Quick Verdict
The SNXS79 is discontinued and Seiko has taken its specification offline. What we do have is Seiko's own photograph of the SNXS79K1, archived from its UK site: a charcoal sunburst dial, applied luminous batons, day and date at three and a steel bracelet. What we still do not have is a number for the case, the crystal, the water resistance or the price, and we would rather leave those blank than copy them from a marketplace listing. One thing to know before you buy: the watch on sale in the United States is the SNXS79J1, the Japan-made suffix of the same reference. If you want this watch new, Seiko's answer is the SRPK89.
At a Glance
- Typical street price
- Not published
- Movement type
- Automatic
- Power reserve
- Not published
- Case diameter
- —
- Lug-to-lug
- —
- Crystal
- Not published
- Water resistance
- Not published
Design
What is on the record comes from Seiko, and it is about the shape rather than the numbers: when Seiko launched the current SNXS series it said the design was based on the SNXS and that it had deliberately kept the case profile and the small crown at four o'clock, which does not interrupt the flowing line of the case. That is the family trait. Seiko's own photograph of the SNXS79K1 shows where the modern watch departed from it — the crown here sits at three, in a case with no guards and a broad polished bezel, and the bracelet is the folded-link type of its era.
Movement
The 7S26 is the predecessor of the 4R36 and the difference between them is the reason the newer watches cost more: the 7S26 does not hack and cannot be wound by hand. To start one you shake it. Seiko's own marketing for the 4R36 line draws exactly this contrast. Note that one regional Seiko site currently describes the 7S26 as manual winding with a stop-seconds function; that is wrong on both counts, and it is why we are not treating regional pages as sources for this reference.
Build Quality
Not confirmed. Seiko 5 watches of this generation were generally built to a price with mineral glass and folded bracelet links, but we have no primary specification for the SNXS79 itself and will not print one from memory.
Dial
Charcoal, with a sunburst finish that pulls towards green in direct light, applied luminous baton markers and a day and date aperture at three with the day in white and the date on a white wheel. This is read from Seiko's own photograph of the SNXS79K1 — the reference this page carries — and not from a picture of a sibling: SNXS73, 75, 77 and 79 are close enough that a misattributed image would be indistinguishable to most readers.
Bracelet & Strap
A steel bracelet with folded links and a fold-over clasp, visible in Seiko's photograph. The lug width is a different matter: aftermarket bracelets are sold for this case — Long Island Watch lists a 19 mm one for the SNXS79's 7S26-0480 case — but a replacement part's dimensions are not a manufacturer specification and we are not treating them as one.
Comfort & Wearability
Not confirmed. The current SRPK89, which Seiko says is built on this case shape, measures 37.4 mm across with a 44.7 mm lug-to-lug span — but the modern watch is a new design, not a re-cut of the old one, and those figures do not transfer.
Accuracy
Not confirmed for this reference. Seiko no longer publishes an accuracy window for the 7S26.
What we like
What we like
- The 7S26 is one of the most serviced automatic movements ever built, and parts remain everywhere
- Seiko itself points at this watch as the origin of the current SNXS series
What we don't like
- Discontinued — available only on the used market, with no authorised retailer and no warranty
- The 7S26 neither hacks nor hand-winds, unlike the 4R36 that replaced it
- SNXS73, 75, 77 and 79 are visually close, and listings routinely mix them up
Who Should Buy It?
Someone who already knows this watch and wants one from what is left of the stock. It is still sold on Amazon as the SNXS79J1, the Japan-made suffix, and the listing's model field and MPN carry that reference.
Who Should Skip It?
Almost everyone else. There is no authorised retailer, no warranty and no published specification, and the SRPK89 is the same idea with a movement that hacks and winds.
Best Alternatives
Three watches worth weighing up before you commit.
How It Compares
Seiko 5 SNXS79
0 categories won
Seiko 5 Sports SRPK89
0 categories won
- Typical street price
- Not published
- $415
- Movement type
- Automatic
- Automatic
- Caliber
- 7S26
- 4R36
- Power reserve
- Not published
- Approx. 41 hours
- Stated accuracy
- Not published
- -35 to +45 seconds per day (Seiko specification for the 4R36)
- Case diameter
- —
- 37.4 mm
- Case thickness
- —
- 12.5 mm
- Lug-to-lug
- —
- 44.7 mm
- Crystal
- Not published
- Curved Hardlex
- Water resistance
- Not published
- 100 m (328 ft)
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Stainless steel bracelet developed for the SNXS series
- Weight
- Not published
- 125 g
- Style
- Everyday
- Everyday · Sport
- Recommended wrist
- Small · Medium
- Small · Medium
- Selection Score
- Not published
- Not published
Final Verdict
We are not going to score a watch we cannot specify, and a photograph does not give us a case diameter. What this page is good for is the identification problem: you can see what the SNXS79 actually is, know that 73, 75, 77 and 79 look alike, that the suffix on the end tells you where it was made rather than what it looks like, and that the 7S26 inside will not hack or hand-wind. If any of that changes your mind, the SRPK89 is the current answer.
Specifications
- Brand
- Seiko
- Model
- 5 SNXS79
- Reference
- SNXS79K1
- Collection
- Seiko 5
- Typical street price
- Not published
- MSRP
- Not published
- Movement type
- Automatic
- Movement
- Seiko 7S26
- Caliber
- 7S26
- Power reserve
- Not published
- Stated accuracy
- Not published
- Balance spring
- Not published
- Case diameter
- —
- Case thickness
- —
- Lug-to-lug
- —
- Lug width
- Not published
- Weight
- Not published
- Case material
- Not published
- Crystal
- Not published
- Water resistance
- Not published
- Dial colours
- Charcoal sunburst
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Bracelet material
- Stainless steel
- Clasp
- Not published
- Date
- Yes
- GMT
- No
- Chronograph
- No
- Style
- Everyday
- Recommended wrist
- Small · Medium
- Country of origin
- Japan
- Released
- Not published
- Selection Score
- Not published
Score Breakdown
Where to Buy
Selection Time is reader-supported. If you buy through a link on this page we may earn a commission. This never affects our scores or what we recommend.
- Check Price on Amazon
Amazon
Price shown on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Seiko SNXS79 still made?
No. Seiko no longer lists it under any suffix: the old product URL returns a page that renders as not found. What is on sale is remaining stock.
What is the difference between SNXS79K1 and SNXS79J1?
The suffix says where the watch was made, not what it looks like. Both are the SNXS79: same model, same 7S26-0480 case, same dial designation — the '79' is what sets the dial apart from the 73, 75 and 77. This page carries the K1, because that is the one Seiko photographed and documented. The watch on sale in the United States is the J1, and our Amazon link goes to it deliberately.
Does the SNXS79 hack or hand-wind?
No. The 7S26 does neither. This is the single clearest difference from the 4R36 in the current SNXS series, and Seiko's own material for the newer calibre makes the same comparison.
The photo on the Amazon listing looks different. Which one is right?
Ours. The picture on that listing is not an SNXS79 at all: enlarge it and the case code printed on the dial reads 7S26-0360, while the SNXS79 uses the 7S26-0480 case — Long Island Watch, an authorised dealer, states as much on the bracelet it sells for this watch. It also shows an Arabic day wheel, which points at the SNKP21J1 or the SNK063J5, two other Seiko 5s that come up in the same search. The photograph on this page is Seiko's own file for the SNXS79K1.
What is the modern equivalent?
The Seiko 5 Sports SRPK89. Seiko states the series is based on the SNXS and keeps its case shape and four o'clock crown, and it runs the 4R36 rather than the 7S26.
