Totally with you on this. I bought an SKA371 over 10 years ago. Had to change the capacitor a little while ago, but other than that, it's been rock solid. And re: the bracelet, while it is comfy and well made, it's way too heavy for my taste so I've been wearing it on a light gray Crown and Buckle Zulu strap. My son beat it up a bit for a couple of summers at camp, so it now has a snazzy "patina". Great channel, Rob! Straightforward. Honest. Infinitely watchable. Keep up the good work!
Early Kinetics used capacitors. These use Li-ion batteries. The power-reserve indicator is not very accurate. You can charge it up to the 30-minute mark (supposedly 4-6 mos) -- with a new or used (but still good) battery, it's the same -- and after about 6 days of no wear, you'll see the reserve drop down to the 20-min mark (1 mo reserve), consistently. (Obviously, you shouldn't lose 3-5 mos of "reserve" in 6 days.) This has been the case for all the Kinetics I've had, including the 367.
The SKA367 is hard to find in the wild. I'm lucky to own one. Update: According to the serial number, mine was made in 2007. The capacitor was original to the watch. I had it replaced at a good watch repair guy in Prescott Valley, AZ. Now it easily goes to the 30 second mark easily.
I own a BFK and the quality is unbelievable, the sturdiest (and maybe also the heaviest) watch I've ever owned. Bought mine in 2012 and it's still in pretty decent condition. In spite of it's age it doesn't have many scratches at all, never owned a watch that staid in such good condition after more than ten years of regular (mis)use. Mine is slightly modded: I have the SKA371, the black variant but with the chapter ring replaced by a yellow one, a different hand set and the proprietary hardlex crystal replaced by a flat sapphire. Also mine has a better, milled clasp. The accuracy of these movements is really stellar, I only set them when changing from summer- to winter time and vice versa, using the atomic clock, and in a half year mine gains less than 5 seconds, and it's been like that consistently for more then 10 years. It's so good that I use it as reference for setting my mechanical watches. Also the bracelet is pretty good and heavy and the end links are virtually indestructable. If I remember correctly I paid approx. EUR 375 for it new, looking back and knowing how sturdy it is I still think it's surprising bang for the buck.
I have the stainless steel version and love it. I used my Philips 3-candle Imageo (model SFL4121) electric candle charger and you get a full charge after about 4 hrs. I just drop it in one of the charging hole and leave it there for a few hours.
Thanks for showing the watch some love. I’ve had my BFK for about 5 years. It’s a solid watch. It seems to never get to 6 months unless it’s charged. It demands wrist time unless you have the charger. I have the charger but Seiko no longer make them. You can get them used for about $300 like you said. They work well. I use it for the BFK and Kinetic tuna. I think it only has a battery now and no longer use the capacitor. Apparently they use to leak.
Bracelet is not screwed on or bolted on. They look like allen head screws,but there is a hole in center of each one allowing easier removal of spring bar. Yes they are spring bars.
Mine is fantastic! It's a shame they're discontinued now. The one I bought was literally like brand new back in 2019 and for only £150 GBP. I think it had been put in a drawer and left for years. I had to wear it for a week or two to get the capacitor to take a charge and hold it. It's since worked perfectly. The lume is awesome and the presence on wrist is really special. There's no doubt you're wearing a real watch. It's like a tank! Their robustness is legendary. You can find webpages dedicated to how these models hold up to torture tests.
The actual capacitor used in the Kinetics is the same one used in the Seiko Solar movements, the Panasonic MT920. The only difference is the location of the tabs welded on the case for contact with the movement. If you search by movement number on Amazon, they run about $20.
I’ve had two kinetic Seiko watches, one diver, one GMT. Seiko originally pushed them as “never needing a battery”....well, that true but the ones I had the capacitors didn’t last any longer that an average quartz watch battery, not nearly as long as the battery in my Seiko Tuna, and is more expensive to replace. They seemed like a great idea at first, but I’ve given up on them in favor of automatic and standard quartz watches.
I have the SUN065. I have quartz, automatics, manual and kinetics. With a 6 month charge, my kinetic is a automatic watch with a 6 month power reserve. I has the accuracy of a quartz with a battery. So the best of both quartz and automatic worlds. I love Seiko divers so it is a must to have.
