Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 Review & Complete Guide
Amongst watch enthusiasts, the Seiko 5 sports collection is one of the most popular ranges of affordable watches there is.
The Seiko 5 sports collection consists of a wide array of timepieces in different styles, shapes, and sizes. The ”5” stands for the criteria a watch much have in order to fit into the collection. These are:
- Automatic movement
- Day/date window
- Somewhat good water-resistance
- Sporty recessed crown/positioned at 4 o’clock
- Durable case and bracelet
Generally, the Seiko 5 sports watches have more in common than these 5 criteria, but they are not as universal as the ones below.
The Seiko 5 sports collection has established itself as an extremely popular collection of timepieces due to the exceptional value they tend to offer. Overall, their build quality, finish, and durability tends to punch well above their own weight in relation to their price. Simply put, they offer great value for money.
Probably the most popular Seiko 5 sports watches of all time was the now-legendary SKX diver’s watch. Safe to say, when this watch was discontinued in 2019, a lot of people were disappointed. But the good news is that Seiko also replaced it with a new, fresh model meant to succeed the SKX. Or, more correctly, 27 of them, in slight variations in terms of colors and finish.
In this article, we are going to look closer at one of them – the Seiko 5 SRPD65K4.
Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 review
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The Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 is one of 27 watches released in 2019 by Seiko as successors of the legendary and much-appreciated SKX.
These watches share the same movement, dial layout, and case, but they vary slightly in their overall look, which in many cases has to do with the colors used.
With its NATO strap, it appears that Seiko has made this watch to be more casual and has a sporty appeal to it. The watch gives the first impression of a rugged personality, and if this sounds like a watch for you, keep reading, because, in this article, we are reviewing the Seiko 5 Sports SRPD65K4
Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 case
What primarily distinguishes this watch from most others in the collection is its case. In terms of size, it is identical to the others with its diameter of 42.5mm, lug-to-lug of 46mm, and thickness of 13.4mm. But it is the fact that the case has been treated with a hard coating that gives it a dark/black look, which evidently, makes it look very sporty, instead of regular, non-treated bright stainless steel. If you know the previous Seiko SKX, you will, of course, recognize the case design of this one, because it is still extremely similar.
The case has a satin-brushed finish on top of the lugs, and the sides have been polished. A detail as small as this can make a huge difference in the way the quality is perceived. It really shows that Seiko has paid attention to the details.
Like most Seiko 5 sports watches, the crown is positioned at 4 o’clock instead of the traditional 3 o’clock. The benefit of this? Well, firstly, it is a signature design trait of these watches that make them instantly recognizable. But secondly, it also has a practical reason, which is that it improves comfort since the crown/ crown guards will not dig into your wrist as you are wearing it.
Speaking of crown guards, the SRPD65K4 has pointy crown guards that extend from the case and keep the crown protected. The crown is push-pull and not screw-down. This naturally has an impact on the water resistance of the watch as it doesn’t give the same reassurance as a screw-down.
With that said, the Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 has a water resistance of 10ATM/100M/330 feet. This makes it suitable for swimming and snorkeling but not scuba diving/deep diving. A ”complaint” people have had is that this watch has a worse water resistance than the SKX, and in terms of design, it is a dive watch. With that said, it should have the minimum water resistance that a dive watch requires – 200M.
We can only speculate about how Seiko’s development and thought process of this watch, but the fact is that the vast majority will never go diving with their SRPD65K4. In fact, most people will use them as casual everyday watches. And if you are going to get in contact with water, this watch will stand up just fine. It is only when you are going deep diving that it will be an issue. And for that, Seiko has a ton of other watches for the job.
The case is relatively big, as we expect a sports watch to be, but by no means huge. It has some presence on the wrist and will work best for medium to large men’s wrists.
The SRPD65K4 uses a Hardly crystal. Some people have complained about it not using a sapphire crystal, and whilst we do agree it would be nice, we can’t take it for granted for watches in this price range. And in addition, Seiko’s Hardlex crystal has proven to be very durable and scratch-resistant, although not as tough as sapphire of course.
