Photo: Watchnation
Seiko 5 SRPD73 Review & Complete Guide
Seiko is widely praised and appreciated for its high-quality affordable timepieces. In particular, its Seiko 5 range is extremely popular and appreciated by watch enthusiasts for their sporty appeal and durable automatic movements. The single most popular watch range from Seiko has been the SKX diver line, but in 2019, Seiko announced it would be discontinued and replaced. Seiko introduced a brand new Seiko 5 collection including 27 different styles. The design was based on the predecessor, and overall, they share a lot of similar design traits.
One of the new watches in the collection is the Seiko 5 SRPD73. This is the black and somewhat vintage-inspired timepiece that is made to look slightly aged.
Seiko 5 SRPD73 review
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The Seiko 5 SRPD73 is a sporty dive-watch-inspired timepiece based on the insanely appreciated SKX platform. It’s part of the new Seiko 5 diver collection and combines design elements from Seiko’s predecessor with modern technology to make it more reliable and durable.
The new SRPD73 has been well-met and appreciated for its clean, minimalistic design, but more importantly for its similarity with the classic model.
If you are looking for an affordable and well-priced automatic diver’s watch with a sporty appeal and durable construction, there are not many better alternatives than the SRPD73. The model has gotten an almost legendary status in the watch collecting world and is built to a quality that punches well above its weight.
In this article, we are reviewing and looking closer at the Seiko 5 SRPD73.
Seiko SRPD73 case
The Seiko SRPD73 comes with a 42.5mm stainless steel which is almost identical to the predecessor, with one core difference being that it has drilled lugs which was well-received news when it first came out as it makes it so much easier to remove and change straps and bracelet.
The case has a thickness of 13.4mm and a lug-to-lug of 46 ㎜. The watch isn’t huge, but it is sporty and sits quite tall on the wrist, which is partly due to the raised bezel. The tops of the lugs are brushed and satin-finished, whereas the sides of the case are polished. This creates a nice contrast and enhances exclusivity. At 4 o’clock, we have the crown which is protected by crown guards. The 4 o’clock position of the crown has become a distinct feature of many Seiko 5s. A benefit of this watch is that it prevents the crown and crown guards from digging into the wrist and thus allowing for a more comfortable fit. The watch does have a sporty presence on the wrist as you would expect from a dive watch.
The watch has a water-resistance of 100m/10bar/330 feet. This is enough for showering and swimming but it is not suitable for diving. With that said, the SRPD73 looks more dive watch than it actually is in a way. But having its price in mind, it’s still a watch with great performance.
Sitting on top of the case is a Hardlex crystal. Hardlex is not as hard as sapphire crystal but has still proven to be much more durable than standard mineral glass. At this price point, we don’t expect to see sapphire crystal.
Being a dive watch, this watch naturally has a unidirectional rotating bezel. The bezel has a black aluminum insert with silver printing. The bezel rotates with 120 clicks.
Photo: Watchnation
Seiko SRPD73 dial
The dial of the Seiko 5 SRPD73 is very clean and simple. In true dive watch fashion, it has large hour markers contrasted by a black matte dial and minimal functions and printing.
It offers great legibility and very evidently a vintage-inspired look. The applied markers are slightly brownish/cream-colored which could be described as faux patina. The markers also have a metal frame around them. The hands also have a faux patina on them. The Lumibrite luminous material glows brightly and long which provides good legibility even in the dark. On the outer part of the dial, you can see a white/cream chapter ring with the seconds markers printed in black. The chapter ring really contributes to giving the dial great depth which enhances the watch’s appeal.
The dial has a matte textured finish which adds to the vintage-inspired look. However, the dial isn’t completely flat black, instead, it has a slight sunburst textured finish which reflects colors of brown when the sunlight hits it. The dial also appears to be slightly lighter in the center and then darker towards the edges. The color fading is rather discreet, though. In dark environments, the dial looks black, but it is in the sunlight that it shows its full personality.
Positioned at 3 o’clock, we have a day and date window which is now an iconic element of the Seiko 5. The minute hand has a pointing arrow, and the hour hand has a pointing tip. The metal on both hands is brushed.
Essentially, the only splash of color is the tip of the second’s hand which is painted red.
The watch keeps the dial printing at a minimum, to only include an applied Seiko logo, the new Seiko 5 logo, and the text ”Automatic”.
Overall, the dial is very clean, easy to read, and appealing.
Seiko 5 SRPD73 movement
The Seiko 5 SRPD73 is equipped with the Seiko caliber 4R36.
The Seiko 4R36 is an automatic movement using a rotor. Unlike the predecessor, this movement has hacking seconds and manual winding capacity. It offers a power reserve of 41 hours.
If we turn the watch around, we will be able to see the movement through the see-through case back, which is a huge upgrade from the predecessor and a welcomed change from the predecessor, which had a solid case back. The movement is not meant to be the most beautiful or well-finished, but instead, it is meant to be a reliable and durable workhorse that keeps on ticking for years to come. After all, that’s what we are looking for in a sporty dive watch.
Apart from the time, the movement displays day and date.
Specifications
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Power reserve: 41 hours
- Movement: 4R36
- Luminescence: Lumibrite
- Jewels: 24
- Thickness: 13.4mm
- Diameter: 42.5mm
- Length: 46mm
- Water resistance: 10 bar/100m/330 feet
Conclusion
All in all, the Seiko 5 SRPD73 is a watch that offers great value for money. It is based on the predecessor which was already a loved and appreciated concept, and Seiko carefully revised and refined the watch to make it even better. And they succeeded, without removing the charm of the previous model. The result is a high-quality and well-finished vintage-inspired dive watch that punches well above its own weight in terms of quality and value for money.
If you are looking for an automatic, durable, well-finished dive watch, there are not many better options than the SRPD73. It is already a loved and appreciated classic that you really cannot go wrong with. With a price tag of about 300 USD, there are few (if any) better alternatives on the market.
The Seiko 5 SRPD73 is available to order on Amazon.
