The Seiko SKX009
When you ask most watch enthusiasts to close their eyes and picture a dive watch, more times than not, the various synapses will work together to form the picture something that resembles a Seiko. If asked to describe it in detail, the image of a Seiko SKX will most likely come into focus. For the fourth installment of Strap This Watch I am going to try to pair the venerable SKX with a strap or two and see where it takes us. Daunting task for sure as when it comes to the SKX, nothing is really new under the Sun at this point. However, that does not mean that taking a second look at some of the most popular options currently available would not be educational. On the contrary, sometimes when seeing the options available back to back you can decide what is right for you.
So with that said, I am going to take a look at straps/bracelets that are proven winners and would pair well with the venerable Seiko SKX007/009. For the sake of usefulness, no leather straps will be in this review, as even though can look great, leather and water are not good bed fellows. All the straps selected for this review were purchased by myself (save one) and reviewed on the Strapsense webpage individually. However, a lot of value can be had by looking at them on a comparison basis. All of the selected straps are as happy in the water as they are on land. I think Davey Jones himself would approve of each of these options (well maybe all but one).
Okay up first, the OEM Seiko SKX strap.
If I am honest, they have not made a thesaurus big enough to contain all the words for garbage I want to use for this strap. Seiko has to put something on this watch in order to sell it as a wrist watch versus something akin to a very small, waterproof desk clock. Obviously they spent all but about 0.11 cents on the watch and at the last minute injected molded this rigid plastic slice of hell for you to put on your wrist.
This strap has not a single redeeming quality about it. I have used flyswatters from 1980 with more refined plastic used in its construction. The plastic is rigid, hard, inflexible, and cheap to the touch. The expansion joints are needlessly overstyled and rendered practically useless by the material the strap is made of. The buckle is bead blasted and matte in color with mold lines that are barely parallel with each other.
On the wrist, the cheap plastic does not redeem itself. It is stiff and uncomfortable, and does manage to still hold the SKX off your wrist awkwardly unless it is fastened tight enough to cut off your circulation. This was one of the original straps that made me coin the phrase ‘stiff leg syndrome’.
Not to be a total downer, the strap is functional in a sense that it does in fact hold the watch on your wrist (let’s hear it for lowered expectations). The free end does feed through the plastic keeper with ease. Worth mentioning is that this strap does accept the oversized and bomb-proof Seiko extra fat spring bars.
Unfortunately, many straps on Seikos like this one are just a place holder until you have time to buy a real strap (looking at you Alpinist). When you purchase your SKX have a real strap waiting and save this for something more suited to its nature. Like a chew toy for a nervous cat.
The next option is rather recent in its inception. You can now order an SKX with a real authentic Oyster style bracelet. Strapcode has brought to the market a bracelet that while not Rolex or Tudor in quality is very acceptable for the SKX and an unquestionable improvement over the stock strap. You can even order a new SKX fitted with such a bracelet from online vendors such as www.longislandwatch.com.
The strapcode super oyster bracelet is well manufactured. It starts at 22mm and tapers to 18mm at the buckle. This is ideal for a bracelet to taper as the steel is not flexible like rubber or leather may be. The tapered steel will allow the bracelet to move with the user more freely and comfortably.
The super oyster has a nice brushed finish over the pinned links. The links fit tightly together and move with ease against one another without sounding jingly-jangly like some cheap aftermarket (or OEM) bracelets. The edges are not sharp or uneven and feel good against the skin. The bracelet tolerances are tight enough so the skin is never pinched and no hair is pulled at any time. For an aftermarket bracelet the fit and finish is quite OEM like. I feel the price point this strap asks is perfectly fitting for a watch such as the SKX.
The removable links are held together by screws with pins attached to them by ball type joint. These screws while functionally better than plain pins in theory are susceptible to both stripping and breakage, both of which I experienced with my strapcode replacement bracelet. Luckily I had to remove so many links for my 6.75” wrist I had spares so it was not an issue. I have sized 2 such bracelets and this only happened on one so for full disclosure, I have to think it may have been one off type of failure.
The clasp on the strapcode is similar to those found on many other straps I have reviewed (I am convinced it is the same folding clasp as on the Bonetto Cinturini 300d and a Junkers leather watch strap I use to have). The end links are solid and remarkably well fit to the SKX in both length, curvature, and fitment. While I have issues with the screws used in construction, there is absolutely no doubt this is one of my favorite aftermarket straps replacement for the SKX. It does elevate the watch to places no fabric, rubber or silicone strap can take this watch. With a metal bracelet, the durable and go anywhere and do anything nature of a dive watch is solidified and reinforced in a way only Steel can.
The next strap I want to talk about is the Crafter Blue fitted rubber watch strap. This was reviewed on strapsense (https://strapsense.com/2018/10/25/crafter-blue-skx-navy-blue-rubber-watch-strap-65-00/)previously and I generally loved it for its purity of form follows function design philosophy. The Crafter blue has the same effect on the SKX as a fitted suit would have had on Steve Irwin (The late, and great Crocodile Hunter, RIP mate). It gives an all business watch some presence and polish without sacrificing any function or capability.
The rubber used in the crafter blue is rather thick at 3.5mm thick and since rubber is not nearly as pliable as silicone you can feel that thickness when you first put it on. However, the quality of the molded rubber comes to save the day. The precision at which it was made is exceptional in detail and execution. The design fits perfectly against the SKX case and easily molds around the wrist.
