For many years, the best hammer in the world in the dive watch universe was probably the Seiko SKX007 and variants. Above, we’ve placed the SKX007 side by side with the new SRP775. Aside from the gilt numbers and indices, and of course, the case shape, there is not a great deal to differentiate them, but at the same time, there’s no doubt that the value offering here is slightly different. Functionally, the biggest difference is that you can actually hand-wind SRP775/7 if you want to, which obviates the necessity of swinging the watch in order to wind up the mainspring when you first pick it up (a signature trait of SKX007 and of Seiko 5 watches as well). It’s a small thing that may make a big difference, depending on who you are – I’ve noticed I’m much more likely to wear a watch I can actually hand-wind, even if it’s an automatic, just because I start off with a better sense of how much gas is in the tank.
While SKX007 offers the anti-aesthetic charm of total functional simplicity, SRP775/7 start you off with a solid shot of pure pragmatism, and then let you discover little touches of refinement you might have missed at first glance.