Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 Review & Complete Guide
Seiko is widely appreciated by watch enthusiasts and others for the fact that the brand makes watches that offer great value for money.
Seiko has an extremely wide spectrum of watches, in a wide price range, but what Seiko has been able to do so successfully well is regardless of which price range the Seiko watch you opt for is in, they still punch above their own weight in terms of finish, value, and build quality.
In 2019 and 2020, Seiko presented a ton of new watches in its Seiko 5 sports collection. In addition, its loved and appreciated SKX dive watches were all discontinued and replaced by a brand-new collection.
Seiko changed a lot in its sports collection, both by discontinuing models and introducing new ones.
One of the new models in its “5 Sports” collection is the SRPE57K1.
Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 Review
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The Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 is built as a clean and elegant everyday timepiece, but very evidently, it is inspired by Seiko’s previous SKX diver and the current, Seiko 5 sports SRP. In its design, it is very similar to a dive watch, however, it is missing one crucial element – the unidirectional rotating bezel.
With that said, the SRPE57K1 is not a dive watch, but rather a sporty daily driver. At the same time, it takes design elements and features from Seiko’s divers that people have come to love and appreciate and incorporates them into this timepiece.
Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 case
The Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 is presented with a stainless steel case with a diameter of 40mm. The lug-to-lug measures 44.6mm and the case has a thickness of 11.5mm.
The case combines polished and brushed elements and is actually quite well-made and finished. The top of the lugs is satin-brushed, whereas the bezel is polished. In contrast, the sides of the case are polished, too. These small yet important details really enhance the watch’s feeling and impression of quality. It shows that Seiko has really gone above and beyond with the details of this watch.
The watch is equipped with a Hardlex crystal. This is not as tough as sapphire crystal, and it would be nice to have one but sapphire crystals for a watch in this price range do not always come as standard. In addition, the Hardlex crystal has still proven to be much more resistant and durable against scratches than regular mineral glass.
If you turn the watch around, you’ll be able to see the watch’s movement through the see-through case back. This is generally always a nice and appreciated feature of a dive watch as it works as a reminder of the mechanical piece of craftsmanship that is beating inside.
The watch offers a water resistance of 100m/330 feet/10ATM. This is enough for swimming and snorkeling, but it is not suitable for diving. Part of the reason why it doesn’t have better water resistance is that it doesn’t have a screw-down crown. This of course increases the risk of leaking water. At the same time, the watch is protected by crown guards and is positioned at 4 o’clock in the traditional Seiko 5 fashion.
Apart from giving the watch a distinct look, the 4 o’clock position is actually rather practical, as it means the crown won’t dig into your wrist when wearing it, which improves the comfort of this watch.
For this watch, Seiko decided to remove the rotating bezel and replace it with a polished one instead. This makes for a very clean and refined look which results in a much more classy and sleek timepiece, yet with sporty elements. This makes this watch much more versatile and suitable for all kinds of occasions. Both formal and casual.
Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 movement
The watch is equipped with a robust and reliable automatic Seiko caliber 4R36. Unlike its cheaper automatic movement, this watch actually has a manual winding function, which is a great addition. In addition, it also has hacking seconds, which is another function that is not found in Seiko’s more affordable automatic watches.
The movement uses 24 jewels and beats with a frequency of 21,600 BPH. The movement uses Seiko’s Diashock technology which is developed to offer better protection against shocks.
The specified accuracy of the movement is +45 / -35 seconds per day, but owners have reported a much better accuracy from this movement in practice.
As mentioned, the mechanical movement can be seen through the case back, but with that said, it is not the most beautifully decorated movement. In fact, it is not decorated at all. Is this an issue? Well, having a movement that is decorated with the utmost care and precision is not the point of this watch. As a matter of fact, this is built as a robust and sporty tool watch, and therefore, a tool-like and sporty movement go very well with the personality of this watch.
Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 dial
The Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 is presented with a clean black dial. What stands out about this, however, is the use of gilt/gold-colored accents which gives it warmth.
Around the outer edge of the dial, it has a chapter ring that is slightly angled and on which the seconds markers are printed in gold color. The dial has applied hour markers which have a gold-plated frame around them and a generous amount of Lumibrite. Positioned at 3 o’clock, we have the signature Seiko 5 day and date window.
It has a white background on which the dates and dates are printed in black. The window may not have stood out as much if the background would have been made black and the printing in white, but the legibility may have turned out poorer. Still, the day and date window is a standard element of the Seiko 5 watches that we have come to expect (and love?).
The watch is equipped with an hour hand with cathedral style. The hour hand is sword-shaped with a pointy tip, and the minute hand is longer with an arrow tip. Both hands have Lumibrite applied to them. The seconds hand is simple and clean but has a luminous dot placed on the opposite side for legibility.
The dial is kept clean with not a lot of dial printing. At 12 o’clock, we have an applied SEIKO logo, and right beneath it the new Seiko 5 logo. Below the center of the hands, we have the text ”Automatic”.
Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 bracelet
The watch is presented on a sporty and robust three-link Oyster-style stainless steel bracelet. It has a satin-brushed finish which adds to the sportiness. It is actually made in relatively high quality and feels quite robust and qualitative.
The bracelet has a three-fold clasp which gives a reassuring feel to the wrist.
Specifications
- Movement: Seiko Automatic caliber 4R36
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Diameter: 40mm
- Thickness: 11.5mm
- Lug-to-lug: 44.6mm
- Water-resistance: 10bar/100m
- Thickness: 11.5mm
- Jewels: 24
- Frequency: 21600 BPH
- Power reserve: 41 hours
- Accuracy: +45 / -35 seconds
Conclusion
All in all, the new Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 is a robust, reliable, and extremely versatile timepiece. It is based on Seiko’s dive watch but has the dive bezel removed, which gives it a sporty yet timeless and refined look.
The watch is powered by a durable automatic mechanical movement which has proven to be a workhorse that will continue to tick for years.
The Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 is just a great everyday timepiece that works no matter for which occasion you will wear it, and it is built to last. You really cannot go wrong with this watch, and at this price point, it offers great value for money, too.
The Seiko 5 SRPE57K1 is available to order on Amazon.
