Hands-On: The Newest Retro-Cool Seiko 5 Is Everything The Seiko 5 Should Be
In 2019, Seiko laid the foundation for its new Seiko 5 Sports lineup, introducing a bunch of new references. Our own James Stacey did an in-depth review of them all, weaving in the history of the Seiko 5 and SKX along the way. Here’s how he concluded that Week On The Wrist:
“While not a true dive watch, I do think the new Seiko 5 manages to uphold the SKX007’s legacy as a value-driven and everyday-ready sports watch that is perfect for those who are just dipping their toe into the bubbling waters of watch enthusiasm. To that, I say jump in!”
You might like it, you might not, but this is the Seiko 5 we’ve got. Four years and hundreds of references later, it’s time to embrace it. To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the original Seiko 5 this year, the brand has released a limited edition tribute to that original model, along with a trio of non-limited watches that are also inspired by heritage references.
The limited edition SRPK17 is the best of the bunch, and maybe even the best Seiko 5 in years, so let’s start there.
SRPK17
The new reference pays homage to the original Seiko 5 from 1968 with the case, bracelet, bezel, and dial – it even recreates the original Seiko 5 logo. This means the dimensions are smaller than the modern Seiko 5 case: The SRPK17 measures 39mm in diameter (43mm lug-to-lug) and 12.5mm thick. The case is faithful to the original, with radial brushing on the bezel, scalloping at the lugs, and drilled lug holes. The bracelet is also an homage to the original and wears thinner than the modern three-link Seiko bracelet; the clasp is a double-push deployant, also different from the standard Seiko 5. This all makes the bracelet flexible and comfortable, a fun addition to the SRPK17 that sets its heritage inspiration over the top.
The vintage-inspired details of the dial are also well executed, starting with the Seiko 5 logo at 12 o’clock, which is much better than the confusing modern Seiko 5 emblem. The matte black dial has a silver-grained outer track, and the red seconds and blue “Sports” are both soft hues, lending to the whole retro-futuristic vibe of this late ’60s homage. The bezel is friction-fit and bi-directional, with fat, silver-grained numerals and markers.
One issue is the small, recessed crown at 4 o’clock which can be difficult to pull out and maneuver for setting the time, day, and date. It’s a detail that sacrifices modern functionality for staying true to the original, when this watch would’ve been fit with a movement that couldn’t be wound with the crown.
On the wrist, the SRPK17 wears just like a Seiko should: chunky but comfy. Smaller than the modern Seiko 5 Sports and with that compact lug-to-lug, the C-shaped case has a presence on the wrist but isn’t overwhelming. It has 100 meters of water resistance, standard fare for Seikos entry-level watches nowadays; I understand the criticism of this more for the standard Seiko 5 Sports than for an homage that’s not supposed to be a true dive watch and more about design than function. Putting it on, it’s the first time I’ve been really excited about a Seiko 5 in a while. While the modern Seiko 5 Sports found itself stuck somewhere between the old SKX and Seiko 5, this watch knows exactly who it is.
Seiko will be producing 15,555 pieces of the limited edition, available in late July or August 2023; so it’ll be limited, but hopefully gettable for those who want it. Some dealers have already opened pre-orders, saying they expect consumer deliveries in late July.
Seiko 5 Sports
Along with the limited edition Seiko 5 SRPK17, Seiko also introduced a trio of heritage-inspired models in its standard Seiko 5 Sports case. If you’ve tried on a modern Seiko 5 Sports in the past few years, these should be familiar to you. The case measures 42.5mm (47mm lug-to-lug) and 13.4mm thick with a familiar unidirectional diving bezel. The package sits a little tall for my taste and I prefer the fit of the limited edition.
The three new references – SRPK09 (silver dial), SRPK11 (orange dial), and SRPK13 (black “regatta” dial) – all take inspiration from the first Seiko 5 collection from 1969. They’re fun interpretations of the originals, and it’s nice to see the brand making explicit references to older Seiko 5s. That said, unlike the limited edition, these are merely changes to the dial and bezel of the Seiko 5 Sports platform that’s probably seen more than a hundred references since being introduced in 2019. Sure, I love a vintage-inspired mash-up more than most of the others, but I’m not going to sit here and tell you the wheel’s been re-invented – Seiko just threw some cool new rims on it.
