Seiko is often associated with affordable mechanical watches since it's almost the only company to provide such great timepieces for a low price. 

Mechanical watches are great when you're a watch geek and you care about horology, but what if you don't care about mechanical movements, and you simply want a cheap watch that benefits from Seiko's legendary reliability and high material quality?

The answer to this question is quite simple: get the Seiko SNE03xx. This watch series features solar-powered quartz timepieces that are extremely cheap and easy to use, even for non-watch enthusiasts.

Measurements

The measurements of the Seiko SNE03 are pretty standard when it comes to entry-level Seiko dress watches. The 37mm case  diameter is exactly the same as the classic Seiko 5 (SNK807), as well as the 43mm lug-to-lug length. 

Even if this watch will fit on almost anyone (men or women), it will look best on people with small to medium wrists (5.75" to 7" wrists). The 18mm lug width contributes to the small frame of the piece, and it is a common width so finding a replacement bracelet is very easy.

Finally, the 9.6mm thickness of the case is relatively small, but it is to be expected from a quartz timepiece (compared to the 11mm thickness of the mechanical Seiko 5). This is perfect if you plan on wearing the SNE03 in a formal setting as it will slide right under your cuffs.

Specs

Movement:

The reason why the Seiko SNE03 has been so popular for the last decade or so is that it uses a very simple yet performant quartz movement. The Seiko v158 is a solar-powered quartz caliber that is used in several timepieces.

The v158 is as precise as other entry-level quartz movements, which means it should gain or lose about 15 seconds per month. This is much more precise than mechanical watches worth thousands of dollars.

Another advantage this quartz movement gets over its mechanical cousins is the power reserve. The solar-power function allows the SNE03 to go a full 10 months without needing to see the sunlight. This great property removes the need to change the battery every so often.

The V158 caliber also packs a few cool features such as the energy depletion forewarning, instant-charge function, overcharging protection and seconds hand halt (hacking).

Material / Features

The material used in the Seiko SNE03 is nothing impressive, but it does the job damn well for such a cheap timepiece. The Hardlex (mineral) crystal is a bit less resistant than sapphire crystals, so you should expect a few scratches after a few months of use. Fortunately, the crystal is quite shock-resistant so it should survive a few drops without a problem.

At the 3 o'clock position, next to the day-date display, is situated the unsigned crown used to set the time and date. While it works very well for its intended purpose, the fact that it uses a push-pull mechanism means the water-resistance is not fantastic.

The 30m water-resistance is enough to withstand splashes (ex: showering, washing dishes, etc.) but I don't recommend swimming with it. Case in point, a common complaint about the SNE03 is that condensation can appear under the dial in humid temperatures.

Finally, the last Seiko SNE03 feature I want to talk about is the lume. It is quite rare to see luminous phosphorescent applied on dress watch dials, so it's refreshing to see it on the SNE03.

Seiko applied a thin layer of lume on the minute and hour hands as well as small lume pips at the extremities of the hour marks. While this application is nowhere near the SKX's lume in terms of brightness and longevity, it does the job just fine.

Styling

Even if the specs of the Seiko SNE03 are very good for the price point, the styling is definitely what brings such a large crowd to this timepiece. The stainless steel case paired with the conservatively colored dial makes the SNE03 a good match for pretty much any outfit.

Dial:

Even though the SNE03 is typically seen as a dress watch, you can dress it down if you equip it with the right strap (more on that later).  The pure and uncluttered dial contributes to the dress design of the watch, and the Seiko and Solar scripts are very subtle.

Every watch in the SNE03 collection shares the same glossy finished dial, with the exception of the Seiko SNE034 and SNE039, which have a unique sunburst pattern. They all have nice light reflection, and the polished bezel reflects even more light.

The thin baton-shaped hour marks and simple minute marks are all applied directly on the dial, so there's no chapter ring. Also, the hands share a similar baton shape, which is referred to as "pencil hands" by some collectors.

