Seiko 5 SRPE60K1 Review & Complete Guide
In 2019, Seiko discontinued its perhaps most iconic modern timepiece which had been in production for several decades. Shortly thereafter, Seiko presented a large number of new timepieces to take its place.
One line of watches included a reworked concept of the SKX, of which the unidirectional bezel had been removed for a cleaner, more elegant, and less sporty look.
Without the unidirectional bezel, but with a similar case design and dial layout, these timepieces retain many of the design features that people have come to love and appreciate but make it more suitable for everyday wear as well as more formal occasions.
One of those is the Seiko 5 reference SRPE60K1 and this is the timepiece we are going to look closer at in this article.
Seiko 5 SRPE60K1 Review
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The Seiko 5 SRPE60K1 is, as mentioned, based on the SKX and shares many design elements with this watch. To make it more elegant, it uses a two-tone design, which means a combination of gold and steel elements, making it much more elegant and classy, whilst still retaining a touch of sportiness.
This makes it great as an everyday watch as well as on formal occasions too. Seiko has done a really good job of finding a perfect balance between elegance and sportiness.
In addition to this, it offers many of the benefits that the Seiko 5s offer and which have made them so popular, including a solid and robust case, which is also exceptionally well-finished for the price, good legibility, and of course a long-lasting automatic movement.
Without further ado, in this article, we are reviewing the Seiko 5 SRPE60K1.
Seiko 5 SRPE60K1 case
The watch is presented with a stainless steel case with a diameter of 40mm, a lug-to-lug of 44.6mm, and a thickness of 11.5mm. The watch weighs 142.0 g. With that said, the watch is relatively moderately sized for a sporty timepiece and should be suitable for a wide array of wrist sizes, although most wearers will be men with medium to large wrists.
At the same time, the watch should be able to slide under a cuff without any issues when needed.
The case finish is also nicely executed for the price. The top of the case is brushed but the sides of the case are polished as a nice contrast.
As mentioned, the case unidirectional bezel has been removed and instead replaced with a fixed polished bezel in yellow gold. This allows for a smooth and clean look.
In traditional Seiko 5 fashion, the crown is positioned at 4 o’clock and protected by crown guards which extend from the case. To go with the gold theme, the crown is colored yellow gold. Since this is not a diver’s watch, it only has a water resistance of 100m/330 feet. This means that it is suitable for everyday activities like swimming and showering but not deep diving.
SRPE60K1 dial
The watch features a black dial that shares the layout of the predecessor, the SKX, as well as several other Seiko 5s for that matter.
The dial is clean, sporty, and offers great legibility.
Around the edge of the dial, it has an angled chapter ring. The seconds markers are printed in gold/gilt.
The dial has applied hour markers with yellow-gold metal frames. These are in turn filled with Lumibrite for improved legibility in the dark.
The hands have the classic SKX design which means that the minutes hand has an arrow tip and the hour hand is shorter and has a pointy tip.
What is also done in traditional Seiko 5 fashion is the day and date window which you can find positioned at 3 o’clock on the dial. For an everyday watch, these functions can be truly helpful for knowing what day and day it is by simply glancing at your wrist.
Overall, the dial is clean and offers great legibility, and the gold accents add warmth to the watch whilst also matching the gold details perfectly.
SRPE60K1 movement
Seiko has equipped this watch with the in-house automatic caliber 4R36.
This movement is a tried and true workhorse that can continue to tick for years with little to no maintenance. Since it is a sporty watch, this robust and durable movement is a good choice from Seiko. Whilst it is not the most beautiful, nor the most accurate movement, it does the job, and it does the job for years to come.
The movement operates at 21600 BPH and has a power reserve of 41 hours. The movement has 24 jewels. The movement is a great improvement from the predecessor as it has both hacking seconds and manual winding functions – two functions that are great to have in an automatic movement.
Speaking of decoration, the watch is equipped with a see-through case back which allows you to see the movement in action. Whilst it is not decorated, the industrialized tool-like look of the movement goes very well with the sporty purpose of this watch.
Bracelet
The watch is presented on a three-link Oyster style bracelet with polished yellow-gold colored middle links and brushed stainless steel side links.
Whilst the bracelet has a robust and sporty feel to it, it is balanced out by the gold middle links for added elegance.
As is the case for many affordable watches, the bracelet has some room for improvement, namely with the overall feel of the bracelet, which isn’t 100% solid. But if you don’t like the bracelet, or simply want to switch things up a bit, this watch looks great on other straps such as NATOs and leather straps.
The bracelet is equipped with a three-fold clasp with a push-button release for security and a solid feel on the wrist.
Specifications
- Jewels: 24
- Weight: 142.0 g
- Lug-to-lug: 44.6mm
- Diameter: 40mm
- Thickness: 11.5mm
- Water Resistance: 10 bar/100m/330 feet
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Case: stainless steel
- Movement: Seiko in-house automatic caliber 4R36
- Movement functions: Hacking seconds, manual winding, automatic, hours, minutes, seconds, day, date
- Clasp: Three-fold clasp with push-button release
- Power reserve: 41 hours
- Case back: See-through screw-down
Conclusion
If you are looking for a robust and durable affordable sports watch with an elegant touch, the Seiko 5 SRPE60K1 is definitely a watch worth considering.
The watch offers everything we have come to expect from a Seiko in turns of build quality, durability, and great value for money, and will continue to tick for years to come. The automatic movement is a detail that many watch nerds will appreciate, and for the price, it’s a really great value proposition.
The watch shares much of the DNA from the iconic SKX, but the gold accents and the fixed polished bezel enhance its elegance and make it a perfect everyday watch that also works great on formal occasions.
