SEIKO5 Automatic Black Arabic Dial Men's Watch SNKP21J1

The size of the Seiko modding community speaks volumes about the brand’s value at this price point. The SNKP21J1, with its distinctive Arabic dial, stands out both in style and uniqueness. While the movement is somewhat outdated (hand-winding would be a welcome feature), the piece performs perfectly for everyday use. For this price. I don’t know of another brand producing automatics of this caliber. The bracelet is the only notable downside—its rattly, inexpensive feel is major detractor (I returned the SNK063J5 on these grounds. The lug width prevented easily swapping the bracelet. I would have had to swap the case as well). I replaced the bracelet with a black cordura strap, and I’m very pleased with the improvement. I think the watch fits my wrist perfectly. In the future, I might consider upgrading the hardlex to a double dome sapphire (if the CT078 is compatible) and swapping the 7S26 movement for an NH36, but for now, I’m thoroughly satisfied.

I’ve been really impressed with this watch. The Arabic dial gives it a unique look, and it’s something I love seeing on my wrist. For the price, it feels like a steal—solid build, classic design, and an automatic movement. It's a great entry-level watch, especially with the reliability SEIKO is known for. If you're just getting into watches and want something reliable without spending a ton, this one’s definitely worth it.

This is currently my favorite watch. It keeps time more accurately than my more expensive watches and really looks great with a leather strap. The loom is simple and easy to read with a dot at each hour. The watch band that comes with it looks nice but rattles and feels cheap. A NATO strap or leather strap is a great improvement.

The Good: I love the dial, I got hooked on wanting an Eastern Arabic a while ago and never got it out of my system, so now this is in my collection. It's a Seiko 5, they're a classic and a staple of collections for a reason. Can be dressed up or down, and keeps decent enough time, within the limits of the movement.The Bad: It's a Seiko 5. They're awesome in their price point, with lots of emphasis on that sentence. If you're used to having an SKX, a Khaki, or anything in that price range or beyond on your wrist, you'll have to try to not compare the two, or you'll hate this watch. It's probably a bit closer to the outside tolerance of the (-) seconds per day, but there's a range for a reason. The bracelet is a bit jangly, and uses link plates instead of pins, so you either take it somewhere and pay to have it sized, or risk scratching up the links trying to do it yourself. I don't particularly like the bracelet, it gives it an overall appearance of a budget watch trying to look fancy. The lume kind of sucks, but it isn't a diver or a field watch, so it gets a pass on that.Overall: It's a timepiece that will serve its intended function. It's my go-to for days that I'm not sure what I'm going to be getting into. It's not rugged, it's not dressy, but it does a fair enough job of pretending to be both, especially if you swap out the bracelet for a NATO or a better bracelet. At its price it's a watch you won't be scared to wear and enjoy.

Beautiful watch. I use it for really special occasions

This is the watch you want. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants an accurate and beautiful daily wear. I have an 8 inch wrist and it came with a band that fits me with even a little extra room for my wrist to breathe. I usually have to suffer with a tight band or but an additional extra large band.

The media could not be loaded. I'm a big fan of this watch and it's great that it can be had for such a reasonable price. I think that this watch is tough to beat for the price. A fairly accurate automatic watch with Arabic dial and day/date complication for about $150. I do wish the numbers for the date were in Arabic without the need to mod the watch but that's nitpicking. I'm grateful the days on the dial are in Arabic. The bracelet is very low quality. I bought the watch planning to replace it. I like having this on a leather band with a deployment clasp. It gives the watch a bit of a field watch feel with the uniqueness of the Arabic. I'd happily buy a higher quality Arabic dial watch for more but there's very few quality options out there. Rolex makes some for tens of thousands of dollars. Other than that the only watches I've found that were good quality and not insanely expensive were made by independent watchmaker Farer but those are still $1000+. That makes this timepiece hard to beat at its price point or any price point in the same ballpark.Seiko, if you're reading this, please put out a nicer Arabic dial watch with an upgraded movement, more water resistance, Arabic dates and a screw down crown.

The watch looks great. But the packaging made me feel suspicious about it. There is no instruction manual or guarantee card. the little pillow and cleaning fabric are plain ( No Seiko logo on it).Not sure if I’m returning it or not.