Seiko Orange Monster

The Seiko Orange Monster, officially named the SKX781, has caused a bit of an uproar within the watch community since its release onto the public. In fact many watch collectors who regularly spend upwards of 4 figures for their pieces view this Seiko as one of the “must haves” to the collection. So what’s all the fuss about the Seiko Orange Monster? Let’s find out:

Internally the Orange Monster uses the 21 jewel 7S26 in-house automatic movement. This is the same movement that can commonly be found in all Seiko’s under the $300 price range. It is far from anything spectacular but it is known as a workhorse that can take a daily beating and keep on ticking. After the initial break in period, said to be about 2 weeks of wear, the Seiko Orange Monster accuracy is +/- 10 seconds in a given day. The power reserve on this particular Seiko is about 24 hours.

As the name might suggest the stainless steel case on this watch is quite the “monster” on the wrist. At the largest point on the watch the diameter, including the crown, measures approximately 47mm. The unidirectional bezel, protected by bezel-guards, has 120 clicks per revolution and is easy to rotate under any condition. Luminosity is stellar because of the proprietary “lumibrite” paint that will allow you to see the markers on the watch from across the room. Under normal light you have a bright and extremely orange face that demands attention.

Bracelet end links are solid and the pins holding it together are extremely heavy-duty – all links are made from solid piece of steel. A high quality clasp has a fold over security buckle; the bracelet incorporates a hidden diver’s extension (used when wearing a wet suit). This is one of the quietest bracelets that I have ever seen on a watch that is under $300.

Random coolness information: This is a unique watch for you to wear, and tell all your friends about, because it is not a standard Seiko of America inventory item. That means you are getting a watch from overseas that makes it a “grey market” item. It also means that unless you really know about this watch (or you hang out at a watch aficionado party) it is highly unlikely you’ll see anyone close to you wearing it. Most of the time these type of watches will not carry papers or a warranty. However if you purchase it from Amazon directly (not the random sellers) you will get the box, papers and a 3 year warranty.

One of the best selling points on the Orange Monster is how versatile it is when it comes to customization. Aside from all the mods a watch maker or watch geek can do one of the standards is replacing the strap. You wouldn’t believe how beautiful this watch is when paired when a brown or black leather strap. If you want to really go custom look in the direction of a Carbon Fiber strap that has orange stitching. You will not be sorry.