I had the crafter blue on the wrist for a week and never got tired of seeing it. While the rubber itself is not exceptional enough to steal the show, it is also good enough to not detract from the strap either. The main reason to pick the Crafter blue is aesthetics. A fitted strap has a whole different level of polish than a normal strap that relies on the spring bar only for its attaching geometry. The fitment here gives the strap an air of sophistication as it makes the SKX seem like more than just an entry level dive watch. That is a nice trick and helps to justify the second highest price strap in this group.
Next up is the Bonetto Cinturini model 300D rubber watch strap. This is another strap that must be fitted to your wrist. When you order this strap you do not remove links like you do in a steel bracelet, rather you cut the rubber and move the deployant into preselected sizing holes. If done correctly, you end up with a custom fit rubber strap with fine adjustment holes to boot.
The diamond knurl pattern on the Bonetto Cinturini is very vintage feeling and I have this exact strap on my Oris diver as well as on the SKX. This is an interesting pattern that manages to be detailed enough to not be plain while being simple enough to not detract from the watch itself. I find this less is more approach very clever. The rubber used feels similar to the Crafter Blue but since the strap is custom fit to your wrist comfort is never an issue due to its single layer design. Unlike straps with a pin and buckle, there is no free end left to thread into a keeper which doubles the thickness of the strap under your wrist. This rubber strap wears very tidy and neat against the wrist. It also has a wonderful vanilla scent that has lasted over 6 months at this point and does not seem to be going away.
Of all the straps, this is probably my all around favorite. It is purposeful and a delight on the wrist. It wears slim and the custom wrist fit along with the single thickness adds just that little bit of something special to it. This strap does what all good straps should do. It elevates the watch without stealing the spotlight.
The next strap (really the next 2 straps) are very simple and functional almost to a fault. The first is the Barton Bands Silicone 22mm Navy blue strap. This is as close to a bare bones strap as they come. Aside from some wonderfully soft silicone (Barton does Silicone very well) design features are minimal. But then again this is the value leader in this group at less than 14 bucks, so I can look past that.
This is a very playful watch strap. The joy of this strap is its easy wearing silicone and quick release spring bars that make color changes to your favorite watch a matter of seconds than minutes. No, this is not a tool tastic rugged strap that will be on the wrists of Seal Team 6, but it would be very reasonable to take 2 to 3 colors of this strap with you on vacation and change the strap up to match your clothing or maybe just your mood. At this price it is safe to play around a bit. With its non-tapering design that is completely void of any noticeable design patterns or distinctive features, this strap plays a dedicated second fiddle to the watch it is attached. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Barton makes a much nicer silicone strap called the Elite Silicone which has some very attractive design features in it (for just a very tiny jump in price I might add) that is worth a look if you want more pizzaz.
I chose this strap for the review because I like how it is completely unpretentious. It is an honest strap at an incredibly reasonable price that brings the price of fun and whimsy to everybody and every watch.
Next up is a Modified nylon strap from BluShark called the Kwik Change 2-piece strap. I have reviewed a few BluShark products and I am always impressed by the vast choices of color and quality they make available at reasonable prices. I prefer these style of nylon straps to most NATO’s on the market with the exception of some as the 2 piece design does not add any thickness to the watch sitting on your wrist. Most divers do not suffer from a lack of thickness so allowing the watch to sit next to the skin is welcome in my book.
Due to the fixed dual metal keepers used in this strap, some would call this a 2-piece NATO as most standard NATO straps have keepers in this exact configuration. But this also makes managing the extra length of strap an issue if you have smaller wrists since you will have to tuck the extra length back into the fixed keepers to avoid it looking like a short wave radio antenna.
This particular strap has been altered (read as cut) by the previous owner to eliminate the extra length so it will fit neatly into the non adjustable keepers. This is a nice solution for any NATO strap as it cleans up the look considerably.
So how does this strap serve the mighty SKX? I think it does so quite well. It is rugged and to the point and begs the owner to do its worst. This would not be my first choice for this particular watch, however, as I feel the nylon looks almost too thin against the SKX. This is not a fault of the SKX, as it is not a particularly thick diver. More to the point, the spring bar locations are set very low on the lugs and the thin nylon is simply overpowered by the watch. I hate to admit it, but this is one case where a standard style NATO that goes over the spring bars would more aptly balance the look between the strap and watch case.
The last strap I want to talk about is one I recently finished a review on and I can say I love the Uncle Seiko GL831 rubber strap just as much today if not more than when I initially reviewed it. While it was designed to be an exact duplicate of the strap that came on the original Seiko turtle, this strap absolutely makes the SKX look ‘the business’. In every way the Barton bands strap was full of fun and whimsy, this strap looks ready to go explore the depths of the sea and film the next Planet Earth episode. It is neither too thick or too slim. It is neither overdesigned nor featureless. It has a fantastic blend of rubber that is comfortable yet durable. Seiko got it right 40 years ago, and Uncle Seiko re-created it perfectly. Full Stop.
Probably more than any other strap here, this strap speaks to the pure business of the SKX. Just the basics done very well at a reasonable price ($39.00 at time of writing). If I were going to get into diving, this would be the strap I would pick over any other strap here.
The SKX is as ubiquitous to dive watch enthusiasts as the Navitimer is to aviation watch boffins. The choices are nearly limitless in what you could put on an SKX. I just picked a few of my personal choices for consideration. However, having said that, I try to pair a watch with a strap that fits the watches’ personality or at the very least its capabilities. The SKX deserves a strap that is at least as capable as its own certified diver status. I hope the straps I have shown you here give you an idea of which direction you want to take your own personal SKX. Enjoy the variety and most of all have fun.