Seiko 5 SRPE58K1 Review & Complete Guide
If you are looking for a sporty, affordable, well-built automatic timepiece with an elegant appeal, the Seiko 5 SRPE58K1 may just be the watch for you.
In 2019, Seiko presented a large collection of timepieces in many different designs and executions. One of them is the SRPE58K1.
This watch is inspired by the now-iconic SKX, but has been refined to be better and more durable. It has clear design features inspired by the SKX, but has been reworked to make it more elegant and suitable as a stylish everyday watch.
Seiko 5 SRPE58K1 Review
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What makes this watch stand out from the SKX is the fact that the unidirectional rotating bezel has been removed and replaced by a fixed polished bezel. This removes much of the sporty appeal which makes it more suitable as a dress watch or everyday timepiece.
At the same time, it retains several of the loved and appreciated design traits of the SKX, namely the dial layout and case design. To make it even more classy and elegant, Seiko has executed it in a combination of rose gold and steel. All in all, this is a great balance between sportiness and elegance, and it also happens to be the watch we are going to review in this article.
So without further ado, let’s dig in.
Seiko 5 SRPE58K1 case
As mentioned, the case designs stay true to that of the SKX. This is primarily achieved via the iconic crown position of 4 o’clock, which sits protected between two crown guards. The diameter of the case is 40 mm, the thickness 11.5mm, and the lug-to-lug is 44.6mm
The case is made of stainless steel and is brushed at the top and brushed on the sides. The bezel is fixed and has a rose gold color to go with the gold and steel look. The bezel is polished and at the same time, relatively thin to leave room for the dial.
Worth noting is that the crown, also colored rose gold, is not a screw-down. This has an effect on the water resistance, which on this timepiece is 100m/330 feet. In practice, this means it is suitable for swimming and showering but not for deep diving.
Sitting on top of the case is Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex crystal. This is not as hard as sapphire crystal, but for a watch at this price point, it is to be expected not to have a sapphire crystal.
Seiko 5 SRPE58K1 dial
The watch is presented with a black dial contrasted with rose gold accents to go with the gold theme.
The chapter ring on the outer edge of the dial is angled and has the seconds markers printed in silver. The actual dial has the exact layout which we have come to love and appreciate in the SKX. This means applied hour markers with a metal frame around it (in this case finished in rose gold), a minutes hand with an arrow tip, and a shorter seconds hand with a pointy tip. Just like the hour markers, the hands are filled with Lumibrite for improved legibility in the dark. The seconds hand has a luminous ”dot” on the opposite end.
With that said, the legibility of this watch is great and definitely not something to complain about.
In traditional Seiko 5 fashion, it is also equipped with the signature day and date window positioned at 3 o’clock. Whilst this does have an effect on the symmetry of the dial, it actually blends in relatively well despite the white background.
The black dial matches the rose gold accents very well and results in an understated, classy timepiece.
Seiko 5 SRPE58K1 movement
Inside the SRPE58K1, the beating heart is the Seiko in-house automatic caliber 4R36. This is a tried and true robust workhorse that has proven to be able to continue to tick for years without needing maintenance or service.
The movement operates at 21600 beats per second and has a power reserve of 41 hours. The movement is equipped with 24 jewels.
What you will notice if you turn the watch around is the fact that it has a see-through case back. This is a nice design feature by Seiko as any watch enthusiast will appreciate being able to see the mechanical piece of craftsmanship beating inside. Whilst the movement is not decorated (which we don’t expect it to be at this price), it’s still a nice feature to have.
SRPE58K1 bracelet
The bracelet fitted on this watch is a three-link Oyster style bracelet with polished rose gold middle links and brushed steel side links. The bracelet has a three-fold clasp with a push-button release.
The bracelet adds much of the rose gold look to this watch, but at the same time, the robust bracelet adds a sporty touch to the overall appearance.
As is common for affordable watches, there is some room for improvement in the bracelet for a more qualitative feel, but the good news is that this watch also looks great on other straps, if you want to switch things up a bit. This would also help make the watch more elegant and suitable as a dress watch. In other words, this really is a watch with many different personalities.
Specifications
- Movement: Seiko in-house automatic caliber 4R36
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, hacking seconds, manual winding
- Power reserve: 41 hours
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Clasp: Three-fold clasp with push-button release
- Water resistance: 10bar/100m/330 feet
- Thickness: 11.5mm
- Diameter: 40mm
- Thickness: 11.5mm
- Diameter: 40mm
- Lug-to-lug: 44.6mm
- Weight: 142.0 g
- Jewels: 24
Conclusion
All in all, Seiko has done a great job designing a timepiece that strikes a perfect balance between sportiness and elegance. The Seiko 5 SRPE58K1 retains the classic sporty design features of the SKX, but switches things up by adding rose gold design elements and removing the rotating bezel. With that said, the watch is very versatile and works for both formal and casual occasions.
Then, of course, we have the fact that it offers the build quality and finishing we have come to expect from Seiko, and this is at a very attractive price. The verdict is therefore that if you enjoy rose gold on watches, you really cannot go wrong with the Seiko 5 SRPE58K1.
The Seiko 5 SRPE58K1 is available to order on Amazon.
