The Seiko SKX013: The Best Affordable Small Dive Watch

Table Of Contents

My Dive Watch Story
Side by Side – Seiko SKX013 vs SKX007
The Bracelet
The Value Proposition
Is the Seiko SKX013 Still Worth it in 2023?
SKX013 Alternatives
The Specs

My Dive Watch Story

Early on in my journey, long before I owned the SKX013, I scoured Reddit for direction on the perfect beginner watch lineup. Although I initially didn’t love their aesthetic, the dive watch, it seemed, was a must for any collection. After some debate, I purchased a blue Orient Mako as my first automatic watch. Unfortunately, the Mako always felt awkward to me.

orient mako dive watch — *Orient Mako CEM65002D*

The 3 6 9 dial layout along with the bezel font and weird second crown at 2 o’clock for me wasn’t “it”. Shortly after the purchase, my entire collection was stolen during a break-in, and while devastated, I used it as an opportunity to start from scratch. After another deep dive into forums, blog posts, and wrist shots, I decided to make the cornerstone of my new collection the Seiko SKX007.

seiko skx007 dive watch on wrist — *The SKX007 wearing just slightly too large*

We’ve all been there. Drooling over countless wrist shots, admiring how a watch contours to a stranger’s wrist, imagining (or hoping) how great it could look on ours. And then it arrives, and it doesn’t quite live up to the hype. The SKX007, while miles ahead of the Mako in terms of design, still just never agreed with my slim wrist. But I wore it! I wore it often. I tried NATO straps, perlons, I tried a custom Belhamel curved strap but it still just felt clunky.

As the years passed, I learned how different case proportions worked together to make a watch fit on different sized wrists and focused my collection in the direction of smaller, more compact case sizes where possible, seeking out watches in the sub 40mm range. The 42mm SKX007 sat on the bottom row of my watch box for years until recently, when I decided to attempt to trade it for the smaller Seiko SKX013.

At this point the SKX line had been discontinued, so I set up alerts on watchpatrol and Reddit and jumped on the first clean unmodified example that came up – over its 20-year run many had been run into the ground or fitted with upgraded movements, crystals or bezels. As soon as the SKX013 arrived, the trade was something I wished I’d done years earlier.

Side by Side – Seiko SKX013 vs SKX007

seiko skx013 and skx007 side by side — *SKX013 (left) and SKX007 (right)*

To the untrained eye, these watches can appear almost identical, but get them on the wrist and the more restrained proportions of the 38mm SKX013 really shine. Equally as thick as the SKX007 at 13mm, some declare it too top-heavy in comparison to its 42mm big brother, however, even as a proud member of the “give me the slimmest case possible” club, I actually enjoy the chunky nature of the SKX013, and feel it adds to the tool-esque character of the watch. Aside from some minor differences in the dial spacing and the design of the seconds hand, this really is just a slightly shrunken version of the iconic SKX007.

The Bracelet

The SKX013 could be purchased new on the same rubber strap or jubilee as the SKX007, but the proportions here too are more wearable – 22mm lug width on the SKX007, and 20mm lug width down to a taper of 17mm at the clasp for the SKX013. Wearability aside, this also gave me, and I imagine many other owners, infinitely more options with straps. I had piles of the more common 20mm strap size laying around from other watches that I could experiment with. I actually threw in all of my 22mm straps in the sale of my SKX007 because I figured I’d never be using them again.

seiko skx013 dive watch on jubilee bracelet on wrist — *SKX013 right at home on my 6.6″ wrist*

It also looks fantastic on the factory jubilee and that smaller case size makes it easier to pull off in more formal situations. I’ve read countless complaints about the quality of the factory bracelet, and how replacements with solid end links give the watch a more “luxe” feel, but I for one really enjoy the rattly, jangly nature of the hollow links, and the vintage vibe it gives off. The matte dial and lume plots give it a no-nonsense, function-over-form energy and the legendary crown at 4 o’clock is a fun detail that separates the SKX from other divers – there’s no mistaking this as a Seiko.

seiko skx013 dive watch on black nato on wrist — *SKX013 on a Crown and Buckle black NATO*

The Value Proposition

Considering the fact that you could scoop one of these up for under $200 when they were in production, this is a remarkable value watch, with an attractive, understated design, that can play the role of semi-dressy on the jubilee, sporty on a NATO and everywhere in between. I find myself wearing mine primarily on a black NATO these days for the subtle, rugged “beater” look, having other dive watches that fill the “dressier” vibe, but its range is undeniable. This is a fantastic candidate for a 1-watch collection.

Is the Seiko SKX013 Still Worth it in 2023?

Unfortunately, Seiko discontinued the SKX line in 2019 and values shot up in response – to the tune of used examples selling closer to $300 and new old stock complete kits fetching well over $600. At this point, the value proposition becomes more diluted, however, I maintain that this still is a fantastic watch if you can manage to pick one up in the $250 range.

seiko srpk29 watches — *The new line of Seiko 5 38mm*

SKX013 Alternatives

If sifting through used watch classifieds on r/watchexchange or spending $1,000 on a NOS entry-level Seiko isn’t your jam, the Seiko 5 sports line was released as the spiritual successor to the SKX, and with new 38mm variants recently debuted, the slim wristers finally have another option for a small entry-level Seiko diver. While the “5” branding might not be for everyone, and they’ve lost their screw-down crown limiting water resistance (is it still a “dive” watch? Ehhh…), they do offer a wider variety of colors and finishes versus the original SKX which was only offered in black or dark navy blue with a “Pepsi” bezel.

Is this still the best sub 40mm diver for the money? You tell me!