The Seiko SKX has been discontinued, so what now?
What if you still want to good dive watch that has at least 200 m of water resistance and a screw-down crown?
(Bonus points for the ISO 6425 certification!)
Well, look no further – here are some great Seiko SKX alternatives:
- Orient Ray II
- Citizen Promaster Diver BN0150
- Orient Kamasu Green
- Victorinox I.N.O.X. Professional Diver
- Steinhart Ocean One 39
- Seiko Samurai SRPB51
- Certina DS Action Diver Precidrive
1. Orient Ray II
The Orient Ray II has always been a good SKX alternative. Now that’s it’s gone, I think it makes for a great SKX replacement.
Not because of it’s looks – it’s pretty obvious that they don’t share much besides their diving pedigree.
It has a different case, crown, bracelet, bezel, dial, hand set… pretty much everything.
And to make things even more different, I picked the one with the vibrant blue sunburst dial which is pretty subdued inside, but striking in the sun.
But if you let go of the ISO 6425 compliance, they share:
- 200 m of water resistance
- a screw-down crown
- a day and date complication
- a 120-click bezel
… with the added benefit of having a hacking and hand-winding movement.
Add the fact that it’s an affordable Rolex Submariner alternative, and you’ve found a pretty cool watch to wear day in day out.
And that’s actually the cheapest of this whole list – you can find the Ray II way below $200, a steal really.
This unpretentious watch has a lot to offer and the best value for money. So why hesitate?
Read the customer reviews on Amazon
Pros
- hacking and hand-winding movement
- short lug to lug distance, wears smaller than its size
Cons
- mineral crystal
- 22 mm lug width
- hollow end links
2. Citizen Promaster Diver BN0150
Believe it or not, this Citizen is another well-known watch in the dive watch lovers club.
And for good reasons: this Citizen is well-made, functional and has a great quality-price-ratio.
Just like the SKX, the Citizen BN0150 features large hands – the minute hands has an arrow shape too, but is even more distinguishable thanks to its striking orange color.
It also has a bezel with a marker every single minute, adding to overall tool aesthetic of the watch. The matte black dial seals the deal.
Oh and by the way… it’s ISO 6425 certified too.
Now, where the biggest difference lies is in the movement.
This Citizen features the brand’s well known and loved Eco-Drive system. The watch charges with light (outdoors or indoors) and runs pretty much all the time without the need to change the battery, ever.
I love automatic watches, but you gotta love the added practicality to only set the time twice a year (when switching from regular time to daylight saving time).
You really can’t go wrong with this icon…
Read the customer reviews on Amazon
Pros
- ISO 6425 certified
- solar powered
Cons
- a bit chunky at 44 mm
- rubber strap is not super versatile
3. Orient Kamasu Green
Okay guys, I’m gonna sound like a fan boy, but whatever…
I think this Orient Kamasu is the perfect replacement for the Seiko SKX.
It has everything we loved in the original SKX: 200 m of water resistance (albeit not ISO certified), a screw-down crown, a day and date complication, an in-house movement and a bezel with minute marks all around.
In some instances, it even has a misaligned bezel! Well maybe you didn’t miss THAT about the SKX…
But it adds almost everything the SKX left to be desired:
- a hacking and hand-winding movement
- a sapphire crystal
- a bezel action that feels sturdier (even if the SKX is working just fine)
I picked the green model because it turns a little teal at times, and i’st just gorgeous in real life.
But you could go with the blue, red or black dials (all sunburst) – they look fantastic.
Sure, this Kamasu is almost twice as expensive as the Ray above.
But I think the new design – which doesn’t try to be a Rolex Submariner copycat – and the crystal upgrade is well worth the premium.
And sure, I would have loved to see solid end links on this one… but it’s just too good to pass.
Read the customer reviews on Amazon
Pros
- sapphire crystal
- protected lume pip
Cons
- 22 mm lug width
- hollow end links
4. Victorinox I.N.O.X. Professional Diver
Introducing the first Swiss Made watch in this list… and it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Victorinox manufactures watches with great value for money, and this one is no exception.
It even goes a little “overboard”:
- it has a 45 mm case – suiting only medium to big wrists
- it’s anti-magnetic
- it’s “the only Swiss watch certified to withstand 130 extreme endurance homologation tests” as stated on Victorinox’s website
And if you liked that the SKX was an ISO 6425 certified diver, then rejoice: this one is too!
So yes, it has everything the SKX had, and then some.
Like an ultra accurate Swiss quartz movement, a dive extension on the bracelet, a sapphire crystal coated with anti reflective coating…
Seriously, if you’re all about the specs and can rock a bigger watch, there is no better option than this Victorinox I.N.O.X.
Read the customer reviews on Amazon
Pros
- ISO 6425 certified
- sapphire crystal
- dive extension
Cons
- 45 mm is too big for small wrists
- HEAVY!
