Differences Seiko5 SNK 803, 805, 807, 809 Timex Weekender Series Movement 21 Jewel Mechanical Quartz Glass Material Hardlex Mineral Lume Paint Glow Indeglow Price Around $65 Amazon $30 – $120 on Amazon Default Strap Canvas w Stainless Steel buckle Canvas NATO Slip through cheap shiny metal

The Seiko 5 Series and Timex Weekender Series are the gatekeepers for the beginner time piece aficionados. With the Timex Weekender leaning more towards the utilitarian / average consumer, who just wants a timepiece to tell the damn time. And the Seiko 5 leaning towards the more knowledgeable horologist, with mechanical movements and Japanese inspired design. I bought them both due to their relative affordability and treats the man with small forearms quite well.

Movements:

I won’t go into too much detail here but the Seiko SNK 805, 807, 809 watches support a 21 jewel automatic movement, meaning that it’s powered by the sheer will of the user. Just kidding it’s powered by the wearer moving and walking around, it converts your excess kinetic energy into potential energy then releases back into kinetic energy in the form of springs levers and spinning hands. Kinda cool huh? And get this, they have a clear window on the back so you can view it happening in real time! While not as complicated as some 100 jewel movements used in more complicated watches, it serves well and should keep time in around -+ 7 seconds a day.

The Timex Weekender on the other hand sports a more modern Quartz movement, it uses a battery to send pulses of electricity through a piece of quartz that reverberates at exactly 1-second intervals. While it’s not as cool as the mechanical jewel movement, it is more accurate and reliable. Meaning you can pick up this thing from the get go and forget about it. However, there is a major problem with this watch, in particular, the TICKING is friggin loud if you don’t mind or have tinnitus or something this ticking might drive you insane or sleep in a different room or something. It was actually so loud I could hear it ticking inside my sock drawer.

While the Timex does tick loudly it still offers the better convenience vs the Seiko’s movement. However, Seiko also has that sweet sweeping hand, but needs to be shaken or something every once in awhile.

Winner = Draw

Glass Material:

From the interior of the watch to the face. The glass is like the screen of your phone. Its function is a clear window to view the face of the watch. In order to do that 2 things must happen. The glass must be clear and shatter / scratch proof. Seiko uses its own Hardlex crystal or something that’s proven to be harder and more scratch resistant than Mineral Crystal which Timex Weekender uses.

Winner = Seiko’s Hardlex Crystal

Lume or Glow or How the @#$% do I see this in the Dark:

Seiko uses a Lume paint or simply put glow in the dark paint. As you suspect this doesn’t last throughout the entire night. I personally never tested the duration of the lume but people at watchuseek.com have averaged around 1.5 hours. (Not, good if you’re a night specialist or something).

The Timex Weekender (TXW) on some editions does provide an Indiglow (can be activated by pushing in the crown of TXW). It draws away from the battery sure, but it provides a blinding light so you can tell the time and alert the enemy of your presence, but hey at least you know it’s 10 pm in North Korea.

Winner = Timex

Price:

I would deem both the Timex Weekender Series and Seiko 805, 807, 809 watches as excellent value for the price. The most basic version of Timex Weekender which provides and very clean and simple look starts out at around $29 on Amazon. However, if you desire extra dials and speedometers and compasses there are chronographs in the $50 area (here is a sophisticated one). And if you wanna pretend that you’re a pilot or something then there’s one for $120, (Link, definitely should take a look if you have big wrists) with all the functions that you probably won’t ever use, but will make the air hostesses swoon.

The Seiko Series, which just varies in color can be had for around $45 – $65 on (price varies daily, click here to check). Personally, I’ll prefer the 809 but the 807 is a solid option as well. However, if you love money and an environmentalist or something the 805 will be the best option. However, if you want something lighter and creamier try out the 803.

Winner: Draw

Default Straps:

(Link to Article: Top 5 Alternative Watch Straps for Timex Weekender and Seiko 5)

The basic Timex Weekender comes with a standard cheap canvas NATO style strap. (Like this one), Leather variant, check the list there are better straps if you want. The one I got was quite flimsy and the material was already fraying at the sides. The buckles were more like shiny pieces of plastic metal that were more there to hold it to your wrist rather than strap it down securely. However, it makes up for it by being easy to change out. So easy, it’s like pulling it out easy.

Seiko SNK 803, 805, 807, 809 uses a two piece canvas strap. While very stiff at first (think the watch is levitating above your arm), I think I managed to get it to soften up in about 5 days of literal sweating into this thing. And swapping out the strap will require a special tool and or risk it by poking a small metal rod into there. (Link to Article “How to Change a Watch Strap)

Winner: Seiko SNK 803, 805, 807, 809

End Winner = Seiko but it’s more like personal preference.

Full Disclosure:

I heavily prefer the Seiko SNK series, due to its quietness, and sweeping hand motion. However, if you can withstand a ticking bomb sound throughout your day, and like Timex than definitely go with that. However, if you prefer quartz but not the noise then check out this Article I wrote for a quartz watch that doesn’t need battery replacements and runs quietly like the Seiko.