I've had this watch 10 years, along with 22 others. All I can say is - at least on mine - the angst concerning capacitors, power reserves, and unrecoverable depletions are unfounded. Certainly it does not remain at full power as long as it did new - since I don't wear it anywhere near every day. But I recently lost this watch, when it had been at only 1/3 charge status, it was gone for 3 months until my brother found it inside his couch. It was then indicating only "5 minutes" of charge, but not stopped. I picked it up, shook it around a little, wore it for a couple days and it was back to full charge status. So maybe individual watches differ... or maybe Seiko's charge handling recommendations are just super conservative. But as for me... I'm not worrying about it any more.
I have a sun007 which suffers from it's style being kind of being proprietary, not easily interchangeable with bands like the divers are. But the tech of the movement is great. I feel the same way about the Seiko solar movements,. They are my watches I put on when I don't have time to consider what I want to wear and to then set it (if automatic).
Found mine at a local pawn shop for 60.00 replaced the crystal to a crystal times sapphire and recently replaced the capacitor. I wear it one day a week and keep it charged to the “30” mark. Great watch and you’re right extremely accurate!
What crystal did you replace it with? An Skx crystal? I’d like to replace my crystal with sapphire and preferably anti reflective but which one did you purchase specifically ??
@@LegendaryZG I’m in the USA and shopped at Crystaltimes USA. I just looked on their website and they have the sapphire crystal for the BFK listed. I’m sorry I don’t remember the item number but take a look around at their website and you’ll find what you are looking for and more, I was surprised at all the watches that they have added since the last time I checked their website! Hope this helps you out!
@@lonestardude6283 yes i just checked they still have it. Im looking into the clear ar coated double dome crystal. thanks alot dude never would have guessed they have a crystal for the BFK model
The bezel on mine is extremely tight, except when it's wet, then it's extremely loose. It's spongy and mushy then it snap crackle pops. Once in a while it feels like your grinding coffee beans. Everything else you said about it is true. It's an excellent beater, but it's so, so needy. A real wrist hog.
Awesome watches! I think you can find forums where people put these BFK's through torture tests (e.g. freezing), and they come through with flying colors. I'm a little leery though, because I've heard the capacitors don't last long unless you're wearing these several times per week. As you said, replacing the capacitor isn't too bad, but at that point, I wonder if a regular quartz and battery or solar watch wouldn't be just as good? For example, I've had a lot of luck with Seiko solar divers and chronographs myself--I just put them by a window when I'm not wearing them. Do you or Michael have experience with the capacitor life on these?
I have one DOA, and the bezel is drum roll terrible! I believe its about 6years old .I saw a vid that a gentleman referred to his as walking the DOG ! if you have many watches as I do it may have not seen enough wrist time and I'm not a fan of auto winders. So it died within a year or so. I have had it with Seiko issues ,why cant such an innovative company solve such issues with misaligned chapter rings etc. I plan on keeping a few J models that are spot on and dumping the rest! having owned many Seiko divers, just my opinion but the outsourced models do not compare to the J-models .I find it sad when you have too MOD a new watch & regulate them, when I can buy Swiss and be done with it ! I burnt to much food because of those darn loose chapter rings.
Good review Rob. I've had one for several years, an SKA371. Been a great watch. I need a replacement bezel insert. Black ones are super hard to find. Lots on Etsy and Ebay but are greens and blues. If anybody knows a reliable source, hit me up.
I have the SKA367 and just replaced the battery/capacitor. Really love it. Super rugged and chunky. The case is really well finished with polished and brushed surfaces. I wish it also came with automatic movement. Has it been discontinued ? It's not easy to find anymore.
Great idea and had a kinetic but solar is a better option? I love quartz anyhow and these are cool pieces. Alot of micro electrical engineering going on! Cheers and ps my kinetic proofed difficult to keep"charged" even when worn hence I let it go.