5. Steinhart Ocean One 39
The second Swiss Made watch of this list may not be ISO certified (and it’s a Rolex Submariner copycat for sure), but it certainly no joke.
And the detail I’m gonna talk about first is actually not a detail: this is the best bracelet I’ve seen on any watch under $500.
Seriously, the build quality of the links and clasp just oozes confidence.
You might also like that, besides the day, this Ocean One has everything the SKX had to offer, plus:
- an ETA 2824-2 movement (so it’s hacking and hand-winding)
- a sapphire crystal
- 300 m of water resistance!
Okay, it’s not an ISO 6425 certified dive watch, but seriously, when are going to dive that deep?
I picked the one with the green aluminum bezel because I think it’s more interesting (and more legible) than the one with a black ceramic bezel… but that’s a matter of personal preference, obviously.
This Steinhart features a matte black dial, just like the SKX. But it features a welcome addition in the form of applied hours indices, which is always a nice touch.
And if you always thought the SKX007 was too big and the SKX013 was too small, then you found the perfect compromise!
Pros
- workhorse movement
- 300 m water resistant
- sapphire crystal
Cons
- bezel action a bit finicky at times
- flat lugs
6. Seiko Samurai SRPB51
If you absolutely want to replace the SKX with another Seiko, you’re faced with a (first world) problem: there are way too many options.
The first that comes to mind is the Seiko Turtle because it shares a lot of the SKX design cues. And that would be an excellent choice.
But I just picked my favorite diver from the whole Seiko catalog right now, and that is the Seiko Samurai.
It has everything you loved about the SKX, like a Hardlex crystal, 200 m of water resistance or a fully marked bezel.
But it adds quite a few nice specs and touches:
- The 4R35 movement is hacking and hand-winding
- The textured dial makes it that much more interesting
- The hand set and case shape is completely different – this piece is clearly not a SKX wannabe
…while keeping the ISO 6425 certification, if that’s important to you.
Of course, it’s a bigger piece at 44 mm.
So if that’s too big for you, you’re better off checking the Seiko Mini Turtle instead.
But there’s no denying that the Samurai has a lot to offer and a beautiful design.
You just can’t go wrong with this one!
Read the customer reviews on Island Watch
Pros
- BRIGHT LUME!
- solid end links
- ISO 6425 certified
Cons
- biggish at 44 mm
7. Certina DS Action Diver Powermatic 80
This Certina DS Action Powermatic 80 is for those who don’t want to compromise on specs, design or value for money.
You basically want to eat your cake and have it too.
It’s Swiss Made, just like the Victorinox above, but it has a completely different vibe thanks to its striking green bezel and sunburst dial.
(It actually makes a great affordable alternative to the Rolex Submariner Hulk, just saying.)
Yet, it doesn’t compromise on the specs AT ALL, because you get:
- a sapphire crystal
- 300 m of water resistance
- a screw-down crown
- solid end links
- a Powermatic 80 movement
About that Powermatic movement: it’s based on an ETA 2428-2, so it’s hacking and hand winding. But it’s been modified to offer 80 hours of power reserve. It’s one of the best automatic movement on the market today.
And the best of all: it’s ISO 6425 certified – to 300m this one.
So this watch has everything the SKX had, plus everything it lacked.
Sure, it comes at a premium, as it’s the pricier option in this list… but not it’s not too bad. And you’d be hard pressed to find a watch offering so many features on the market for the same price, seriously…
By the way, if green is not your thing, there are plenty of other colorways available!
Read the customer reviews on Amazon
Pros
- ISO 6425 certified
- sapphire crystal
- Powermatic 80 movement
Cons
- could be 1 or 2 mm smaller?
The Truth About the ISO 6425 Standard for Diving Watches
Let’s get real: you’ll never gonna dive to 200 m with your watch. Probably not even 30 m.
And if you do, just like any serious diver out there, you’re gonna sport a diving computer.
In that case, a regular watch is just a backup.
You can argue that having an ISO 6425 certified watch (like the Seiko SKX) makes it a no brainer to wash your hands or swim in the pool…
But there are plenty of other watches out there who do the job just fine without the ISO certification.
Put simply:
It’s not because a watch is not ISO 6425 certified that it’s not water resistant, illegible or not resistant to magnetism.
It just means the manufacturer didn’t submit the watch to the ISO 6425 tests to certify it – because it’s a voluntary, costly act.
So while having the ISO certification certainly is a plus, it shouldn’t refrain you to enjoy some other watches that only feature 100 m of water resistance or no screw down crown.
Seriously, they’re just as capable for everyday use and abuse.
Desk diving, hand washing or pool swimming are not harsh environments, are they?
As such, the watches in this list should be more than enough to replace the almighty SKX!
