Seiko 5 SRPC51 Review & Complete Guide
Seiko watches are widely appreciated for offering exceptional value for money whilst being qualitative and long-lasting. Amongst enthusiasts, one of the most popular collections is the Seiko 5 sports. This collection consists of timepieces with automatic movements, that are built to last, are rugged, and have somewhat of a decent water resistance.
Over the years, Seiko has become an expert in making durable dive watches that have incredible performance yet are offered at attractive prices. As a result, lots of Seiko divers have become ”iconic” and recognized as professional dive watches.
But what if you enjoy the design and style of dive watches but don’t need a full-blown diver?
The good news is, Seiko has the answer.
The answer is the reference SRPC51.
Seiko 5 SRPC51 Review
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
This watch is presented in the Seiko 5 collection, which means it needs to meet 5 criteria, as follows:
- automatic winding
- Day and date display
- Decent water resistance (varies across models)
- a protected or recessed crown.
- Durable case and bracelet.
This watch is designed and built as a dive watch, but it doesn’t have the water resistance to back it up. In order for a watch to be classified as a diver’s watch, it needs to have a water resistance of at least 200m. This one only has 100m.
And that is the whole purpose of this watch. This is why we say that this watch is not built as a diver’s watch, but more so as a sporty everyday watch for people who enjoy this type of design, and also some heft on the wrist.
If this sounds like you, continue reading because, in this article, we are reviewing the Seiko 5 SRPC51.
Seiko 5 SRPC51 case
The watch is presented with a stainless steel case with a diameter of 44.5mm. The thickness measures 13mm. With that said, it is still quite a big watch that will have a presence on the wrist. Its size makes it not suitable for everyone, mainly men with medium to large wrists.
Considering its price, the watch is incredibly well-made. The case has large angled bevels that have been polished, and the top of the lugs are satin-brushed. In addition, the sides of the case are polished too. This is a great combination of case finishing at this price point and one that is very impressive to see on this watch.
A diver, whether only inspired or a full-on diver’s watch, needs a unidirectional rotating bezel with a 60-minute graduation scale. This watch features an aluminum insert that is colored blue and has markers printed in silver. It’s interesting to see a slightly angled bezel as it means the crystal does not sit exposed and therefore has a lesser risk of getting scratched. The bezel takes up a lot of the property of this watch, so the result is that the dial is quite small.
As mentioned, the SRPC51 has a water resistance of 100 meters / 330 feet. This is enough for swimming with, but it is not suitable for diving and keeping submerged underwater for longer periods of time. One of the reasons it does not have better water resistance is because of the fact that it does not have a screw-down crown. Instead, the crown is a push-pull which doesn’t give as great reassurance against water as a screw-down.
In addition, the crown is slightly recessed but is not protected by crown guards.
Seiko 5 SRPC51 dial
The watch features a blue dial with a sunburst brushed effect. It’s interesting to see that Seiko uses gilt/gold colored markers/hands as opposed to the more traditional steel color. The dial has applied hour markers that have polished metal gold frames around them. The markers have a generous amount of Lumibrite applied to them. Furthermore, Seiko has also made the sword-shaped minutes hand, the arrow-tipped hour hand, and the arrow-shaped seconds hand in gold color. These also have Lumibrite applied to them.
At 3 o’clock, we have the day and date window which is iconic for Seiko. Considering this is not a serious dive watch, and will be worn as an everyday watch by most people, the day and date window adds to the practicality of this timepiece.
The gold accents go very well against the blue sunburst dial and give it a unique yet appealing look. And of course, the sunburst dial reflects the light beautifully. Especially when direct sunlight hits it.
Seiko 5 SRPC51 movement
The SRPC51 is powered by the in-house Seiko caliber 4R36. It’s great to see this movement inside a watch at this price point considering the fact that Seiko’s most affordable automatic watches are primarily powered by the entry-level automatic movement 7S calibers which do not have manual winding nor hacking seconds functions.
This movement, on the other hand, has both of these functions and beats with a frequency of 21600 BPH. The movement offers a power reserve of 41 hours. This movement is sturdy and robust which makes it perfect for an everyday timepiece that you will enjoy for years. The movement is known as a workhorse that will continue to tick year after year and will require little to no maintenance.
What you will notice if you turn the watch around is the fact that it is equipped with a see-through case back. This allows you to see the automatic movement beating inside. What you will also notice is that the movement is not decorated. This may be seen as a big downside by some, but it’s really not. And we’ll tell you why:
This watch is built as a sporty tool-watch for everyday wear. With that said, function before form is key here, and with that said, a tool-like look goes very well together with the purpose of this watch.
Seiko 5 SRPC51 bracelet
The watch is presented on a three-link sporty bracelet in a sporty Oyster design. It goes very well with the overall design of the watch, but worth having in mind is the fact that the bracelets are usually the part of affordable watches that are compromised with the most. The same applies to the SRPC51 to some extent.
The movement does not feel 100% solid and robust and does have some rattle, which is perhaps what you would expect from a watch in this affordable price range.
With that said, the bracelet does the job and it looks good with the watch. But sure, there is room for improvement. Namely in the feeling of the robustness of the bracelet.
Specifications
- Diameter: 44.5 mm
- Thickness: 13 mm
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Crown: Push/pull
- Movement: Seiko caliber 4R36
- Power reserve: 41 hours
- Water resistance: 100 meters / 330 feet
Conclusion
All in all, the Seiko 5 SRPC51 is a fun and sporty timepiece with diving inspired design at an affordable price. This watch offers exceptional value for money in all kinds of areas, from build quality, to finish, and reliability.
The automatic movement inside this watch will continue to tick for years to come and will require little service. At this price point, there really are few watches that can compete.
The Seiko 5 SRPC51 is available to order on Amazon.
