Seiko 5 SRPD65 Review & Complete Guide

Seiko 5 SRPD65 Review & Complete Guide

In 2019, Seiko presented a brand new dive watch-inspired collection that consisted of 27 different models. The introduction of this watch also meant discontinuing one of the most popular affordable dive watches in the world which is the SKX which had been around for more than two decades. Safe to say, the SKX became a classic.

So how do you change an already winning concept?

The answer lies in keeping the visual changes at a minimum, staying true to the original design and lines, and focusing on improving the technical performance and build quality. And so that is exactly what Seiko did. One of the watches in Seiko’s new collection is the Seiko 5 SRPD65.

Seiko 5 SRPD65 Review

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If you are looking for a watch that is bold and different with a classic dive watch design, the Seiko 5 SRPD65 may just be the watch for you. The Seiko 5 SRPD65 is based on the classic SKX dive watch design, but has been refined, and improved both technically and visually. But what especially makes this watch stand out is that Seiko has opted for an all-black theme with a gunmetal case and bracelet. The dial and bezel have also been made black for a monochrome look.

Seiko 5 SRPD65 case

The SRPD65 has a black PVD hard-coated stainless steel case with a diameter of 42.5mm. The watch has a lug width of 22mm and a thickness of 13.4mm. The watch is robust and relatively big, but not insanely big. Bear in mind that this is a sports/dive watch and should have a sporty presence on the wrist.

The watch offers a water resistance of 100m/10ATM. Surprisingly, this is 100M less than the previous SKX. So how come the water resistance has been reduced?

Well, this watch has a push-pull and not a screw-down crown. This naturally affects the water resistance of the watch. Now, 100M is still good water resistance which means you can go swimming with it and even go diving – just not deep diving. But if you consider the fact that the vast majority of people do not go deep diving to hundreds of meters with their watch anyways, it is not a big deal that the water resistance is reduced.

For the vast majority of people, 100m is more than enough.

The watch uses a Hardlex crystal to sit on top of the case. Hardlex is Seiko’s proprietary form of mineral crystals which is both more scratch.-resistant and robust. Yes, it would have been good if this watch used a sapphire crystal, but have in mind that this would in that case be reflected in the price. And the question is if it is worth it. The Hardlex crystal is still tough and has the benefit of not shattering the way a sapphire crystal does.

The lugs of the case are relatively short. They are satin-brushed in a circular motion on top and polished on the sides. This enhances the watch’s impression of quality. The watch has Seiko’s classic design with the crown positioned at 4 o’clock, protected by seamless crown guards which extend from the case. The benefit of this positioning is that it keeps the crown from digging into the wrist which improves comfort.

The watch has a  unidirectional rotating bezel with knurled edges. The bezel has a black aluminum insert with 60-minute graduation markers printed in white.

Photo: Hodinkee.com

Seiko 5 SRPD65 dial

The dial of the Seiko 5 SRPD65 is very clean, simple, and.. monochrome. Some may even find it too monochrome and boring as it only uses black and white.

The black dial is slightly matte which prevents glare and reflections and thus improves legibility. The watch has applied hour markers with a metal frame that has been PVD-coated. The good news is that the hour markers have a rich amount of Lumibrite which is white. This creates an exceptional contrast and good legibility despite the monochrome look. The rich amount of Lumibrite also glows bright and long in the dark.

At 3 o’clock, we have the Seiko 5 standard day and date window with white background and black printing.  Around the edge of the dial, the watch has a chapter ring on which the seconds markers are printed in white.

The watch keeps the dial printing at a minimum in order to maintain a clean and uncluttered look.

Photo credit: Hodinkee.com

Seiko 5 SRPD65 movement

The Seiko 5 SRPD65 is equipped with an automatic in-house Seiko caliber, the 4R36. This movement has two key functions that the predecessor did not have, which are a manual-winding function and hacking seconds. The movement has 24 jewels.

If we turn the watch around, you’ll find that this watch has a see-through case back with a glass cover. This allows you to see the automatic movement beating inside.

The movement is not decorated or finished, but that is not the purpose of this movement. The movement is instead built to last. This movement is often called a workhorse as it can continue to tick for years and years without needing a service.

The movement perfectly matches the ethos of a robust sports watch. It offers a power reserve of 41 hours which is enough for wearing a different watch for one day and then coming back to the Seiko and still having it running. It operates with a frequency of 21,600 BPH.

Seiko 5 SRPD65 bracelet

The watch is fitted on a very sporty PVD-treated stainless steel three-link bracelet with a deployment clasp.

At this price point, we wouldn’t expect the most robust or qualitative bracelet, since this is generally the part that is compromised with the most when it comes to affordable watches.

The bracelet is ok in quality and robustness, but it does have some rattle. The good news is that if you do wish to change, the drilled lugs make changing a breeze.

Specifications

• Lug width: 22mm
• Diameter: 42.5mm
• Lug-to-lug: 46mm
• Water-resistance: 100 meters/10Bar
• Crystal: Hardlex
• Thickness: 13.4mm
• Jewels: 24
• Power reserve: 41 Hours
• Frequency: 21,600 BPH
• Accuracy: +45 to -35 Seconds per day

Conclusion

With a price of around 300 USD, the Seiko 5 SRPD65 offers tremendous value for money – as we expect a Seiko watch to do. It is equipped with a robust and reliable automatic workhorse movement that is built to last. It is also finished to a much higher level than most other watches in this price range.

With its classic dive watch design and its bold all-black twist, this is a sporty dive watch for someone who is looking for something classic yet different and unique. The bottom line is that for the money, you really cannot go wrong with this watch.

Overall, the watch is clean, elegant, and refined. You can say that it is very minimalistic and simple, especially considering it only uses two colors.

The Seiko 5 SRPD65 is available to order on Amazon.