SRPK09
The silver dial of the SRPK09 has a sunburst finish, with a bright orange hand and blue “Automatic” text at 6 o’clock. The diving bezel looks a bit like the vintage “rally divers” from Seiko – it’s a fun take on the functionality of a countdown bezel. For the silver hands, Seiko also added a strip of black to make them more legible against the silver dial, a practical detail not included on the other references. Of the trio, this one’s the cleanest and most demur of the bunch.
SRPK11
The SRPK11 has a bright orange dial with contrasting blocks of black, an homage to the vintage “Double Hurricane.” As I mentioned in our intro a couple weeks ago, a Seiko diver in orange just works, and this is probably my favorite of the three for that very reason. It’s an homage to the original Double Hurricane ref. 5126-6030. The orange is bright and glossy and in your face, ready for Halloween or a Cincinnati Bengals game. With the bold orange dial, the rest of the watch knows its place and merely tries to blend into the background – an alternating orange and black rehaut gives way to a black bezel with silver numerals.
The case and bracelet of this trio of Seiko 5 references are the same that Seiko’s used since introducing the updated Seiko 5 Sports line in 2019. That means it’s brushed up top, with a polished midcase and swooping crown guards at 4 o’clock. As a spiritual descendant of the SKX series, the case isn’t quite round, but close enough. The three-link bracelet is also familiar, well built for its price point. The removable links use pins, but with the four micro-adjustments on the clasp, once you get the bracelet sized out of the box you should have some room to work with.
SRPK13
Finally, the SRPK13 pays homage to the vintage Seiko 5 “Regatta.” Like the original, it has both an inner and outer bezel. The inner is a 12-hour bezel, with the first four hours in a bright blue and the rest in green; the outer bezel is a traditional diving bezel, but it’s graduated with the first 20 minutes in red, in theory making it more functional to time the start of a regatta race. This is in theory for me because I don’t own a boat, nor do have I ever raced in a regatta, but I recognize everyone’s situation is different. While the original Seiko “Regatta” featured a big square case, the new references uses the same Seiko 5 Sports case as the others.
Take Five
While the heritage-inspired dials of the new non-limited trio are cool, it’s fun to see Seiko take the vintage inspiration all the way with the limited SRPK17. It gets back to the days when Seiko made all kinds of dials, cases, and eventually, complications (the 55th anniversary of the Pogue is next year – just saying), all at pretty affordable prices. The limited edition is $415, while the non-limited references have an MSRP of $350.
And Seiko’s producing 15,555 pieces, which, true to the Seiko 5 ethos, means it’s limited but not that limited. Once this one is off the shelves, I hope Seiko uses the case in other references, maybe even adding one to its standard collection.
SRPK13
While the modern Seiko 5 Sports line is a good collection, especially for those who are, as James put it, “dipping their toes into the “bubbling waters of watch enthusiasm,” this limited edition Seiko 5 is something better, and stays true to the original purpose of the Seiko 5. It’s a “sports” watch in the truest sense: it has no ambition beyond being a cool everyday watch for slightly sporty folks like you and me. It’s not an entry-level watch cloaked in the design codes of a fan-favorite diver. And I’d gladly wear the new SRPK17 every single day.
The Seiko 5 Sports SRPK17 measures 39mm (43mm lug-to-lug) and 12.5mm thick. The non-limited SRPK09, SRPK11, and SRPK13 measure 42.5mm (47mm lug-to-lug) and 13.4mm thick. All references use the Seiko automatic caliber 4R36, beating at 4 Hz with 41 hours of power reserve. The SRPK17 is a limited edition of 15,555, MSRP $415 (available July-August 2023); the non-limited trio has an MSRP $350 (available fall 2023).
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