I love solar for rough and tough watches. I have a citizen bn0000-04h with the monocoque case so it's very water tight (rated 300m) and solar powered so I don't have to worry about not wearing it as long as it gets a little time in the sun every now and then. Only thing I dislike about the citizen is that the date window is small and hard to view sometimes unless you look at it directly.
if your a collector like me and you always change up watches these are a pain to keep charged. Bruce Williams said it best " owning a kinetic is like owning a dog you have to walk it all the time" unless you plan on wearing it every day buyer beware. I have one and I sit watching TV moving the watch to charge. Would never buy another.
I always looked down on the kinetic because it seems to have the downsides of both quartz and automatics. Quartz should be grab and go but I have to charge the kinetic. Automatics have a nice second hand sweep but this thing ticks? Nope not worth it imho
Totally with you on this. I bought an SKA371 over 10 years ago. Had to change the capacitor a little while ago, but other than that, it's been rock solid. And re: the bracelet, while it is comfy and well made, it's way too heavy for my taste so I've been wearing it on a light gray Crown and Buckle Zulu strap. My son beat it up a bit for a couple of summers at camp, so it now has a snazzy "patina".
Great channel, Rob! Straightforward. Honest. Infinitely watchable. Keep up the good work!
Early Kinetics used capacitors. These use Li-ion batteries.
The power-reserve indicator is not very accurate. You can charge it up to the 30-minute mark (supposedly 4-6 mos) -- with a new or used (but still good) battery, it's the same -- and after about 6 days of no wear, you'll see the reserve drop down to the 20-min mark (1 mo reserve), consistently. (Obviously, you shouldn't lose 3-5 mos of "reserve" in 6 days.) This has been the case for all the Kinetics I've had, including the 367.
Same here, they're still great for the price to build quality ratio and the accuracy bis insane.
The SKA367 is hard to find in the wild. I'm lucky to own one. Update: According to the serial number, mine was made in 2007. The capacitor was original to the watch. I had it replaced at a good watch repair guy in Prescott Valley, AZ. Now it easily goes to the 30 second mark easily.
I own a BFK and the quality is unbelievable, the sturdiest (and maybe also the heaviest) watch I've ever owned. Bought mine in 2012 and it's still in pretty decent condition. In spite of it's age it doesn't have many scratches at all, never owned a watch that staid in such good condition after more than ten years of regular (mis)use. Mine is slightly modded: I have the SKA371, the black variant but with the chapter ring replaced by a yellow one, a different hand set and the proprietary hardlex crystal replaced by a flat sapphire. Also mine has a better, milled clasp. The accuracy of these movements is really stellar, I only set them when changing from summer- to winter time and vice versa, using the atomic clock, and in a half year mine gains less than 5 seconds, and it's been like that consistently for more then 10 years. It's so good that I use it as reference for setting my mechanical watches. Also the bracelet is pretty good and heavy and the end links are virtually indestructable. If I remember correctly I paid approx. EUR 375 for it new, looking back and knowing how sturdy it is I still think it's surprising bang for the buck.
I have the stainless steel version and love it. I used my Philips 3-candle Imageo (model SFL4121) electric candle charger and you get a full charge after about 4 hrs. I just drop it in one of the charging hole and leave it there for a few hours.
Thanks for showing the watch some love.
I’ve had my BFK for about 5 years. It’s a solid watch. It seems to never get to 6 months unless it’s charged. It demands wrist time unless you have the charger.
I have the charger but Seiko no longer make them. You can get them used for about $300 like you said. They work well. I use it for the BFK and Kinetic tuna.
I think it only has a battery now and no longer use the capacitor. Apparently they use to leak.
Oh, I tried the homemade charger and I didn’t have any luck but some might.
Pretty sure these actually have standard fat springbars, the bolts in the lugs are just aesthetics. They come on both bracelet and rubber variants.
Bracelet is not screwed on or bolted on. They look like allen head screws,but there is a hole in center of each one allowing easier removal of spring bar. Yes they are spring bars.
Wow thanks for info.
