There are many vintage Seiko divers popular with collectors, and the legendary 7S26 – like the Seiko SKX007 dive watch here, on its original Seiko Z22 rubber dive strap, and with stainless-steel jubilee bracelet and box & papers – is one of these.  
 
With good reason, the SKX007 continues to have a tremendous cult following, despite Seiko's odd decision to discontinue these legendary divers in 2019.  The design of this 7S26 is classic and simple, with immediate evidence of those that came before it, namely the instantly recognizable Seiko 7002 automatic, 7548 quartz, and even the famous 6309 diver.  
 
The SKX automatic movement - the legendary 7S26 - is tough and reliable; during its heyday, it was also popular with various armed forces for this same reason, despite the widely held (false) assumption that military personnel only wear military watches issued to them.
 
USMIL General Norman "Stormin' Norman" Schwarzkopf wore the quartz variant, the Seiko 7548, nearly identical to the SKX, when he routed and then evicted Iraqi forces from Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, aka the 1991 Gulf War. 
 
He would later write, “I always wore two watches during the [Gulf] war.  The one on my left arm was set on Saudi Arabian time and the Seiko on my right arm was set on Eastern Standard Time.  That way I could quickly glance at my watches and instantly know the time in both Saudi Arabia and Washington, D.C."
 
The SKX has appeared in multiple films, to include on the wrist of Robert Redford in his 2013 action drama sailing film, "All is Lost."  Seiko’s 7S26 was the logical step in its mechanical movement line, which debuted in 1996 to replace the 7002 in Seiko’s popular dive watch line.  The 7S26 incorporates quickset day and date displays, and automatic bi-directional winding via Seiko’s patented Magic Lever system.
 
Per Fratello's estimable Robert Jan-Broer, "Really, there is no reason not to buy this watch.  Whether you are looking for that perfect ever day mechanical watch, a beater, or just to add a significant watch to your collection, you can’t miss the Seiko SKX007.  It is a simple diver’s watch that is able to do the job right, without anything fancy going on."
 
"Perhaps this is even the best mechanical watch money can buy, I will leave that up to you.  Even if you have your Rolex, Omega, IWC or Panerai diver’s watches, for the price of a rubber strap for some of them, you can add this Seiko SKX007 to your collection as well, and it will not disappoint."
 
Fratello isn't alone in its love for the Seiko SKX - all of Worn&Wound's editors wax poetic about their esteem for the automatic diver icon in celebration of W&W's ten year anniversary here, "The Seiko SKX007 as Seen by the W&W Editors."  "Looking back over those 10 years, discussing the watches that have had the greatest impact on us as collectors, it quickly became clear that there was one watch (or close relative of) that served as a common thread connecting all of our experiences in this hobby in some way, shape or form: the Seiko SXK007.  I’d wager there’s a good chance that you’ve crossed paths with this watch at some point in your own journey."
 
This Seiko diver icon comes on its original Seiko Z22 rubber dive strap, and with stainless-steel jubilee dive bracelet, premium nylon strap, rugged travel case, springbar tool, inner & outer boxes, hang tag, and papers.