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Seiko Prospex Samurai SRPB51 Review & Complete Guide
Seiko is considered to make some of the best affordable automatic watches. The brand is particularly famous for its sporty and tool-like watches, including the collections from Turtle and Samurai, to mention two.
The Seiko Prospex Samurai reference SRPB51 is just that. It is an affordable yet well-built sporty dive watch that punches above its own weight and is powered by an automatic Seiko movement. It frequently receives praise due to the great value proposition this watch truly is, and in this article, we will review and look at this watch in detail to understand what makes it so great.
Seiko Prospex Samurai SRPB51 review
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The Seiko SRPB51 is part of Seiko’s ”Prospex” and ”Samurai” collections.
Prospex means ”Professional Specifications”. In Seiko’s own words, ”Seiko Prospex challenges every limit, with a collection of timepieces for sports lovers and adventure seekers whether in the water, in the sky or on land. Since launching Japan’s first diver’s watch in 1965, Seiko’s innovative technology has changed global standards. We are constantly striving to bring ever greater reliability and safety to both professional and recreational divers.”
This means it is a robust and durable watch made to professional standards.
Furthermore, the watch is also a Samurai which refers to the design of the watch. Seiko Samurai was first produced from 2004 to 2008 and was called the Samurai because of the sword-shaped hands on the original.
Seiko Samurai SRPB51 case
The SRPB51 has a 43.8mm stainless steel case. There’s no denying the Samurai is a chunky and bulky watch, but this is also what people want in a robust diver’s watch. The good thing about this watch is that the lugs are angled down which helps make this watch more wearable. The case also has drilled lugs which is a detail that is well-received by most people as it makes switching bracelets and straps a breeze. At 13.5mm thick, it’s quite bulky and will sit relatively tall on the wrist, but that’s exactly what we expect from a watch of this caliber.
When thinking about a dive watch, most people probably think about the Rolex Submariner, but the Samurai is both different and unique and provides an alternative to all of the other Submariner-inspired dive watches on the market.
Being a dive watch, it features a unidirectional rotating bezel. The bezel has a lumed pip and a black and grey aluminum insert. The markers are clear, sharp, and easy to read.
The watch is fitted with Seiko’s Proprietary Hardlex Crystal. This is a form of mineral crystal, but it has been praised for being more durable and scratch-resistant than standard mineral crystals. At this price point, we can’t expect a sapphire crystal.
At 3 o’clock, we find a date window discreetly integrated on the dial. In terms of printing, Seiko has tried to keep this watch clean. It only has the logo printed at 12 and below the center of the hands the Prospex logo followed by the word Automatic, and of course the depth rating.
Speaking of depth rating, this watch is a dive watch and so we would expect nothing less than a depth rating of 200 meters, and that is exactly what the Prospex Samurai offers.
200 meters is enough for swimming and diving but not for deep dives. Positioned at 3 o’clock is a screw-down hobnail crown protected by pointy crown guards. To give it a sporty and tool-like appeal, the case is mostly brushed, and only polished on the underside.
Overall, this watch feels very qualitative and robust. It has some rattle to it, but at this price, we cannot expect it to be flawless or finished to the level of a Rolex.
Seiko Samurai SRPB51 movement
The Seiko Samurai SRPB51 is fitted with Seiko’s caliber 4R35.
The movement is perfect for the occasion as it is robust and durable and can take a beating. It beats at 21,600 BPH and offers a power reserve of 41 hours. A feature we love about this watch is that it has hacking seconds and a manual-winding function. This is different from many other affordable Seiko watches. The movement has 23 jewels. The case back is a screw-down, so unlike with many other Seiko’s, you won’t be able to see the movement beating inside.
Seiko Samurai SRPB51 dial
The watch has a checkered dial. Not only does this create a stunning, textured look, but it also reflects the light beautifully and gives the watch many different personalities. At the same time, the watch is very clean and evidently has a focus on legibility (after all, it is a dive watch). The dial is certainly one of the highlights of this watch due to its unique decoration which truly makes it something special.
The dial has large applied hour markers that feature a generous amount of luminous material (Seiko uses Lumibrite). The lume is long-lasting and bright. As you would expect. The second, hour, and minute hands are also treated with Lumibrite.
What is new about the SRPB51 from previous generations is that it has polished hands. The hands are broad and large, and allow for good legibility. The red seconds hand creates a nice bold and bright contrast against the otherwise monochrome watch.
Seiko Samurai SRPB51 bracelet
The Seiko SRPB51 has a sporty and bulky steel bracelet that matches the personality of this watch.
It has a three-piece link design with broad center links and small side links. The bracelet has a large three-fold clasp and a folding locking to keep it secure and in place.
A nice feature of the bracelet is that it has micro-adjustments on both ends of the clasp so you can adjust it to perfection.
As in many cases, the steel bracelet makes the watch wear substantially bulkier, so if you feel it is slightly too large for your preference, you can easily switch to a nice NATO strap. This naturally also makes it wear more comfortably, although there is nothing wrong with the bracelet.
Seiko Prospex Samurai SRPB51 specifications
- Diameter: 43.8mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Thickness: 13.5mm
- Water Resistance: 200 meters
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Frequency: 21,600 vph
- Stainless steel bracelet with three-fold clasp
- Jewels: 23
The Seiko Prospex Samurai SRPB51 is available to order on Amazon.