Mine is fantastic! It's a shame they're discontinued now. The one I bought was literally like brand new back in 2019 and for only £150 GBP. I think it had been put in a drawer and left for years. I had to wear it for a week or two to get the capacitor to take a charge and hold it. It's since worked perfectly. The lume is awesome and the presence on wrist is really special. There's no doubt you're wearing a real watch. It's like a tank! Their robustness is legendary. You can find webpages dedicated to how these models hold up to torture tests.
The actual capacitor used in the Kinetics is the same one used in the Seiko Solar movements, the Panasonic MT920. The only difference is the location of the tabs welded on the case for contact with the movement. If you search by movement number on Amazon, they run about $20.
Love my Yellow BFK! It's a battery. Keeps great time.
I’ve had two kinetic Seiko watches, one diver, one GMT. Seiko originally pushed them as “never needing a battery”....well, that true but the ones I had the capacitors didn’t last any longer that an average quartz watch battery, not nearly as long as the battery in my Seiko Tuna, and is more expensive to replace. They seemed like a great idea at first, but I’ve given up on them in favor of automatic and standard quartz watches.
Kinetic sucks. Capacitor replacement is a fortune and they do not last forever like seiko claimed.
I have the SUN065. I have quartz, automatics, manual and kinetics. With a 6 month charge, my kinetic is a automatic watch with a 6 month power reserve. I has the accuracy of a quartz with a battery. So the best of both quartz and automatic worlds. I love Seiko divers so it is a must to have.
I've had this watch 10 years, along with 22 others. All I can say is - at least on mine - the angst concerning capacitors, power reserves, and unrecoverable depletions are unfounded. Certainly it does not remain at full power as long as it did new - since I don't wear it anywhere near every day. But I recently lost this watch, when it had been at only 1/3 charge status, it was gone for 3 months until my brother found it inside his couch. It was then indicating only "5 minutes" of charge, but not stopped. I picked it up, shook it around a little, wore it for a couple days and it was back to full charge status. So maybe individual watches differ... or maybe Seiko's charge handling recommendations are just super conservative. But as for me... I'm not worrying about it any more.
That black BFK is stunning, better than G-Steel and I like G-Shock a lot. It's beautiful.
You and Minit watch do the best lume shots!
Like these a lot... Especially these colourways.
I stand corrected it was Jeff McMahon that said it was like owning a dog.
sonnyredbull6 i remember watching that vid. Jeff says some funny stuff.
yeah i just watched that video before watch this one. "you should take walk the watch everyday"
Very cool indeed love the yellow dial 👍🏻
I have a sun007 which suffers from it's style being kind of being proprietary, not easily interchangeable with bands like the divers are. But the tech of the movement is great. I feel the same way about the Seiko solar movements,. They are my watches I put on when I don't have time to consider what I want to wear and to then set it (if automatic).
Found mine at a local pawn shop for 60.00 replaced the crystal to a crystal times sapphire and recently replaced the capacitor. I wear it one day a week and keep it charged to the “30” mark. Great watch and you’re right extremely accurate!
What crystal did you replace it with? An Skx crystal? I’d like to replace my crystal with sapphire and preferably anti reflective but which one did you purchase specifically ??
@@LegendaryZG I’m in the USA and shopped at Crystaltimes USA. I just looked on their website and they have the sapphire crystal for the BFK listed. I’m sorry I don’t remember the item number but take a look around at their website and you’ll find what you are looking for and more, I was surprised at all the watches that they have added since the last time I checked their website! Hope this helps you out!
@@lonestardude6283 yes i just checked they still have it. Im looking into the clear ar coated double dome crystal. thanks alot dude never would have guessed they have a crystal for the BFK model
The spring bars aren’t bolted in- the lugs are drilled. Release them by poking a paperclip into the false ‘bolts’
When Seiko is going to ditch cheap stamped clasps.
This is my favorite Seiko, hands down. These are durable, beautiful and comfortable.
I find that these watches can take a beating. The surfaces seem to resist scratches quite well.
The bezel on mine is extremely tight, except when it's wet, then it's extremely loose. It's spongy and mushy then it snap crackle pops. Once in a while it feels like your grinding coffee beans. Everything else you said about it is true. It's an excellent beater, but it's so, so needy. A real wrist hog.
