I wanted to build my own version of the discontinued SKX013. The goal was a stealthy, non-reflective design with high readability. I selected hands that work best for me—a prominent minute hand and an almost invisible seconds hand. Nothing reflective except AR-coated sapphire.
Finding the right parts took time. It wasn’t easy to get non-shiny components that still looked clear. I tried out different dials, hands, and cases, making sure they all worked together. The challenge was keeping everything low-key but still functional.
Case Material | Stainless Steel |
Width | 38 mm |
Thickness | 12.6 mm |
Lug to Lug | 44 mm |
Weight (Watch Head) | 68 grams |
Strap Width | 20 mm |
Movement | NH36 |
Lume | C3 (Green) |
Crystal | Sapphire with Clear AR |
Bezel | Unidirectional Count-Up |
Bezel Insert | Fully-lumed Ceramic |
Crown | Screw-Down |
Lowest Water Resistance | 100 m (Due to the the slim caseback) |
Part | Description | Cost | Supplier | Notes | Alternate Part |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bezel | SKX013 Coin Edge Bezel - CT236CE Black | $36 | Crystaltimes | Watch & Style | |
Bezel Insert | CI0044 SKX013 Ceramic Bezel Insert - Flat Lumed SKX Style | $45 | Watch & Style | Good quality | Best quality |
Case | SKX013 Watch Case - CT706 Black | $50 | Crystaltimes | Watch & Style (includes caseback, gasgets, spring bars, etc.; a great value) | |
Caseback | SKX Slim Caseback – CT273 Black | $20 | Crystaltimes | Caroline Mods Store | |
Chapter Ring | 030 SEIKO AFTERMARKET BLACK CHAPTER RING MINUTE TRACK SKX013 DIVERS 7S26-0030 | $21 | Generic | OK quality; a little "blue"; some registration issues with the printing near the date cut-out | Crystaltimes; A great quality piece, but it was too dark to match the OEM dial, so I went with the generic replacement |
Crown | SKX013 Crown – CT210 Black + S | $26 | Crystaltimes | Bigger than most SKX013 crowns, but a great size: 4.0mm long × 6.1mm ø | |
Crystal | 28 * 2.8mm Flat Big Chamfer Sapphire Crystal - Clear AR | $20 | Generic | ||
Dial | SEIKO OEM Dial SKX013 | $85 | Tokeilab | Cha-ching! | There are many knock-off dials, but I think they're inferior (smaller lume area, weaker lume, etc.) |
Hands | Green Luminous Watch Hands for NH35 NH36 Movement Watch | $4 | Fashional Watch Online Store | Only used the hour and minute hands; Excellent lume; I hand-painted the base of the hour hand black. | |
Hands | Watch Hands C3 green super lume Luminous fit NH35 | $3 | Mechanical Watch Assembly Store | Only used the second hand; hand-painted the center of the hand because there was a brass post hole | |
Movement | Made in Japan NH36 Movement, Seiko NH36A Dual Calendar Mechanical Movement 3/3.8 o'clock Crown, Watch Repair Replacement Parts | $34 | AliExpress | Had non-OEM day wheel and needed to be replaced; see note on Day Wheel entry | |
Movement Wheel, Day | NH36A 4 o'clock Kanji Day Wheel Disc (White) | $23 | Namoki Mods | Any OEM 3.8 O'Clock day wheel; non-OEM wheels have a different color and text weight and will not match the date wheel | |
Strap | Quick Release FKM Watch Bands Men Women Diving Watch Accessories Premium Grade Fluorine Rubber Watch Strap 20mm | $11 | Generic | These are good, generic FKM straps; 20mm | |
$378 |
The back of the hands is painted with titanium white acrylic artist's paint to increase the lume’s opacity and brightness.
The base of the hour hand is painted with Mars black acrylic artist's paint to prevent the white from showing behind the minute hand. The brass post of the second hand was visible from the face, so it was painted black too.
Removing the stem once the hands are installed is awkward, and dropping the movement into a holder risks damaging the dial or hands. This technique acts as a third hand.
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