⌕

Videos / Line-ups / Round-up

The tiers of Seiko

Round-up

The tiers of Seiko

8 watches · 18:39 · 2026-02-14 · 2,250 views

The tiers of Seiko: from the SKX up to the MM300, one rung at a time

Welcome to the tiers of Seiko. Seiko does everything in house, from the lubricants and hands to the dials, movements, cases and steel, and they make watches at every level of the market, from entry level to exit level. They cater to all pockets.

So tonight I'm climbing the ladder, twerp by twerp, almost all of them courtesy of my very good friend and benefactor Seiko Steve. We start with everybody's favourite, the SKX, and work our way up to the top tier.

The verdict

Seiko caters to every pocket, and every rung has something going for it, even the ones I don't like. The SPB509 is almost everything you could ever want apart from that GMT hand and the wave dial, and at the top sits the MM300 for nearly three grand, the ultimate Seiko.

The line-up

1

Seiko SKX007

9/10 · Beyond thunderdome · Seiko Steve

The starting point for all Seikos: a mint 7S26 SKX007 with that unsalted butter sweep, and sadly it doesn't exist anymore.

▶ Play from 03:10 Full listing →
2

Seiko 5 Sports SRPD57K1

4/10 · Get rid of it · Seiko Steve

The SKX replacement, downgraded and upgraded: no screw-down crown, no lume pip at 12, 100m instead of 200m, a display back, and I don't like it, though it's quite good and there's nothing particularly wrong with it.

▶ Play from 05:13 Full listing →
3

Seiko SRPE33K1 King Manta-Ray Samurai 'Save The Ocean'

8/10 · For the beeeech · Seiko Steve

The next tier up: quite beautiful, with manta rays swimming in the soup, a saluted bezel and sapphire, but I hate the cyclops; I do like it, and you'd upgrade it to a Strapcode Hexad.

▶ Play from 06:41 Full listing →
4

Seiko SPB103 Gen 3 Sumo (green)

8/10 · For the beeeech · Seiko Steve

The most underrated Seiko dive watch in history: a banana case with seven facets, drilled lugs, shrouded bezel and a behemoth crown, but it's big, so if your wrist is under 7 inches leave it alone.

▶ Play from 08:34 Full listing →
5

Seiko SPB321J1 'King Sumo'

9/10 · Beyond thunderdome · Seiko Steve

The next tier up with a redesigned bracelet, ceramic bezel, upgraded movement, a milled swing clasp and saluted bezel action; I just wish they'd kept the font.

▶ Play from 10:54 Full listing →
6

Seiko SPB483J1 'Polygonal Cobalt Coastline'

6/10 · It wants to be good · Seiko Steve

A strange one I don't particularly like: octagonal bezel, a 3 o'clock crown, shiny midsection and it looks like a TAG Heuer, but I love the colour and I can see why people like it because it's very well made.

▶ Play from 12:33 Full listing →
7

Seiko SPB509J1 'Blue Wave' GMT Limited Edition

7/10 · For the beeeech · Seiko Steve

Remarkable: extremely handsome, a polished inner ring that adds a touch of class and the upgraded 15mm ratcheting clasp, limited to 6,000 at about GBP 1,600; give me a flat dial and no GMT hand and I'd buy it.

▶ Play from 14:12 Full listing →
8

Seiko SLA023 Marinemaster 300

9/10 · Beyond thunderdome · Gethin's own

I suppose the ultimate Seiko, my own twerp, just put on a Crafter Blue strap: this is what you get for nearly GBP 3,000, and you know what it is.

▶ Play from 17:02 Full listing →

In his words

"Listen to the unsalted butter flowing around the pan."

▶ Play from 04:06

"The Sumo, the most underrated Seiko dive watch in history."

▶ Play from 09:36

"I don't like this twerp, but I do like the way it's been executed."

▶ Play from 13:35

"This clock is remarkable. Remarkable."

▶ Play from 14:28

More line-ups

Seiko SSK GMT+ 5 Sports Extravaganza

One last slap on the beef wagon: eleven of Seiko Steve's twerps before they go home

11 watches · 2026-04-11 · 972 views

Seiko 5KX Review

A sausage of 5KX clocks from Seiko Steve: bezels from loose as anything to thumb-splitting, and a monochrome one for the beach

5 watches · 2026-04-09 · 804 views

Seiko Sumo SBDC031, SBDC033, SPB103, SPB321

Sumo showdown: four generations of Seiko paradise, from goofy font to King Sumo

4 watches · 2026-01-31 · 1,507 views

Seiko Marinemaster Bonanza Life. SLA019, SLA047, SLA021, SLA023

Marinemaster bonanza life: SLA019, SLA047, SLA021 and SLA023

4 watches · 2025-12-27 · 3,574 views