Seiko SKX171

Service problem – Gave my Seiko SRPD25J to Shiels in Rockingham on the 1/8/22 to give to Seiko to have a look at the issue I raised.Was told it would take to the 29/9/22 to get it back.As of today 14/10/22 still haven't received it following several calls to both companies and promises made Seiko to get it back by the end of this week at the latest.The service is abdominal for a company of Seikos reputation throughout the world.

I think the watches are good, but the customer service via the Australian repair centre - Pfffff – For instance, I tend to buy very few things, but I want them to be GOOD things, things that will last me my life time and I will enjoy going to great lengths looking after them. With this watch, and it's very good sealing system, I never take it in the shower, or the rivers etc., I want it to be hermetically sealed forever. I want the seals to… Read more

keep it sealed.

If I put it down and forget about it, and it runs down, rather than wearing out the threads and seals in the adjustment cap, by getting it going and the adjusting the time, I will just watch the computer / phone clock and then start it up around 20 seconds ahead of the real time and then put it back on.

So anyway, after a decade or so I got influenced to send it in for a service, to replace the seals and to put on a new band, even though my technical knowledge of static seals, tends to make me think the service center staff were feeding me inaccurate information.

Seals tend to stay sealed - for decades - inside engines, gas lines, etc., especially if they are NOT exposed to corrosive or harmful chemicals like oils, acids, sun screen, soaps, UV light, ozone, salts etc., and most especially in combination with sliding shafts and friction.

Part of the service was to get a NEW band but I needed a much bigger band.

So if one gets a shoe lace etc,. and takes a slightly loose measurement of the length around the wrist, and then measures it, and then deducts the width of the watch body - band pin to band pin (or spring bar), from the length, then the true length of the needed band can be determined.

Then one inserts the extra links in the band, and sets it so that the middle position of the adjustment, and the band is the correct length, your right to go.

It's NOT rocket science.

As pretty much all bands are too short in the first place, including the band I wanted, I instructed the WOMAN dealing with the order in the Seiko service centre in Melbourne, to insert 4 more links into the band, which would give me the correct length.

Now she had some peculiar ideas, which included not doing that, and sending me back the watch with the standard length band... and then me sending the watch back, to have more links put into the band.

So I complained and the watch got sent to Sydney and it was serviced there, AND the issue of putting on a new band and extending it's length, was to be done as well....

But when it came time to collect it, they insisted on sending it back by Australia Post - "Ahem - What?" and I insisted that it be sent by reliable courier e.g. Toll, which was a HUGE phone fight in it's self... the WOMAN who takes the orders, arranges the repairs and or servicing , had NO idea about sending them back out to the customers, in a place with like 8 people in it... and she has been there for 20 years.

And when I finally received it, the band had not been replaced.

Which was the original reason for the big fight and the incompetence of the woman doing the band replacement in Melbourne, and the watches trip to Sydney....

It's not bloody rocket science.

One of the other reviewers stated getting a NATO strap for it.

That is a nylon webbing type strap, designed to loop over both spring bars and under the watch, so that should the watch receive an unreasonably harsh force, if one of the spring bars pops out or breaks, the watch is still retained to the strap by the second spring bar, rather than the whole watch and strap coming off and possibly being lost - perhaps for ever.

The NATO standard, or the NATO Stocking Number (NSN) for the watch straps are the British Ministry of Defence Standard (DefStan) 66-15 using form G1098 or G10 for short.

These watch straps are available on Ebay, Amazon etc., etc., etc, for around $15+ au each.... and there are extra long straps available for people with big arms and wrists, and there are extra thick divers spring bars available too for around $5 a set.

I intend to keep my watch, clean, dry, out of the shower with the soaps, chlorine in the pool etc., and to periodically seal up any ingress points with a neutral silicon lubricant (Motortech), and I will put money on the fact that once the watch is set, and started up, that the seals if they are never disturbed or worn, and are under a film of heavy silicone oil from the outside, that they will last a life time.

But I am not dealing with a national service center, where people have very peculiar ideas or no ideas about the most basic elements of doing what they get paid to do.

