Seiko 5 SRPD63 Review & Complete Guide

Photo: The Slender Wrist

Seiko 5 SRPD63 Review & Complete Guide

In August 2019, Seiko announced a huge change to one of its most popular watch lines – the SKX. Amongst watch enthusiasts, the SKX is unarguably the most popular watch model from Seiko. But after having been in production for many years without any upgrade, it was finally time for an update. But how do you go about changing a winning concept?

Seiko’s answer to that question is that the new Seiko 5 collection which consists of 27 new models. This new watch model stays true to the original but has been refined and improved to meet the build quality and reliability standards of today.

One of the 27 watches in the collection is the Seiko 5 SRPD63 green, and this is the watch we are going to review and look closer at in this article.

Seiko 5 SRPD63 green review

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The Seiko 5 SRPD63 is part of Seiko’s new ”5” collection. Originally, Seiko introduced the ”5” collection line back in 1963. The concept was that watches in this line would be affordable, sporty, offer great value for money, and work as entry-level watches. Apart from this, all Seiko 5 watches must meet 5 criteria (hence the name). These criteria are:

• automatic winding
• Day and date display
• Decent water resistance (varies across models)
• a protected or recessed crown
• Durable case and bracelet

Of course, the new Seiko 5 diver and specifically the Seiko 5 SRPD63 meets all those criteria and many more.

The Seiko 5 SRPD63 is green and bold (and extremely appealing if you ask us) a robust timepiece that is powered by an automatic movement and offers ok water resistance. There’s a reason why its predecessor became so immensely popular, and this watch builds on this recipe to create an attractive tried, and true recipe.

Let’s look at this watch in detail:

SEIKO SRPD63 case

The Seiko 5 SRPD63 has a sporty stainless steel case  – in fact almost identical to that of the SKX. The difference is that this one has drilled lugs as well as a see-through case back.

The case is 42.5mm in diameter and has a thickness of 13.4mm. It is 46mm lug to lug. A feedback this watch has received is that it sits quite tall on the wrist, but not tall to the point where it is 

The watch has circular brushed lugs on the top, contrasted by polished sides which enhances the premium feel of the case. The lugs are relatively short which allows the watch to sit planted on the wrist. Positioned at 4 o ’clock is the crown, protected by distinct crown guards which keeps the crown well protected (and has become an important part of the SKX’s identity).

Being a watch with a dive watch DNA and design, it features a unidirectional rotating bezel with 60 graduation markers and 120 clicks. The bezel has a knurled edge with a ”square-shaped” knurled positioned in two rows around the bezel. Since the bezel is slightly angled inwards and also sits tall, it is relatively easy to operate and grip. The bezel features a matte green aluminum insert with the minute markers printed in silver. The first 15 minutes are indicated by the minute, and then after that only every five minutes.

Sitting on top of the case is a Hardlex mineral crystal. This is Seiko’s own proprietary crystal, and whilst not as hard as sapphire crystal, it has still proven to be much more durable and scratch-resistant than regular mineral glass.

SEIKO SRPD63 dial

The green dial is naturally the most eye-catching and striking detail of this watch, which also happens to match perfectly with the green aluminum insert.

The dial may look flat and boring, but actually, it has a brushed sunburst finish which makes the dial reflect the light in a stunning way. Thanks to the sunburst effect, the green dial changes color depending on how the light hits it. In darker environments, it can look really dark green, reminiscent of a fir tree, but in the sunlight, it can look almost lime green.

The watch has applied metal markers. The metal is made in a rose gold/copper tone instead of the more commonly seen chrome/steel for the hour markers. The hands are made with the same metal as the markers. The markers have a generous amount of Lumibrite luminous material which glows brightly and allows for great legibility in the dark.

The minute hand has a pointed arrow at its tip and has a generous amount of Lumibrite applied. The hour hand is slightly shorter but has a pointy tip and Lumibrite applied too.

At 3 o’clock, we find a day and day window as on so many other Seiko 5 watches. These have a white background with black printing. This watch keeps the dial text at a minimum, only with an applied Seiko logo in matching gold-tone at 12 o’clock, the new Seiko 5 logo, and the text ”Automatic” printed in white at 6 o’clock.

On the outer edge of the dial, you can find a green chapter ring. The chapter ring has seconds markers printed in silver. These create a greater depth to the watch and is a really nice touch.

Photo: Shopee

SEIKO SRPD63 bracelet

The Seiko 5 SRPD63 is presented on a sporty and robust stainless steel bracelet with a three-link oyster design with a satin finish and polished sides.

The bracelet has a deployant clasp. The bracelet has a width of 22mm and tapers slightly towards the bracelet. Feedback, or complain, some people have had about the bracelet is that it does not taper enough. And yes, tapering tends to have a big impact on how comfortably the bracelet wears.

Generally, the bracelet is the part of the watch that is compromised with the most when it comes to affordable timepieces, and to some extent, this can be said about the SRPD63, but with that said, it’s not terrible. It’s relatively robust but has some rattle. The good news is that the watch looks great with other straps, and the drilled lugs make it very easy to remove and change the strap.

Movement

The Seiko 5 SRPD63 is equipped with the automatic mechanical Seiko caliber 4R36. This is a huge improvement from the movement used in the predecessor – the 7S26. The two most important improvements are that the 4R36 features a manual winding function as well as a hacking seconds function. The watch also features a 40-hour power reserve and beats with a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 VPH). It has also been reported that the new movement has improved accuracy compared to its predecessor. The movement has 24 jewels.

Unlike the predecessor, this watch has a see-through case back which allows you to see the movement beating inside. Now, bear in mind the 4R36 is not meant to be a well-finished and beautifully decorated movement. Instead, it is meant to be tool-like, robust, and durable. With that said, it is not decorated, but it’s still nice to see the movement and be reminded of the beautiful art of mechanical craftsmanship.

SEIKO 5 SRPD63 specifications

• Movement: Seiko Automatic caliber 4R36
• Functions: Seconds, minutes, hours, day, date, hacking seconds, manual winding function, automatic rotor.
• Jewels: 24
• Diameter: 42.5mm
• Thickness: 13.4mm
• Lug-to-lug: 46mm
• Case back: see-through, screw-down
• Crystal: Hardlex mineral crystal
• Band: Stainless steel bracelet, deployant clasp. 22mm
• Water Resistant: 100 meters
• Warranty: 2 Years

Conclusion

The Seiko 5/the predecessor SKX has established itself almost as a legend in the horology world. Praised by watch enthusiasts and horologists for its affordable price as one of the best affordable automatic watches in that price range.

With that said, when Seiko decided it was finally time for an upgrade, the upcoming models definitely had some very big shoes to fill. How do you go about improving an icon?

Safe to say, Seiko succeeded well by not changing too much of its design, but improving its technical performance and built quality. With that said, the SRPD63 is a well-built high-quality timepiece that offers exceptional value for money.

The Seiko 5 SRPD63 is available to order on Amazon.