The day-date display located at the 3 o'clock position is quite useful, but it's also a common point for complaints. The problem seems to be that the day-date is often misaligned, so it looks a bit crooked.

Case / Bracelet

The Seiko SNE03 has a good mix of polished (bezel, case sides, middle links) and brushed (lugs, case back, bracelet) stainless steel finish. Since it's a quartz watch, Seiko also decided to go for a plain steel case back instead of an exhibition display. 

As is the case for most entry-level Seiko watches, the bracelet is very rattly, light and not-so-comfortable. The solution to this problem is simply to buy a third-party strap (as pictured in the "Strap Ideas" section.)

Variations

Seiko SNE031

The Seiko SNE031 is the most ''plain and simple'' of the bunch, but it is one of my favorite models. The glossy white dial matched with the stainless steel bracelet makes the SNE031 perfect to wear with almost every outfit.

Even if the white dial makes it seem more dressy, it can easily be dressed down with the right strap. In my opinion, the SNE031 is perfect both for men and women.

Seiko SNE032

The Seiko SNE032 is very similar to the SNE031, with a few additions of gold-tone accents on the bezel, crown, seconds hand, Seiko script and bracelet middle links. This adds a bit of a playful touch to the SNE03, so it is the perfect middle between too conservative and too flashy.

This polyvalent styling is one of the reasons why the SNE032 is the second most sold model presented in today's article. 

Seiko SNE034

The Seiko SNE034 keeps every single gold touch found on the SNE032, but now the minutes and hours hands, hour indices, ''Solar'' script and day-date frame are also covered in gold paint.

The biggest change from the previously mentioned models is that the SNE034 has a completely black dial that features a sunburst pattern. The iridescent nature of dial means it can almost look deep blue under certain lightings.

Seiko SNE036

The Seiko SNE036 is definitely the flashiest timepiece of the gang. On this one, the gold-tone coloring now covers the entire dial and bracelet. To bring a bit of contrast, the minutes/hours hands and hour indices are set back to a black color.

The SNE036 is perfect if you want attention to your wrist, as this model seems to bring a lot of compliments according to Amazon reviews. You will certainly want to skip this one if you're looking for a subtle and conservative piece.

Seiko SNE039

The Seiko SNE039 is the most popular of the line by quite a large margin. On this one, the black dial of the SNE034 is matched to a fully silvered layout. Everything from the bracelet to the hands and indices is covered in a silver color, giving a superb neat look to the timepiece.

Another reason why it is so popular is that it gets a few tweaks that are peculiar to the SNE039. For example, the lume pips at the extremity of the hour marks are given a cool triangle shape. Also, the hour mark batons are a bit thicker on this one.

Strap Ideas

Leather

Equipping a leather strap on your watch is nothing innovative, but for some people it's unthinkable to wear a dress watch without a leather band. 

A high-quality leather strap will not only be much more comfortable, but it will also allow you to match your Seiko SNE03 to your belt and shoes. Above, you can picture the Seiko SNE031 equipped with a black or brown strap to see which one you prefer.

Nylon

As I said earlier, one of the great benefits of the SNE03 is that you can either dress it up or down depending on the occasion. The key to dressing down your SNE03 is to equip it with a nylon strap.

On the picture above, you can see the Seiko SNE031 attached to a blue nylon strap. This gives a sportier look to the watch, while still being acceptable in a business casual situation.

Alternatives

Seiko SGF204/SGF206

Seiko SNKL41/SNKL45

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Seiko SNE03 is a superb timepiece that can be  had for an extremely cheap price. The high material quality, the precision and the reliability of the movement explain why the SNE03 has been a pillar in Seiko's lineup for over a decade.

You must still be careful because the quality control on this model seems a bit lower than for your average Seiko watch. This means you need to make sure you're buying your piece from an authorized retailer to get access to the full warranty in case you get a lemon.

If you're still unsure about getting the Seiko SNE03, look at the pros and cons below to form a final opinion.