movement is a cal.4S35 (date only, no day display) which hacks and can be hand-wound.  The dial has applied markers rather than the painted ones on the current SKX divers.  While the hour and minute hands remain the classic SKX design, the sweep seconds hand has been "upgraded" to the same "neo-stop light" design of the MM 300m.  Nice.  The crown is signed with the Seiko "S". The bezel insert is a Countdown one instead of a Time Elapsed one.

The only drawbacks I see in this collab watch is that the water resistance is only 5 bar (5 atm or 50 meters) so it is not really a dive watch (Seiko's true diver watches are all ISO 6425 compliant).  The see-through caseback also has to go IMHO.  Finally, the crystal is still Hardlex instead of being upgraded to sapphire.  

Still it's a good start to base a new 2nd-Gen SKX diver watch on.































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Comments: view entire thread 

I don't know if I like the new bracelet or not.

 
By: jomni1 : October 1st, 2018-18:20
Understand it looks modern and it’s a “cutting edge smart bracelet” but the case is still classic. A jubilee style is still my preference. Smart strap concept has been used by Frederique Constant before this. Here’s what wena is all about (translated) :/&... 

Is it me?

 
By: renerod : October 3rd, 2018-09:57
Or my love for my 6105-8110 makes me see a reminiscence of it in the indexes of this one? Though I’m still waiting for a modern iteration a la SLA017 Anyway, I like it very much! Thanks for sharing. René

Are they kidding?

 
By: Marcus Hanke : October 6th, 2018-10:56
An accuracy span of a minute and twenty seconds per day??? Even in the 1930s mechanical movements performed better. No, sorry. Even the cheapest Swiss mechanical movements nowadays are close to COSC span of ten seconds a day. I really think Seiko should d... 

Yes it seems ridiculous but

 
By: Velociphile - No longer in the building : October 13th, 2018-07:49
they are cheap as chips. I imagine the final cost of stabilsing and regulating would make them Itoo much? Fortunately it's dead easy to pop the back off, and with a timer, sort it out, II just rrecently regulated my son's new 7s26 from losing about 10s/d ...