The SKX013 is equipped with a robust 7S26 automatic movement, which is the ancestor of the Seiko 4R35 movement. The 7S26 cannot be wound manually and does not support hacking. However, it compensates for the lack of those features by being a very reliable beast and is very cheap to service.

The 7S26 automatic movement has 21 Jewels and runs at 21,600 VPH (vibrations per hour). It offers a 40-hour power reserve with an accuracy of +25 / -15 seconds per day. This movement also provides a day/date complication, with a quick set functionality via the screw-down crown.

The face of the SKX013 is protected by a glass made of hardlex crystal. The dial looks black but it is not, it is matte and of a dark grey tone. On the other hand, the bezel is black. The hour markers on the dial are painted, not applied. They are quite big and very easy to read. The legibility under all conditions is optimal, with the lumed hands and hour markers, both contrasting well with the dark grey dial.

The Diver's 200m orange markings pop out nicely, adding a bit of color variety to the dial. A chapter ring is framing the dial, it adds more depth to the watch, it has however been reported that the chapter ring of the SKX013 can sometimes be misaligned. The hands have their own distinctive design and are lumed: no Rolex-style Mercedes hands here! The hour hand is the same one as the SKX007, whereas the minute looks more understated and elegant on the SKX013.

The hand for the seconds looks great and has a very distinctive shape that contributes greatly to the SKX013's own identity. If that a lumed arrow at its tip, which looks well made, the base of the hand is also lumed in an arrow shape. When the lume is charged and the second hand is moving, the overall effect in low light is mesmerizing. The lume of Seiko SKX013 is excellent and will last through the night, it glows green.

The case back looks solidly screwed down and has a beautiful wave pattern, which makes reference to the famous Great wave off Kanagawa painted by Katsushika Hokusai. The crown at 4 o'clock is large and easy to screw/unscrew. It is located between crown guards for protection.

The case is polished and brushed and is waterproof at up to 200m (20ATM). The case is polished, which complements very nicely the matte dark grey dial. In our opinion, if this dial had been glossy, the watch would have looked too shiny and "in your face". We really enjoy the balance between the shiny and matte parts of this watch.

The grip of the bezel looks well made and adds to the character of the SKX013. The pattern on this trip is not commonly found, it looks quite luxurious, and elevates the overall look of the watch, making it look more refined. This is definitely not a Rolex Submariner homage!

The diving bezel has 120 clicks and is unidirectional. Some users have found it stiff, but we find it very usable compared to other bezels in entry-level dive watches. Like the chapter ring, the bezel can sometimes not be perfectly aligned with the minute markers, but it has a little bit of play to compensate for it.

The SKX013 can be found on a jubilee bracelet or on a rubber strap. The jubilee bracelet is made of solid stainless steel links and is very comfortable, due to the small links that make it nicely wrap around your wrist. It makes the watch look rugged and luxurious at the same time. The clasp is functional and does its job well. The nice thing about it is that you can adjust it precisely to your wrist size thanks to the 5 micro-adjustment positions available.