Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 Review & Complete Guide

Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 Review & Complete Guide

The Seiko 5 collection has gotten an iconic status in the watch industry over the many decades it has been around.

Today, the Seiko 5 collection includes everything from dress watches to dive watches, and perhaps the most iconic of the bunch is the Seiko SKX. This watch was announced discontinued in 2019, and Seiko later announced that the SRPE would replace it.

The new Seiko SRPE collection contains a large number of watches in different executions and designs to suit any occasion, but they stay true to the SKX in terms of overall look and design – namely case design and dial layout.

Seiko also made some technical changes to the successor, with a focus on technical performance – in other words, the movement. The Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 is one of the watches in the new collection, and this is also the watch we are going to look closer at in this article.

Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 Review

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The Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 is a watch that has all of the classic design features discussed above, but it executes them with a twist. In this case, it is a watch with a much sportier appearance, resulting in a sporty, aggressive, and industrialized look. With a dark, almost tungsten look, it is not really a watch for everyone as it exchanges elegance for sportiness, but if you are looking for a durable, sporty, and reliable timepiece, the Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 may just be the watch for you.

Without further ado, in this article, we are reviewing this timepiece.

Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 case

This watch has a stainless steel case with a diameter of 42.5mm, a thickness of 13.4mm, and a lug-to-lug measurement of 46mm. The 

At first glance, you will notice the case stands out of the ordinary. It has a stainless steel look that appears to be worn and aged. This gives it a very sporty and tool-like appearance. On a side note, it’s also good as it means case scratches won’t really be an issue since you won’t notice them. The industrialized look may not be for everyone as it may mean it is not really suitable for those formal occasions, but I’m sure it will speak to a lot of people still.

The watch has a water resistance of 100m/330 feet. This is less than that of the predecessor, the SKX, which has a water resistance of 200m. Having said that, it does not reach the minimum requirement of 200m to be classified as a dive watch. The crown of the watch is positioned at the Seiko 5 iconic 4 o’clock position which can be instantly recognized but also improves the comfort of wearing it as it does not dig into the wrist. It is also a push-pull and not a screw-down like the predecessor.

At the same time, it is not built as a dive watch. Instead, it is made as a sporty everyday watch, and with this in mind, water resistance of 100m should be enough, as it is suitable for swimming but just not deep diving.

Being a dive-inspired watch, it of course also has a unidirectional rotating bezel. Just like the case, the bezel has an aged and worn look. For better grip, the bezel has notched, and the markers on the bezel insert are raised. In contrast, the stainless steel bezel also has a slightly darker tone to it.

As we can expect a Seiko watch of this price point to have, it uses a Hardlex crystal on top.

Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 dial

The dial is yet another part of the watch that stands out from the ordinary. It has a rough textured finish with abstract lines that make for a lovely pattern. Because of this, the dial shifts in colors and has many different shades of grey which makes it much more appealing and vibrant. Naturally, it also helps with the depth of the watch.

The dial has a chapter ring around the outer edge which is angled. The seconds markers are also printed in black, on top of the grey background.

Positioned at 3 o’clock, we find the signature day and date window. It uses a white background with the printing in black. This allows for good legibility and contrast. You may say that it affects the symmetry of the dial, but by now, the day and date window is something we take for granted in the Seiko 5s.

If you are familiar with the SKX, you’ll also recognize the hands and dial layout of the SRPE79K1, because they are more roles identical. The minutes hand has an arrow tip and the hour hand is slightly shorter with a pointy tip. The hour markers have metal frames around them and Lumibrite applied. Legibility isn’t really something we can complain about in this watch.

Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 movement

Inside the SRPE79K1, we have the in-house automatic Seiko caliber 4R36. This movement beats at 21600 BPH, has 24 jewels, and, maybe most importantly, offers manual winding and hacking seconds functions.

This has proven to be a sturdy and durable movement that can continue to work for years with little to no maintenance. It definitely falls under the ”workhorse” category of automatic movements.

There’s not much more to say, really. If you know Seiko, you know this movement. And you know what it is about. Oh, and this watch also comes with a see-through case back which allows you to view it ”in action”. Whilst it is not decorated, it’s still a nice feature to have as its non-finished look goes very well with the tool-like ethos of this timepiece.

Strap

The watch is fitted on a black leather strap with a silicone lining. The silicone lining is a nice feature in this strap as it adds to the sporty feel of the watch due to the increased resistance to water. Whilst it may not be ideal to swim with due to the leather insert, it will naturally be a lot better than a regular leather strap.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 100m/300 feet
• Jewels: 24
• Frequency: 21600 BPH
• Thickness: 13.4 mm
• Diameter: 42.5 mm
• Frequency: 21600 BPH
• Lug-to-lug: 46mm
• Case: Stainless steel
• Strap: black leather with silicone lining

Conclusion

All in all, the Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 is a classic timepiece that has most of the design elements people have come to love and appreciate in the six, but with a twist. This watch is sure to stand out with its tool-like appearance and will work as a great casual everyday watch.

The good news is that it delivers on the build quality, reliability, and finish we have come to expect from Seiko. And at its price, it’s safe to say that it is a great value proposition from Seiko, with an improved automatic movement that can tick for years.

The Seiko 5 SRPE79K1 is available to order on Amazon.