As a kid, my Dad used to drive our little family to Italy and the South of France for holidays. Sometimes venture up through Andorra and across to Spain too! I have a vivid memory of seeing some guys getting ready to go out spear fishing, and they looked cool as hell! But one thing that stood out, was the Orange dial watch, that one guy was wearing, with his face and his curly black mullet…may have been a Doxa Sub? So here’s a cool watch, the Seiko SKX011 J1.

J = Made in Japan, as you can see on the colorful dial. The watch community suggests at least one SKX in your collection. I decided on the Orange 011 rather than the 007 or 009, just to be a rebel and I’m an orange dial fan.

So it has some faults, the rubber strap is ‘Strap on’ hard, no manual wind and no hacking. Plus as some people say, it’s a love it or loathe it kind of watch. I personaly prefer the Seiko Turtle, with its cushion case, hacking wind and auto feature myself!

But there is no getting away from the fact that this watch has great character, and it has the ability to bring in compliments, just as much as my stunning blue Squale! The SKX range has been discontinued, and the replacement, from the Seiko 5 collection, is but a mere fashion watch in the guise of a DIVERS watch! But in true Seiko fashion, the new Seiko 5, grows on you.

The Seiko SKX011 J1 is extremely Mod-able (is that even a word, mod-able?) And can be molded into what you have in your mind, to personalize it the way you want. However, I’m a bit of a stock fan, when it comes to cars and watches, but with maybe a few additions. In the case of this watch, Uncle Seiko has some spiffing bracelets and straps for it, as does strapcode.

Yes, it is definitely a good addition to any collection. They don’t require a lot of servicing. Since they have been discontinued, I’d grab one while they’re still reasonably priced!