The Seiko 5

The perfect first mechanical watch

Because of the price, the Seiko 5 is perhaps the ideal first mechanical watch. Seiko 5s can be purchased for $100 or less, depending on the configuration. When I bought mine here on Amazon, I paid $73.14 after tax. It continues to impress me that Seiko is able to deliver so many features at such a price. Of course, the Seiko 5 derives its name from a list of five "essential" wristwatch traits, each of which Seiko makes sure to provide. These are: 1) a high-quality mainspring that doesn't break, 2) shock-resistance, 3) automatic winding, 4) date and day-display, and 5) water-resistance. I do not know of any other legitimate watch companies with movements made outside of China that acheives these standards at this price point.

As for appearances, most, if not all, Seiko 5s fall into the 36mm to 37mm range for case width. This means the watch is relatively small, and that works out well for people with slim wrists like myself. The back of the case is fully transparent, so you can see into the movement which is a nice feature. I really like the simplicity of the overall design. As cool as dial complications can be, for a watch like this which aims to provide the basics I appreciate the plain dial.

You can check out some pics of my own Seiko 5 below. I bought a blue dial configuration with a blue fabric strap but enjoy it enough that I may go for a bracelet configuration like this one sold on Amazon in the near future.