Seiko Automatic Men's Watch

What sets our Seiko automatics apart, measured across our catalogue

We compared every Seiko automatic men's watch with all of our Seiko men's watches, quartz included. The first finding: the size doesn't change. 42 mm median diameter, 12 mm thick and a 22 mm strap, just like the rest of the brand. Choosing an automatic therefore doesn't mean a thicker watch. The second finding: none of them has a chronograph, whereas roughly one in five Seiko men's watches offers one. Here, the focus stays on the time, minutes, seconds and often the date.

The third difference is the glass. Hardlex, a hardened mineral glass specific to Seiko, is fitted to more than four automatics out of five. Sapphire crystal is about three times rarer here than across all of our Seiko men's watches. Finally, water resistance is consistent: all our Seiko automatic men's watches reach at least 10 ATM, and roughly one in six reaches 20 ATM.

Wearing, winding, resting: living with an automatic

A Seiko automatic men's watch worn every day needs nothing else. Left in a drawer, it stops after one to a few days depending on the movement, as its power reserve runs out. To restart it, shake it gently for a few seconds, or give the crown a few turns if your model is hand-wound, then reset the time. If you rotate several watches, a watch winder will keep it running: our guide to watch winders for automatic watches explains how to set one up. Also note that an automatic drifts by a few seconds a day, whereas a quartz is measured in seconds per month: our automatic or quartz comparison details these differences.

Seiko 5 or Prospex: which automatic to choose

The Seiko 5 makes up the largest share of the selection, nearly two automatics out of five. It is the entry point to Seiko mechanical watchmaking: steel case, legible dial, sporty or military look. A Seiko 5 automatic men's watch is worn every day, from the office to the weekend. The Prospex line, more technical, is aimed at enthusiasts of outdoor and water activities. To compare the brand's families, read our complete guide to Seiko watches. To see the whole brand, quartz included, visit Seiko men's watch, and to widen the search to other brands, visit automatic men's watch.