Despite it’s folded link bracelet that rattles when worn, it’s mere 100m water resistant rating, and it’s lack of a screwdown crown — Seiko SKX031 has been a favorite for over 15 years. It just plain looks good on the wrist.

Sure it’s a “Sub” knockoff, but with a distinctly Seiko twist. It’s a tough, practical watch, at 40mm excluding crown it’s not too big, and it’s powered by Seiko’s dependable 7S26 caliber, 21-jewel automatic movement. The stark black & white design with bar and circle indices and big arrow hands is classy and well balanced. And the full day/date window a plus.

 
A staple of Japanese watch forums and eBay from the earliest days of the GUI Internet, lately it’s been harder to find one online. And never for the dirt cheap prices of the past. With the stop of production of Seiko SKX031, another chapter in the Seiko book closes.

The good news is vendors still have the watch in stock, the bad new is that won’t be the case for very long. If you’ve been treading water about getting one, now is the time to dive in or to resign yourself to letting another one get away.