I surmised that Seiko would continue to move its new Seiko 5 Sports line more towards sports watch and away from traditional dive watch (it’s in the very name, after all!) - more Rolex Explorer and less Submariner. Meanwhile, SKX devotees were enraged that Seiko had taken their dive watches away, swapping them out for some poor excuse with a display case back, no screw-down crown, and a mere 100 meters of water resistance.įor us at home playing armchair corporate strategist, it all seemed to make sense: take away the budget SKX and force us to pony up for something from the more expensive Prospex line if we wanted a true diver. Last year when Seiko released its new Seiko 5 Sports line, I practically begged it to release a smaller version with no diving bezel. Seiko 5 Sports SNK line: Out-of-production (but still available on Prime!) Seiko 5 Sports SRPD line: Diving bezel, released in 2019 The Seiko 5 Sports SRPE line: Smooth bezel, released in 2020 Let’s take a look at three of the most important Seiko 5s: But older versions of the Seiko 5 can also still be found around the internet, signified by references beginning with SNK. The new Seiko 5 Sports lineup has references beginning in SRPD (with diving bezel), and SRPE (smooth) bezel. It’s a bit of a souped-up version of the older line: larger, more water-resistant, a bit more expensive. In 2019, Seiko revamped the Seiko 5 lineup, re-christening it the Seiko 5 Sports. As such, it’s important not only for Seiko, but for the entire watch industry, that the Seiko 5 lineup remains strong. For many (myself included), the Seiko 5 line is like the Playboy Magazine that a young teen finds under dad’s bed: it represents an introduction to a vast, often confusing new world. Over the half century since, Seiko has churned out dozens of beloved models that meet these criteria: true value proposition, everyday, go-anywhere, do-anything watches worthy of the many internet listicle spots you’ll certainly see them on. In this case, the rules stand for the principle that anyone should be able to afford a robust, durable sports watch to strap on their wrist for life’s adventures. Putting forth a set of rules that dictate how a watch should be made is very Seiko, but we should look beyond the set of rules to understand what the brand is actually trying to accomplish. The “5” is a reference to the attributes that any Seiko 5 watch would offer, i.e., automatic winding, a day and date display, water resistance, a recessed crown at 4 o’clock, and a durable case. Quickly, let’s jump back to 1963, when the original Seiko 5 was launched. Basically, it’s the perfect watch: affordable, reliable, loved by enthusiasts young and old, available on Prime (I mean, just search Seiko 5 on Amazon and you’ll see the variety of forms the line takes). I’ve written a number of laudatory articles about the lineup over the years. My last three watches were badly scratched up by the time I replaced them.Ah, the Seiko 5. I want one of those, but for what they cost, I want to be sure it's got a sapphire crystal. I did find the listing for the actual 6309-5280 amusing - "21600 vibrations per hour" certainly seems like it was written to make it sound like an electronic movement, but as far as I know, Citizen were the only electronic watches with automatic power plants. And for this money, i won't be afraid to wear it to work. Hard to get any kind of decent watch for this money it looks nice and if they got the O-rings back in when they assembled it, it should hold up longer than my last Timex. I kind of suspected this - I just got one identical to this, this exact dial and the same model number on the back cover (which comes up in the angled stem case style when I search it).ĭon't much care it was $50 with free shipping from India, and if it keeps decent time and winds itself as it should, I'll be happy with it.
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