Since this is a dive-watch style watch, it is of course equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel. The bezel has knurled edges for better grip and sits quite tall on top of the case. The bezel has a black aluminum insert, and the 60-graduation scale is printed in silver.
Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 movement
For the new Seiko 5 SRPD65K4, Seiko upgraded the movement to the 4R36 automatic movement, compared to the previous 7s26 caliber used in the predecessor. The two primary improvements of this movement are that it has both hacking seconds and manual winding functions, both of which did not exist in the predecessor.
The movement beats with a frequency of 21600 BPH and has 24 jewels. This watch comes with a see-through case back, and this is always appreciated by watch enthusiasts as it reminds us of the beautiful piece of mechanical craftsmanship inside. Note, however, that the movement is not decorated and looks very industrialized. Some may see this as a downside, but the movement is actually perfect for this watch.
Why? Well, a sporty tool watch should not have a beautiful, delicate movement. Instead, it should put all focus on function, form, and durability. And this is exactly what Seiko has done. This movement is reliable, durable, and has proven to be a workhorse that continues to tick year after year. And this is just what the SRPD65K4 needs.
Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 dial
The Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 features a black dial with a slightly matte texture. Not only does it look good, but it also prevents reflections and glare, which thus improves legibility.
Around the outer edge of the dial, the watch has an angled chapter ring. The seconds markers are printed on this in silver color, and it helps give the dial some depth and not to be perceived as huge and ”in-your-face” when looking at it.
The watch has applied hour markers with a polished metal frame around it and applied Lumibrite them.
Positioned at 3 o’clock, we have the iconic day and date window. Whilst most types of date/day windows tend to harm the symmetry of a watch, it’s such a crucial part of the Seiko 5 personality that we can’t say anything about it. It has a white background and the text is printed in black. This provides good legibility.
The hour hand has a cathedral-style pointy tip, of course with a polished metal frame around it and a generous amount of Lumibrite applied. The minute hand has a large arrow tip, also with a metal frame and Lumibrite applied. Safe to say, against the matte black dial, they provide very good contrast.
The luminosity on the hands and hour markers is very good. They glow bright and long.
Seiko has kept the dial text at a minimum so as to not clutter it. At 12 o’clock, we have an applied Seiko logo, right beneath it the new Seiko 5 logo, and beneath the center of the hands, the text ”Automatic”.
Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 strap
The watch is presented on a military green nylon NATO strap. To secure it to the wrist, it has a buckle clasp.
The NATO strap is quite basic and there’s not a whole lot to say about it. You are probably familiar with NATO straps.
However, what I can say is that it was a good decision by Seiko to use one. Generally, when it comes to affordable watches, the bracelet is the part that is compromised with the most. As a result, we tend to get hollow, low-quality metal bracelets that have a lot of rattle and play. And just feel cheap.
Seiko avoided the potential risk of this by presenting on a NATO strap instead. This ensures it sits comfortably on the wrist, is easy to adjust, and most importantly, goes very well with the design of the watch. It really adds another touch of casual everyday sportiness to this watch which looks great.
Specifications
- Power reserve: 41 hours
- Movement: Seiko Automatic caliber 4R36
- Thickness/height: 13.4mm
- Diameter: 42.5mm
- Lug-to-lug: 46mm
- Water-Resistance: 10bar/100M/330 feet
- Jewels: 24
- Accuracy: +45 to -35 seconds per day
- Lug width: 20mm
- Frequency: 21600 BPH
Conclusion
To conclude this review, the Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 is a sporty and robust everyday timepiece that is as tough as it looks. This watch is built to last and is equipped with a long-lasting durable movement that has proven to be a workhorse.
In terms of design, it is very similar to the now-loved and almost iconic SKX, and this is something that we love, as Seiko stays true to an already winning concept.
In our opinion, if you factor in the finish, build quality, and reliability, the Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 is a perfect sporty everyday timepiece that offers great value for money.
The Seiko 5 SRPD65K4 is available to order on Amazon.
