SEIKO 5 SNZG15 - Automatic - Watch Thoughts
I’m pulling on the control stick, the rush of cold air on my face and warm clouds hovering beneath me, the needle on the gauge sweeps against the numbers faster than the minute hand on my watch, I climb higher, the more the engine roars, the further away from Earth, my freedom among the skies.
At least, that’s how I imagined being a pilot in an old biplane.
While I'm no pilot, I sure have a watch that makes me feel like one especially when I'm driving my car, here is my Seiko 5 SNZG 15 an affordable Pilot style watch that has the design worthy of a desk pilot's attention.
A rugged, Flieger style watch with excellent number readability that I often leave it leaned against an object across my bed or when I'm taking a shower and tell if I'm about to be late. This is a strapped version compared to its hefty bracelet brother the SNZG13.
Rather than a review, this time it is more of my personal opinion about a watch that has a lot of memories with me for over 4 years and has definitely stood the test of time, and even my anxieties.
The design of the watch face reminds me of an aircraft’s instrument panel.
Image source: https://militarymachine.com/fighter-aircraft-cockpit-images/fighter-jet-cockpit-images_f-4-cockpit/
Quick History
Seiko began in 1881 in a small shop selling and repairing watches in central Tokyo by a young entrepreneur, Kintaro Hattori 140 years, 1 month and 19 days ago since this article. And the watch that you see here is under Seiko’s brand Seiko 5, a sub-brand existing for nearly 60 years. To think that a long time ago, a watch under this sub-brand was on the wrist of Gene Kranz, A NASA Flight Director is known for his role in Apollo 13, and his famous phrase “Failure is not an option” certainly gives such a sub-brand a unique legacy.
Originally, Seiko 5s are made to possess 5 characteristics:
feature an automatic watch movement
display the day and the date on the dial
water-resistant to an acceptable degree
a recessed crown at the 4 o'clock position
a durable case and bracelet
But Seiko has not made it a universal feature throughout all the watches under this brand, some would feature more or less depending on the style and design of the watch, for example, the watch that we have now, doesn’t have a recessed crown at the 4 o’clock position.
Nowadays, Seiko 5 branding mostly caters to entry-level mechanical watches that serve as an affordable entry point for consumers looking to enter the world of automatic watches.
It looks great on stock nylon straps too
Style and Design
A Military-style Flieger dial, in monochromatic black and white, although I like the Seiko black much like the famous Seiko SKX007, the black dial has a grey like tone to it, the hour indices on the outer ring have a generously applied lume, the 12-hour scale matched with 24-hour mini-scale markings gives it a very useful feature. The “Seiko” name and “5 Sheild” logo are both applied which is a bargain alone. The minute hand is an arrow style with a red and white triangular tip which is just fantastic. The case is a mixture of polished and matt, wherein the back of the watch case with the display case cover is polished as well as the lug area, the matt surface predominates the face of the watch as well as the crown.
Note: The picture of the watch here is with an aftermarket bracelet.
This watch would have been all too perfect if they also added yellow accents to it but perfect things belong to heaven, not with the dusty dirt of the earth, this watch, however, will rise above the dust of our imperfections, a great companion against the daily grind of judgemental eyes and soaring gas prices, If you ever feel down and alone in the darkness, don't worry, it's got excellent lume that will last the night even if you wake up at 3 am to go to the loo. I've tried.
Lumeshot just after wearing it outdoors
This lume shot lasts long and you can see the time if you wake up in the middle of the night, you would find the 12th-hour marker easily thanks to its triangular shape, the minute and hour hands are easily distinguishable and while you may not need it, the second's hand is also fantastically luminous giving it that cool triangle floating in the night.
As you rise above the crowd of people who aren't even pleased with themselves, you will notice that you were never alone, for you had this watch, it lives because you are alive, with every movement and struggles you made today, the watch with its Automatic movement gets recharged constantly and ticks on. If you won't live for yourself, do it for this humble watch.
The Specs
Round watch featuring Seiko applied dial with Arabic numeral indices, luminous hands, and day/date window at 3 o'clock (Spanish/English)
42 mm stainless steel case with hardlex dial window
Automatic-self-wind movement 7S36 with analog display
Nylon band with buckle closure
Water-resistant to 100 m (330 ft): In general, suitable for swimming and snorkeling, but not scuba diving
The Dial’s Extra Features
Leaving it sometimes on my desk, I can still take a glance at the watch from a few steps by the office phone. It's a fun feature if you are used to military time, or if you're in the process of trying to practice it. but if that doesn't work out, the 12-hour format is more than easy to read, it's clear as night and day.
