Seiko SRPD27 Prospex ”Monster” Review & Complete Guide

Seiko SRPD27 Review: Prospex ”Monster” Complete Guide

Seiko is known to make great watches at affordable prices which makes them exceptional value for the money. The brand is particularly appreciated for its automatic sports watches, but in Seiko’s collection of watches, you can find all types of styles and designs at all types of prices. With that said, there really is a Seiko watch for everyone.

If you are looking for a sporty and robust dive watch with great performance and bold design, the Prospex ”Monster” may just be the watch for you.

Seiko has a long and rich history of making dive watches that can hold up to the extreme conditions they may be subject to. Already back in 1956, Seiko presented its first dive watch, and Seiko has only continued to build on its diving legacy since then.

Today, Seiko makes some of the best dive watches in relation to their price.

Seiko SRPD27 Prospex ”Monster” Review

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In this article, we are reviewing and looking closer at one of the divers in Seiko’s collection, specifically the SRPD27 Prospex ”Monster”.

If you know a bit about Seiko dive watches, the Prospex name is not something new. This simply means ”Professional Specifications” and indicates that the watch is built according to the needs and wants of professional divers. This is obviously a good thing because if a watch is good enough for a professional, in this case, a diver, it should be good enough for the rest of us.

Furthermore, where does the ”Monster” name come from, you may ask?

The monster name actually refers to a collection of dive watches from Seiko which, as the name reveals, means rubbed, sporty, and bulky dive watches. These types of watches are things that will make people go ”what a monster” when it is on the wrist. The designs are unique but they are certainly built for the purpose. This is a watch where functionality is number one.

What is interesting about the Seiko Monster is that it splits opinions. Naturally, a lot of people will be scared away by this watch but others will love its unique and bold design. Regardless, this is a watch that can take a beating and that is built to last.

This watch is available in two versions – the reference SRPD27 presented on a rubber strap, and the reference SRPD25 presented on a stainless steel bracelet.

Seiko SRPD27 case

As you will notice, the case is not your ordinary case design. The bezel is to a large extent integrated into the bezel, and the bezel actually takes up a large part of the property. The case and bezel measure 42mm in diameter. It has a thickness of 12mm. The lug design is what stands out the most when it comes to the case and the lug-to-lug of this watch, it measures 47.5mm.

To follow the aggressive/sporty theme, the lugs are satin-brushed, and equally so are the sides of the case.

As a dive watch should, it has a unidirectional rotating bezel. This one is a one-piece monoglot bezel made n stainless steel. This of course helps make it more robust and solid as most other dive watches feature a bezel and then a bezel insert. The bezel is very nicely designed. It has a black PVD coating and a slightly brushed finish. Interesting to note about the bezel is that it has a concave design which both gives the watch a unique look and it also means the crystal is protected quite well.

For better grip when operating it, it has notches. The markers on the bezel are very large. This ensures that the legibility is good. At 12 o’clock, the bezel also has a luminous dot. The minute markings printed on the bezel are large too.

In traditional Seiko fashion, the crown is positioned at 4 o’clock. This has the practical benefit of keeping it from digging into the wrist, and of course, giving it a distinct look. It is of course screw-down. The crown is 7mm which means it is not too small for operating the different functions but at the same time, it won’t dig into your wrist.

A dive watch needs good water resistance, and the SRPD27 actually meets ISO 6425 standards. This means it can be used for scuba diving and practically any type of water activity. It also means it can handle harsh conditions such as shocks and bangs. The water resistance is 200m/660 feet.

Sitting on top of the case, we have a thick Hardlex crystal.

Seiko SRPD27 dial

The Seiko SRPD27 is presented with a black dial. As a dive watch should, it puts the utmost importance on legibility.  The black dial has a slightly matte, also known as ”Sunray” finish which means it reflects the light beautifully and gives it personality. It can also minimize reflections and glare which can be good to improve legibility.

The dial has large rectangular applied hour markers with generous amounts of Lumibrite applied to them. The minutes hand is sword-shaped and also broad. It has Lumibrite applied and its metal frame around it has a brushed finish. The same goes for the hour hand, except for the fact that it has an arrow shape. The brushed finish really gives the watch a sportier, more tool-like look.

Around the outer edge of the dial, we have a raised chapter ring. The applied markers are slightly ”parked” inside of this, but apart from this, the chapter ring has the seconds markers printed on it.

What stands out about this timepiece is its brown/”faux” patina. In other words, the Lumibrite used on this watch is made in a slightly beige/brown color. The applied hour markers are large. The hands are large too, the hour hand has an arrow-shaped tip, and the minutes hand has a sword shape. The seconds hand is arrow-shaped. As a nice detail, the hands have a brushed finish which gives it more of a tool-like look.

The generous amount of Lumibrite used ensures a long-lasting glow which means great legibility in the dark.

Positioned at 3 o’clock, we have a day and date window. It has a white background and printing in black. Interestingly enough, Seiko has decided to add a rectangular cyclops which helps improve the legibility. How necessary the cyclops actually is in a professional dive watch can be debated, but it’s worth keeping in mind that most of the time, this watch will not be worn underwater, but rather as a daily watch.

Printed on the dial, we have all of the usual details and specifications in the professional divers. This means the Seiko logo, Prospex logo, Automatic, and depth rating.

Seiko SRPD27 movement

The watch is powered by Seiko’s reliable and durable in-house caliber 4R36. This is an automatic movement that has proven to be a workhorse movement that has proven to be able to continue to tick for years with little to no maintenance.

The movement displays hours, minutes, seconds, and date. It operates with a frequency of 3Hz, or 21,600 vibrations per hour, has 24 jewels, and a power reserve of 41 hours. The benefit of this movement above Seiko’s most affordable automatic watches is the fact that it has both hacking seconds and manual winding functions.

The specified accuracy of this movement is -35/+45 seconds per day, but the good news is that owners have reported a much better accuracy in practice.

A movement like this is very suitable in a sporty dive watch like this as it will be able to handle all kinds of hardships you may subject it to.

Seiko SRPD27 strap

The watch is presented on a black silicone strap with a stainless steel tang buckle. Rubber and silicone straps are very appropriate for dive watches due to their water-resistant properties but also sporty look which goes well together with the design of the watch.

The benefit of the rubber strap apart from the fact that it is comfortable is that it can be adjusted to virtually any wrist size, but also be fitted on top of a wetsuit. The silicone strap is also very comfortable on the wrist. Really, there is not much to complain about this 

Specifications

• Diameter. 42mm
• Thickness: 12mm
• Movement: Seiko in-house caliber 4R36
• Crown: 7mm
• Lug-to-lug: 47.5mm
• Water resistance: 200m/660 feet.
• Crystal: Hardlex
• Jewels: 24
• Frequency: 3Hz or 21,600 vibrations per hour

Conclusion

All in all, the Seiko Prospex SRPD27 is a unique and different dive watch with an aggressive design.

This watch is definitely not for everyone, but it is for those who are looking for a dive watch with a little bit of personality that is built to last. This Prospex and ISO-certified diver is definitely built to last and stands out from the crowd amongst classic and traditional divers.

For the price, it’s safe to say that this watch offers exceptional value for the money. It is well-built, equipped with reliable automatic movement, and has a finish that punches well above many of its competitors.

For the price, there are few dive watches that can compete with the SRPD27.

The Seiko SRPD27 Prospex ”Monster” is available to order on Amazon.