If I went back to 1996 and tried to sell you a Seiko SKX Homage, you would've probably told me that I'm absolutely crazy. Back then, the SKX007/009 sold for around $150, an absolute bargain for such a great watch.

Fast forward 25 years, the SKX is discontinued and the demand is higher than ever. You don't need a degree in economics to know what happens to the price of this watch (spoiler alert: it skyrockets).

Now that the price of the relatively rudimentary SKX is astronomical, it makes more and more sense to buy an homage. With so many Seiko SKX homages on the market, how can one determine which is best?

Heimdallr SKX007

Heimdallr is the leading husky when it comes to Seiko homage brands. While they re-make tons of popular Seiko models, their SKX007/009 homage is by far the most popular.

It's easy to figure out why so many people choose Heimdallr over the Seiko SKX. For around half the price, you get a better movement, a sapphire crystal, better lume, and a ceramic bezel insert.

The NH36a caliber used in the Heimdallr is about as accurate as the 7s26 in the Seiko SKX, but it adds two much-needed functions: hacking and hand-winding. 

The sapphire crystal and ceramic insert are two components that add a lot of scratch resistance, which means your Heimdallr will still look great 10 years from now. Also, the crystal has a layer of anti-reflective coating which increases legibility.

My favorite thing about the Heimdallr SKX is the amount of color schemes available. You can get your piece in the original SKX007 color (black), but also have the option to get a green, blue, orange, or even yellow dial.

Also, the Heimdallr SKX is equipped with a 316l Oyster bracelet that is 10x better than Seiko's OEM bracelet. For instance, this one gets solid-end links, milled-clasp, and just better general quality.

Finally, the Heimdallr SKX shares the same dimension as the original Seiko SKX, which means that any SKX mods will also fit on your Heimdallr.

SteelDive 1996

As you can see above, most Seiko SKX homages share very similar components. For instance, the Seiko NH movement family is ubiquitous because it's dirt cheap and it provides the highly sought-after hacking & hand-winding features.

On the SteelDive 1996, you get Seiko's NH35a variant (instead of NH36 like the Heimdallr). The only difference between the two is the date complication (day-date for the NH36, date only for the NH35). 

This is a nice distinguishing feature from the original Seiko SKX. Indeed, this is perfect for people who don't like the day-date format, which takes a lot of real estate on the dial. 

Whereas most homage brands try to hide their logo as much as possible, SteelDive proudly displays its logo on the dial and case back. This helps differentiate the 1996 from the SKX, but you should look at something else if you want an SKX replica rather than an homage. 

Unfortunately, the SteelDive 1996 is only offered in black, but they have a large choice of colorful straps & bracelets to go along with it. 

If you don't mind the big logo on the dial, I think the SteelDive 1996 is the best bang-for-the-buck Seiko SKX homage out there. Not only is it extremely cheap ($130), but it also comes with a full 3-year warranty.

Deep Blue Nato Diver

In my opinion, the Deep Blue Nato Diver is the first watch on this list that's an SKX alternative rather than an homage. While it does look near-identical to the SKX, there are a few key differences that make it a unique timepiece.

For instance, the Nato Diver is tested for 300m water resistance, which is much higher than the original Seiko. Furthermore, this watch has a helium escape valve at the 9 o'clock position which makes saturation diving possible.

Another distinguishing feature of the Deep Blue is its case size. Whereas the Seiko SKX has a 42mm case with 46mm lug-to-lug-length, the Nato Diver's case measures 44mm and has a 51mm lug-to-lug length.

This means that the Deep Blue Nato Diver is perfect if you're the type of collector that enjoys big & bulky dive watches. 

Like most Seiko SKX homages, this watch is equipped with a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel topped with a ceramic insert. What's great about this one is that Deep Blue offers different iconic inserts such as a Pepsi bezel, Batman bezel, Coca-cola bezel, etc..

Furthermore, the Nato Diver can be bought with different dial colors (blue, black, grey), different straps (nato, rubber, steel bracelet), and there's even a PVD-Coated model.

It's important to note that the Nato-equipped Deep Blue is sold for $249, whereas the stainless-steel bracelet one is sold for $332. This is a steep price increase which makes you think twice before getting the bracelet.

Islander Automatic

Another cool aspect of the Islander Automatic is the steel ring that ties the dial to the case. There's a small beveling between the crystal and the bezel, which reflects part of the indices on this chapter ring (as pictured above).

This is another watch that's offered with tons of dial colors, bezel configurations, etc.. Additionally, Mark seems to work constantly on this collection to bring more and more variations to the market. 

San Martin Marine Master

As the name implies, the San Martin Marine Master is a Seiko Marine Master homage rather than an SKX homage. However, the Seiko SKX and Marine Master are two watches with similar size, styling, and specs, so I think it's a perfectly reasonable alternative.

What's great about this Marine Master is that it has larger hands, larger bezel numerals, and large indices. This makes for a huge lumed surface, which makes this San Martin the most glowing watch on this list.

What makes the San Martin such a special watch is its case & bracelet. Indeed, the case of the Marine Master is a mono-bloc piece of steel, which means there's no removable case back. This is a pretty rare feature that usually allows for increased water resistance (300m in this case).

The bracelet is also quite peculiar because it's not the usual Jubilee or Oyster bracelet that you see everywhere. Instead, this San Martin is equipped with a "loose-beads" bracelet with solid end-links and a "turtleback" solid clasp.

Another great feature of the San Martin Marine Master is the customization. Like most watches on this list, this San Martin is available in different dial colors, but the customization doesn't stop there. For instance, you can also choose between a date or no-date model, and you can even use a custom logo, or have no logo at all.

Bonus: Seiko SRPD (5KX)

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The Seiko 4r36 caliber is the same NH36 movement that's found in most homages, it simply has a different branding only used for Seiko watches. 

One of the biggest disappointing facts about this new 5KX is the Hardlex (mineral composite) crystal. Indeed, pretty much everyone expects a sapphire crystal when shelling out around $300 for a watch.

In fact, the whole watch is pretty much a disappointment considering the fact that you can buy an Orient Ray II for $130. This is a watch produced by a Seiko-owned company that equals or better the SRPD in literally every aspect.

However, I must admit that the Seiko SRPD has great styling and tons of different color schemes (over 30). Also, the dials have some of the best texture I've seen on a sub-$300 watch in a long time.

Bonus: Namokimods NMK05

As you can tell from the pictures, the Namokimods NMK05 is definitely not a Seiko SKX homage. However, it is a watch fully-built with Seiko SKX007/009 mods. This means that every one of its components could also be bought as a standalone part for the Seiko SKX.

Accordingly, the NMK05 will have the exact same size and proportions as the OEM SKX (except for the domed crystal which makes it a bit thicker).

Like most other pieces on this list, Namoki one-ups Seiko in virtually every aspect of the watch. The double-domed sapphire crystal offers unmatched scratch-resistance while also avoiding the distortion a single-domed crystal would cause.

The 120-click bezel has a steel insert that's nodding to the vintage Submariner or Black Bay watches. It's also very crisp and easy to operate.

Superluminova is one of the few lume makers that can blow Seiko's Lumibrite out of the water. For the NMK05, Namokimods uses the C3 formula mixed with a bit of yellow pigments to give it that creamy patina look associated with vintage watches.

For $375, the Namokimods NMK05 is a perfect way to get a fully-modded Seiko SKX without breaking the bank nor wasting time putting it together.