Remember that episode of the Fifth Wrist podcast about a one-watch collection with a $50000 budget? Well, if you had 500 times less than that, this Seiko SNK385K1 is one of your go-to options, for sure.

We all have a special watch that brought each of us into the hobby. For young Iaroslav, this rather plain-looking Seiko 5 in a Tokyo flea market managed to captivate him. The reflective surface on the hour markers paired with a bit of lume, 6 and 12 numerals, a good compromise between an IWC type easy-to-read dial and a classic clean dress watch dial, all in one bargain of a white sunburst dial. What more can you ask?

The Seiko Five model line in general boasts quite a versatility to price ratio. It is water resistant enough to get you divin’ something deeper than a desk, it has a quick-set day/date function, it does keep going overnight and it even has a see-through back, which, I won’t lie, contributed dearly to me becoming a watch enthusiast. Sure, the back is nothing much to look at, but the way I could see it ticking made something tick in my head, too. Bearing in mind that this all comes at a price of 50$ – 150$, you get an absolute unit. The watch feels quite small on the wrist, just like most other Seiko 5s, and it is not too easy to find a 18mm strap for a change.

On a serious note, though, I did not try to mislead you with the review’s title. While it’s a good debate whether the greatest thing Seiko ever achieved was the invention of cheap quartz or the revolution of Spring Drive tech, I’d argue one should think outside the box. In my opinion, this model line and this watch, in particular, is the greatest thing Seiko ever achieved.

Automatic, cheap and versatile, this is the peak achievement of the brand, bringing people into the hobby, bringing people together.

What do you think, though?