I reckon they both look pretty good & nothing wrong with quartz in my opinion (especially if accuracy is what your after in a watch)👍🍻
Awesome watches! I think you can find forums where people put these BFK's through torture tests (e.g. freezing), and they come through with flying colors.
I'm a little leery though, because I've heard the capacitors don't last long unless you're wearing these several times per week. As you said, replacing the capacitor isn't too bad, but at that point, I wonder if a regular quartz and battery or solar watch wouldn't be just as good? For example, I've had a lot of luck with Seiko solar divers and chronographs myself--I just put them by a window when I'm not wearing them.
Do you or Michael have experience with the capacitor life on these?
God I love that black watch, and the one with the yellow dial, where can I get them from?
I have one DOA, and the bezel is drum roll terrible! I believe its about 6years old .I saw a vid that a gentleman referred to his as walking the DOG ! if you have many watches as I do it may have not seen enough wrist time and I'm not a fan of auto winders. So it died within a year or so. I have had it with Seiko issues ,why cant such an innovative company solve such issues with misaligned chapter rings etc. I plan on keeping a few J models that are spot on and dumping the rest! having owned many Seiko divers, just my opinion but the outsourced models do not compare to the J-models .I find it sad when you have too MOD a new watch & regulate them, when I can buy Swiss and be done with it ! I burnt to much food because of those darn loose chapter rings.
Do you know where I can buy another strap for that model? Because the original one is leather but it's deteriorated and I want to buy a metalic strap
Good review Rob. I've had one for several years, an SKA371. Been a great watch. I need a replacement bezel insert. Black ones are super hard to find. Lots on Etsy and Ebay but are greens and blues. If anybody knows a reliable source, hit me up.
I have the SKA367 and just replaced the battery/capacitor. Really love it. Super rugged and chunky. The case is really well finished with polished and brushed surfaces.
I wish it also came with automatic movement. Has it been discontinued ? It's not easy to find anymore.
I think they're discontinued, the closest now are the newer Seiko 5 with usual 4R36 mechanism. Nice used sell for b/w $300 to $400.
Except my search for the 367 brought up nothing. Chrono24 & Amazon & ebay. I'm afraid the watch is unavailable
This one is for sale
will a watch winder manage to keep the watch charged ? or does it need more movement than what the winder can provide ?
If all you need to do is wear the watch to keep it charged, I’m sure a watch winder would work too. Its still movement.
No,a winder will not work.it doesn't have the torque needed to generate the charge
Great idea and had a kinetic but solar is a better option? I love quartz anyhow and these are cool pieces. Alot of micro electrical engineering going on! Cheers and ps my kinetic proofed difficult to keep"charged" even when worn hence I let it go.
I love solar for rough and tough watches. I have a citizen bn0000-04h with the monocoque case so it's very water tight (rated 300m) and solar powered so I don't have to worry about not wearing it as long as it gets a little time in the sun every now and then. Only thing I dislike about the citizen is that the date window is small and hard to view sometimes unless you look at it directly.
@@iHaejeog Those citizens are mean tools. Heard nothing but good about them! Cheers.
I’ve got a 2014 model and I got mine last year for £339
if your a collector like me and you always change up watches these are a pain to keep charged. Bruce Williams said it best " owning a kinetic is like owning a dog you have to walk it all the time" unless you plan on wearing it every day buyer beware. I have one and I sit watching TV moving the watch to charge. Would never buy another.
Another commercial for Sunday sales.....put one to the side for me..... greatly video.
I always looked down on the kinetic because it seems to have the downsides of both quartz and automatics. Quartz should be grab and go but I have to charge the kinetic. Automatics have a nice second hand sweep but this thing ticks? Nope not worth it imho
@@silverghost4206 I'd rather regular quartz or preferably solar over kinetic imho. I still think Kinetic is the worst of both worlds.
The Seiko spork
I can't find those numbers SKA367 or SKA577 on either Amazon or Ebay? Are those the correct numbers?
Yes. Old models long out of production.
BFK no BFD. If it’s a Seiko, it’s good to go.
$871 in Canada
Seiko AGS
I wonder if someone could fit a 4r into it haha
Goodmorning First
Good morning indeed.