Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 Review & Complete Guide

Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 Review & complete guide

If you are looking for a sporty and robust automatic watch for everyday wear at an affordable price, Seiko is a great brand to look at. And one option that you may want to look at is the Seiko 5 SRPE55K1.

Amongst watch enthusiasts, Seiko is one of the most recommended brands. They are known to make long-lasting automatic timepieces that are powered by workhorse movements that continue to tick for years and years. In addition to that, they tend to punch well above their weight in terms of build quality and finish.

Seiko is a great place to start for someone who either just wants a great timepiece at an affordable price, or for someone who wants to dip their toes in the world of watches, in particular mechanical watches. In addition to that, a popular start is the Seiko 5 collection, which includes sporty and robust timepieces.

In 2019 and 2020, Seiko announced big changes to its 5 sports lineup. Perhaps the biggest news was that its now-iconic SKX dive watch was discontinued. But to replace it, Seiko presented a new collection which a whopping 27 new models.

As a twist, Seiko also changed the new dive watch by removing the rotating bezel to create a watch that is more casual and suitable for everyday wear. This model goes under the reference SRPE, one of which is the SRPE55K1, which we are going to look closer at in this article.

Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 Review

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The Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 keeps all of the sporty and iconic design traits of the dive watch but has had the rotating bezel removed and replaced with a polished bezel instead. The result is a sporty dive-inspired watch that is more versatile, classy, and suitable for everyday wear. It is classy enough to be worn on formal occasions, but also sporty enough to be worn on casual occasions too.

In my opinion, it is a watch that offers the best of both worlds.

This collection consists of several different timepieces in different colors, but in this article, we are going to review the Seiko 5 SRPE55K1.

Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 case

The Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 features a stainless steel case with the classic 40mm diameter and a lug-to-lug measurement of 44.6mm. It has a thickness of 11.5mm. With these dimensions, the watch is suitable for men with medium to large wrists, and whilst it wears sporty and has some presence on the wrist, it is not huge.

For its price, Seiko has done a good job with the finishing of the case. The top of the lugs is satin-brushed in a circular motion. This gives it more of a sporty look and presence, but at the same time, the sides of the case are polished to give it that nice contrast.

As is the signature of many watches in the “5” collection, the crown is positioned at 4 o’clock and sits protected between crown guards which extend from the case. The crown is a push-pull and not a screw-down. The downside to this is that it doesn’t offer as good of a guarantee for water resistance as a screw-down crown does. With that said, the SRPE55K1 has a water resistance of 100m/330 feet/10ATM. This means it is suitable for swimming but not deep diving. Seiko’s water resistance guide shows that it is suitable for shallow diving. Since this is more of an everyday casual watch, the water resistance is probably more than enough for most people. The closest most people will come to water with this watch is swimming. And if you need a more serious diver for the times you are actually going deep diving, Seiko has plenty to choose from.

The positioning of the crown and crown guards prevents them from digging into the wrist and thus improves the comfort on the wrist. The crown guards also have a nice design as the ”curve” out from the case and are polished at the top, too.

As mentioned, the unidirectional rotating bezel of the diver has been replaced with a polished steel bezel for this watch. This makes it look more classic, less sporty, and more toned down. All in all, it looks really great.

On top of the case, we have a Hardlex crystal. This crystal is more scratch-resistant than regular mineral glass, but it is not as durable as sapphire crystal. It would have been a nice bonus to have a sapphire crystal, but at this price point, it’s not something, at least in my opinion, we can’t take for granted.

If you turn the watch around, you will see that this watch is equipped with a see-through case back. This means you are able to see the mechanical automatic movement beating inside. This brings us to the next point…

Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 movement

The Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 is powered by the automatic in-house Seiko caliber 4R36. What you will see when you look at the movement through the case back is that it is not decorated. Is this a bad thing? Well, not in my opinion. And here’s why:

It’s always nicer to look at a beautifully decorated movement with cotes the Geneve, pelage, etc., but it’s important to have in mind the concept of this watch. Watches whose movements are decorated with utmost care and perfection are primarily found in dress watches which are meant to be pieces of art. But the Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 is not built as a piece of art, but rather as an everyday tool watch.

Having said that, using a movement with an industrialized and robust look goes very well with the concept and ethos of this timepiece. The movement looks robust and durable, and that is exactly what it is. This movement is in firsthand built with function in mind, and it is a workhorse caliber that has proven that it will continue to tick for years and years without needing much or any maintenance.

The benefit of the caliber 4R36 from the previous SKX is that it has both hacking seconds and manual winding functions. The movement beats with a frequency of 21600 BPH and has 24 jewels.

Another great feature of this movement is that it has Seiko’s Diashock technology. This is used to make the movement more resistant to shocks.

The movement has a specified accuracy of +45 / -35 seconds per day. This is not too bad, but owners have reported a much better accuracy in practice. In addition, if you want even better accuracy, it is possible to have a watchmaker regulate it.

For the purpose, the movement is perfect for the SRPE55K1.

Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 dial

In terms of design, the SRPE55K1 is extremely simple, clean, and classic. And what better dial color for a classic watch than black?

The dial has a slightly matte finish which, in my opinion, makes it more interesting. An everyday watch with dive inspiration also needs great legibility, and this is something that it has too. After all, the dial is identical to the new Seiko diver, so expect nothing less than exceptional legibility.

It has applied hour markers with polished metal frames around it. The hour markers have a generous amount of Lumibrite to them, which means they glow bright and long in the dark. The hour hand is designed in a similar way as the hour markers, but have a cathedral-style design, with a pointy tip. The minute hand has an arrow at its tip. The seconds hand is simple and made in metal. The opposite side is painted black and has a luminous dot on it.

The black dial ensures this watch is kept clean, elegant, and toned-down. It doesn’t stand out, but it is still very beautiful and well-executed, making it perfect for everyday wear regardless of the occasion. It means this watch really goes well together with anything you may wear.

At 3 o’clock, Seiko has put the day and date dine which is an iconic trait of the Seiko 5 collection. It has a white background and is printed in black which provides good legibility.

Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 bracelet

The Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 is presented on a Rolex Oyster-style three-link bracelet that looks sporty yet elegant. The bracelet goes very well with the design of the watch.

To add a touch of sportiness, the bracelet is satin-finished. In terms of quality, the bracelet is ok. There is of course room for improvement in this price range, but there are far worse bracelets out there. Plus, if you want to change to something different, its lug holes make it very easy to change, and its 20mm lug width means you have a ton of straps to choose from.

Specifications

• Movement: Seiko caliber 4R36 (automatic with hacking seconds and manual winding function)
• Crystal: Hardlex
• Diameter: 40mm
• Thickness: 11.5mm
• Lug-to-lug: 44.6mm
• Water-resistance: 10bar/100m/300 feet
• Thickness: 11.5mm
• Jewels: 24
• Frequency: 21600 BPH
• Power reserve: 41 hours
• Accuracy: +45 / -35 seconds 

Conclusion

Concluding this article, it’s safe to say that the Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 is a watch that offers great value for money. The watch has a sporty appeal to it, but is still classic and refined to make it suitable for formal occasions, too.

This watch is built to last and has a durable automatic movement that will continue to tick for years.

If you are looking for a clean and versatile automatic timepiece at an affordable price, the Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 is definitely a watch worth considering. It simply strikes a perfect balance between sport and elegance.

The Seiko 5 SRPE55K1 is available to order on Amazon.