This is a detailed, hands-on review of the Seiko SNK809, one of the best affordable automatic watches you can buy.

If you’re like me, you can spend hours at a time browsing watch forums without a real idea of what you’re looking for.

More often than not, I end up focusing on a watch that I can’t afford or that is more expensive than it needs to be.

That’s not at all what we have here, and though I’ve passed over it on my watch searches many times, I can say now that I’d give it more than a second glance if I see it again.

The watch I’m talking about is the Seiko SNK809, and after a week with it on my wrist, I can confidently say that it’s not only the best watch under $100, it may be one of the better choices in the sub-$500 range.

Depending on where you buy it, the SNK809 can be had for as little as $65, but it’s even a steal at twice that. Seiko has a winner with the SNK809, and for the money, there’s nothing else on its level.

The company relied on its rich history and experience building accurate, excellent movements to construct a watch in the sub-$100 range that easily shames timepieces costing many times more.

A few small gripes pop up along the way, but they’re not enough to tarnish what is otherwise a great watch with a solid value proposition.

Let’s take a look at what makes the Seiko SNK809 so special.

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The qualities that give it such a straightforward appearance are a nod to the watch’s military roots, but they’re also a great opportunity for Seiko to show off its ability to build an insanely high-quality watch and sell it for peanuts.

The SNK809 carries a military vibe overall that lands somewhere between a classic pilot’s watch and a rugged field watch, though the dial markings tilt further in the pilot direction.