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Today’s Seiko 5 Sports SRPE65K1 comes as something simple yet surprising from the famous Japanese brand. Well, it is surprising because this is not a diver watch. Instead we get quite minimalist military styled timepiece which is offered in several colors. I decided to take a look at the green one because I like this color and dial reminds of some Limited Editions from the same brand. Packaging is typical here, so there is nothing to discuss. You can see it in the video-review below. Now let’s take a closer look at this watch.
Here you can read full review about another green Seiko watch.
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Dial
SRPE65K1 features gorgeous green dial. It is quite simple, so you won’t find any unusual design cues here. Nevertheless, this thing makes whole watch attractive. Clean, elegant dial is easy to read and there no extra things which would make it look cluttered. Amount of writings is reduced to minimum, even though it would be cool to see only Seiko logo on it.
There will be other colors available, some even feature sunray finish. In my opinion today’s watch looks the best out of them, but it is matter of the personal taste. Of course, date indicator, indices and hands stay in the same white color. In my opinion indices add character and create a legible layout on the dial. They are generously covered with lume, so they shine as bright as diver watches from Seiko. Lollipop seconds hand is quite useful in such composition and makes it possible to track seconds in dark time.
Whole dial is covered with Hardlex, what is traditional for this brand. It is not as hard as sapphire glass, so I would recommend to be careful. Who knows, maybe we would see some aftermarket options which would fix this part. 🙂 This model just begs for some upgrades, I can see it with magnifying section over the date window.
Case
Seiko SRPE65K1 comes with stainless steel case. We see combination of finishes here. Top section shows brushed surface, while side edges are mirror-polished. Its size is one of the main features for this watch – 40mm. Such case would be easy to fit on any wrist, so even if you have thin wrist, there won’t be any problem. It is nice to see Seiko not following large-watch-case trend and giving us something reasonable size-wise. Such case is comfortable to wear and it is not too thick.
In order to add something special in the whole styling, manufacturer moved crown to 4″ position. It is protected from both sides, what should make SRPE65K1 a bit more durable.
Movement
Today’s watch comes with classic Japanese movement inside – 4R36. This is an automatic caliber which features power reserve of 41 hours. It should be familiar to some of you because it was featured in some other watches from the same brand. Reliability is good here, so it is nice option for a one-watch-collection. Moreover, you can appreciate the looks through the clear rear cover.
Strap
As for the strap choice here we get the most suitable one – NATO in green color. Note that other color versions get slightly different treatment, some of them come with bracelets. Nevertheless, textile strap is the best option for such watch. It sits nicely on your wrist, easy to adjust and even easier to change for something different. Quality feels nice and I have nothing to complain about. Such option looks great for its price and should be durable enough for everyday use. In my opinion, SRPE65K1 would be a great choice for those people who like to change their straps and find some new look for the watch.
In Use
Here we can finally talk about this watch in real life. As it was mentioned before, SRPE65K1 is not that big, so it should be fine even on the small wrists. Well, you can see this watch on my hand, and I think I have average-sized wrist. Crown placement is also not an issue and feels ok on both hands. Part itself is quite large, so you won’t have a problem to adjust the time. Large indices contribute to legibility, one glance is enough to understand what hour is it, even in the dark time of the day.
Nevertheless, there are few things I would like to mention about the case. While size is reasonable, different polishing finishes have their own pros and cons. Side edges come in mirror-like finish which is really easy to scratch. You will have to live with the fact that sooner or later you will see some marks on the sides.
Strap is surprisingly good for the standard option. Yes, there are even better aftermarket options, but nobody stops you from upgrading your Seiko. I am not sure if the bracelet versions are good quality-wise, so it is better to check them first. They might look good on the photos, but we all remember how cheap were the bracelets coming with Presage Cocktail watches. Another option – get aftermarket bracelet, milanese strap would look great with such watch.
Seiko 5 Sports SRPE65K1 – Price
Today’s watch should be already available for quite reasonable price – 400USD. You will get a great combo of simple style and useful features in one reasonably-sized case. Again, I will remind that there are also other colors which might be interesting for you. I wouldn’t call it as “beater watch”, but it is a great “universal soldier” and it would look great both in office and on the beach. Moreover, some of use are tired already from this endless stream of diver watches, so this model offers a good chance to take a break.
I recommend to get this watch and think which straps you would like to add here. Such design should be timeproof and would look great even ten years later. It seems like watch is not overly popular among collectors, so you get a chance to have something unusual from reputable brand. 🙂 The only thing I would like to see in upcoming versions – steel case with all surfaces in brushed finish. Such version would be even better prepared for everyday use.
One more interesting option for such watch – some limited editions, but it is already a one year since release and it looks like Seiko decided not to add something else. In other words, you get to choose out of four initial versions which come in two strap combinations.