If you look closely, you'll notice it has depth to it by having the hour indices floating in their own separate ring from the main dial of the watch which gives a gorgeous 3D effect, that's indeed a plus.
Display Case Back
While we might all wish we could see inside our hearts to check if it's still working, you could check out the heart of this watch thanks to its crystal display case back, it's amazing that this thing is still capable of 100 meters of water resistance. I wish my feelings could also withstand incredible depths or above the waterline. Thanks to this feature, we can see the 23 jewels 7S36 movement.
The Movement
Non-hackable and non-windable, the 7S36 is said to be an upgrade from the classic 7S26 but it is still debatable, however, my observations are that it changes day and date from around 11:15 pm to 3:30 am. The Automatic wound is fantastic, I sometimes don't need to shake it a lot picking it up from a dead charge, I just shake it twice gently then wear it, depends on the wearer though if you are active with your wrist movements.
Strap
It comes with a nylon strap, nothing fancy but you’ll change it right away anyway. because this watch is a strap monster, it will force you to travel around strap boutiques and search for that perfect match, an endeavor that will prove deadly for your faint brown wallet and break your debit card like fresh crackers.
What I did with mine is I swapped it with a decent quality Zulu from a local boutique and then tried on a cheap steel bracelet just to see what it feels like if ever I did go for the SNZG13 which is the steel bracelet brother of this watch.
On a Blue Nato Zulu
On a leather Zulu
Size
This watch is on the "bigger" end of watches at 42 mm compared to its smaller brother the SNK series at 37 mm. I was deciding on getting the SNK but I decided to go for this even though I had a small wrist size, just because I felt like I was getting more value for money in terms of "real-estate" considering, at that time, I was looking at a difference of around 1k, it was a hard choice but I'm very happy with my decision.
I can use this with my long sleeves but I do end up having to leave the sleeves unbuttoned because it will catch your sleeves with its big size.
This size is also its advantage for it greatly improves the readability of the watch face, on top of that, the numerals and indices are quite thick so you can read this thing even in low light conditions.
Again, this watch is a strap monster, my favorite strap for this watch so far would have to be this navy blue nato strap I got from my favorite local strap boutique, which unfortunately closed down permanently as well due to the pandemic. Too bad because the quality of their strap is really good.
So I also tried this silver bracelet, it's a cheap one, I just wanted to try it out, it looks good however it doesn't have the lug cover unlike If I bought the original compatible steel bracelet for this watch from Seiko.
Say YES to what gives you meaning (and bread)
Price
This is a fantastic piece for the price, I got lucky and bought it for only Php 4,980.00 (98.61 USD) brand new at Time Studio, SM South Mall, unfortunately though, their shop has closed for good due to the pandemic. Hard to find a deal like that for this watch usually goes for around Php 5 - 6k retail even during those times, now they go for 7k (137 USD) and above. I found some still at around Php 6K below:
If you want one, they are still on sale at Amazon or Lazada
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNZG15-Automatic-Stainless-Steel/dp/B006I22GT2
Negatives
For the price of this watch, may gripes seem invalid, especially for the amount of detail that I got? If any, I think the slow switch of the dates is my biggest concern, but then again this is using the 7S36 and not a higher-end movement. So Seiko’s justified there. The polished back seems to scratch easily and if you don’t like heavy watches I suggest you get the SNK series instead because this one is hefty naturally given its size.
Final Thoughts
You can't go wrong with this watch if you are looking for an aviation-inspired design. You can take this anywhere with you thanks to its incredible features and not worry about it. just don't forget that an automatic watch is no G shock, don't drop it. And you will have years of ownership like this watch and me.
I'm willing to bet this will be a classic in the future, maybe just like the F4 Phantom that still regains its reputation to this day.
So there you have it, this amazing field watch that makes me feel like I'm I pilot just by looking at it. it's trusty, versatile, rugged (I go for badminton games and bike rides with this) and you'll be surprised at the amount of detail there is to the watch.
If you have any questions feel free to comment them down below, I’d be happy to help. This has been Q writer, see you in the next queue, ciao!
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