There are many vintage Seiko divers popular with collectors, and the legendary 7S26 - like the sharp 2008 Seiko SKX009 automatic dive watch here, upgraded with the desirable Seiko 4R36A automatic movement (which adds hacking and hand-winding, lacking in the 7S26 movement) - is one of these.
With good reason, the SKX continues to have a tremendous cult following - the design is simple and robust, with strong evidence of Seiko divers that came before it, namely the instantly recognizable Seiko 7002 automatic, 7548 quartz, and even the famous 6309 diver. 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."
Military forces the world over have long took note of the SKX line, with its reliable automatic movement – 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."
Since then? The SKX continues to be favored - despite Seiko's odd decision to discontinue these legendary divers in 2018/9 - by a wide range of professional adventurers, from U.S. Army Special Ops officers, to profesisonal divers, to professional soccer dads.
And the watch itself - Seiko’s 7S26 automatic movement was a logical step in its mechanical movement line, and debuted in 1996 to replace the 7002 in Seiko’s popular dive watch line. This 7S26 incorporates quickset day and date displays, and automatic bi-directional winding via Seiko’s patented Magic Lever system, and runs at 21,600 beats per hour.
This Seiko diver comes on its original Seiko jubilee bracelet, and with box & papers, rubber Seiko Z22 vent strap, rugged travel case, and springbar tool.
2008 Seiko "Pepsi" SKX009 (7S26-0020) Automatic Diver
DIAL: Dark blue Seiko-signed dial, with vibrant orange "DIVER'S 200m" font - crisp writing, with no fade. Day/date complication – with Spanish/English variants – at 3 o’clock position works as designed.
CASE: Stainless-steel case measures 42mm (44.5mm with crown) x 46.5mm; recessed crown, with matching caseback. Case lines remain sharp, with no evidence of machine polish. Screw-down crown works as designed. Bezel appears to be a high-quality aftermarket one (but thankfully with its original OEM Seiko Pepsi bezel insert, which retains its vibrant red and blue colors), with a delightfully light UV fade to match the red font that's faded to bright orange on the dial.
CRYSTAL: Seiko Hardlex crystal, no scratches or blemishes.
BAND: This SKX comes on a generic heavy-duty stainless-steel oyster bracelet, which will fit up to an approx. eight inch wrist. This Pepsi diver also comes with a premium red, white, and blue nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: Seiko 7S26C automatic movement, Although this SKX was manufactured in February 2008, the 7S26B movement has been upgraded with a twenty-four jewel Seiko 4R36A automatic movement. Why is the upgrade so desirable by Seiko aficionados? The 4R36 - which Seiko debuted in 2011 - added the ability to hack the seconds hand, as well as to hand-wind the movement, both highly desirable features the 7S26 movement lacked. Per watchmaker notation on inside caseback, the previous owner had this watch serviced in late 2023.
CROWN: Unsigned stainless-steel crown, screws down as designed.
Find a great Watches of Espionage video on the love of militaries worldwide for Seiko on YouTube, here!