It's bullet proof – I bought my first Seiko SKX171 in 2001. Wore it everywhere surf, pool, work, play. After a few months I ditched the black rubber band and bought a nice stainless steel bracelet. The watch was faultless until I had it serviced in late 2012, a few months latter I bought a tag heuer aqua racer and the seiko was not getting much wear, when I tried to… Read more

start the seiko up again there was a strange noise inside. I blame getting it serviced.

Different people say different things about service intervals for automatic watches, for the tag I was told 1yr (from people on watch forums), 5yrs from an Omega repairer and don't bother unless you got problems (the jeweler who sold me the watch. I am now of the opinion "if it ain't broke...." Don't bother unless you notice problems. If the watch was a $20,000 submariner then I might consider it but otherwise, pfft.

It did tend to run fast but I work around magnets so it is expected, it an automatic. A lot of watch people don't like the bezel on the watch but I love it. I just received my second skx171 from eBay today and I have no doubt it will be bullet proof also.

A beautiful watch, in my honest opinion and would highly recommend them to anyone thinking of buying one, especially since they can be so cheap on eBay! I paid $500 in 2001 and paid $205 in 2014. It's a brilliant watch! Bullet proof, solid case, easy to read, has day and date, great bezel. Easy to read in most conditions.

Great snorkelling, freediving, spearfishing, booging and casual wear watch! – Have worn this watch quiet regulariuly since 2004 when I purchased it for $425. Its been on every preverbial water based excursion with me and thats included - snorkelling, freediving, spearfishing, booging and even just as a casual wear watch... The OEM resin band started to break down after 6 months of wear, and I replaced it with a divers… Read more

specific double redundancy strap which ensures that if one pin breaks the other holds the watch to the strap. Its a good idea to tip the original strap ASAP and invest in one of these straps which comes in a variety of colours.

The watch itself is a completely automatic watch, that means that when you wear it and you move it winds the internals via a centrifuge pendulum internally - which means after 12 hours of stand still it may stop. There are automatic watch winders purpose built for these watches which are cheap to buy - but its not hard to keep them going at all - just shake it every now and again.

The watches body is "SOLID" stainless steel and the whole watch is very heavy in comparison to other watches that are 'diver' specific. The crown which you wind out and in to lock it down and this is a good sign of quality and how waterproof it is, this is recessed and never really able to be knocked around like other watches I own. The glass is also thick and the rear casing is bombproof - the watch strap pins are also heavy duty and will never break under normal and or extra ordinary use. If I haven't broken it yet - its not going to break at all!

All I do once and a while is clean it with a mild detergent solution and with a old toothbrush and pop it into a ultrasonic cleaner which gets all the grit from the rotating bezel, most of the gunk is skin, oil and grit and after that it feels 100%.

Automatic watches do need specialised servicing from time to time, however not yearly or on any time frame like that at all. With 2 of my 4 watches are automatic and the other Seiko is battery powered and has needed 2 batteries since purchase, unlike the Automatics which need a good wiggle to cycle the internal centrifugal pendulum to wind it up - has never let me down ever! Weight which is a sign of quality, nice set out dials and hands, very waterproof! Seiko strap broke within 6 months - replaced with better redundancy divers specific strap.

Good watch but might be better with batteries – Great looking chunky watch. Comfortable to wear. I do a lot of manual work and as an example....if I was banging a lot of pegs in the ground the shaking would make the watch go fast. Automatics need regular servicing so by the time you pay for services every 1 to 2 years it works out cheaper to buy a battery every 5....... Great solid watch. … Read more ·  1

Have been through hell and back with it More services than if it ran on a battery. Original seiko band didn't like sweat. It died after only a few months or working in the tropics

Excellent – We were a little weary buying a kenetic watch as we have never had one before, but in saying this we are very pleased with the outcome. The style of the watch is modern. Not to bulky for the wrist. Easy to read face. Self changing date. Great time piece to keep. would difinately recommend the seiko watch Great looking watch, looks stylish and… Read more

compliments most outfits. The fact that I brought this for a reasonable price for my partner and he loves it. Great water resistance considering he does surfing. No batteries to buy. excellent if you want to save time and money. nothing to dislike