The Seiko was hit by the Casioak's stealthy finish in Round 1 with its modern features and light weight. The Casioak is somewhat accessible with a hunt, and it's one that doesn't requires a WIS as a guide deciphering forum ads. There are major reasons for the Raging Demon finish, but there's a reason why Ryu is a threat in every fight - experience and skill. A major reason why the Seiko SKX is one of the most commonly recommended pieces is how predictably good it is. It's not just a classic, it's an icon.
A true mechanical diver, the SKX delivers on being mechanical, legible, reliable and even after retirement, bang for the buck. We touched on the SKX briefly in Round 1, but Ryu's going to have a chance to deliver a few damage dealing hits in this round.
If you're watching this street fight from the sidelines and scoring it looking for something mechanical, the SKX delivers a point blank QCF HP fireball to the Casioak. Stunned and weakened by its reliance on a battery, the Casioak is dealt a HP directly to the dial which could have easily been Tough Solar. The hits keep coming with the undeniably poor legibility of the analog hands on some of the Casioak variants. As usual, Seiko delivers on its diver lume and even has a day and date complication. If the Casioak is still standing, it's about to get hit with the famed shoryuken. The SKX's comfort and quality feel at this price point is nearly unrivaled. In the harshest of conditions, the SKX stands strong, often running without a service for decades, it's going to outlive that resin strap time after time.
Of course the Casioak fights back with it's feature packed module like Akuma's air fireball. These features are exclusive to quartz modules outside of ridiculous exceptions like Ryu's air fireballs in MVC2. But again, it's not always about the tools, it's about how you use them and the Casioak isn't the most effective quartz module compared to other G-SHOCK'S. Meanwhile, what the shotokan's do well, they consistently do well and Ryu's hurricane kick is the Hokusai wave on the caseback of these divers. The Seiko is an ISO certified diver - a tool that meets stringent standards. The SKX has a unidirectional bezel with a satisfying tactile clicks that's as important as it's crown guard and screw down crown.
For the purists or those looking for a classic, the SKX is the clear winner of this round. It can be dressed up and down, on the bracelet and on rubber - and the infinite mod options for this one watch collection for some, it's an amazing entry-point to the hobby. It's a shame it's not as obvious option as it once was when you could easily buy one online or at your local Seiko dealer, but part of watch collecting and a characteristic of the hobby - it's about the thrill of the hunt. When you chase down an opponent, you remember it. At the end of Round 2, the Casioak couldn't defeat the SKX's dragon punch with the victory. This one's going to Round 3.
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