The Seiko 5 series is a well known collection of watches and one of the best value for money too! A stunning collection of watches originally released in 1963 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Seiko’s first wristwatch which was of course the Laurel. Lets take a look at why they are called Seiko 5…
To be a Seiko 5 watch the brand made 5 key parameters that their watches must meet to be classed as “Seiko 5”, these are:
- Automatic – The watch has to be powered by an automatic movement
- Date & Date – The watch must feature a day and a date complication
- Water Resistance – The watch must be water resistant
- Recessed Crown – The watch must have a recessed crown either at the 3 o’clock position or the 6 o’clock position
- Durable – The watch must be durable and able to withstand the test of time
The watches were designed specifically to attract younger people to the watch brand and into the world of watchmaking. This was a huge success and the brand are still manufacturing watches to this day which stands as proof of their achievements. What we found very interesting is that people including watch geeks, nerds and enthusiasts are usually drawn to luxury brand, complicated movement watches such as Patek Philippe but the Seiko 5 Series is the opposite of this, they are simple, robust models packed with affordable innovation.
The new Seiko 5 Sports Series contains an automatic 4R36 caliber with 24 jewels. The glass of the watch is a hardlex crystal which is a strong scratch resistant however not as strong as sapphire crystal. The dial of the watch is black coated with red numbers and luminous hour markers and hands. There is a day & date display at the three o’clock position surrounded by a bold stroked box. The bezel of the watch is unidirectional and rotates smoothly with a nice sounding click to it.
The case back of the watch is very impressive you can see straight through to the inner workings of the movement, you can see the oscillating heart of the watch ticking as well as the rotating weight that charges the watch with movement. The bracelet of the watch is stainless steel with both polished and matte finishes, the clasp is a deployment push button clasp with opens and closes smoothly and securely.
It is 100 metres water resistant and we love the profile shape of the watch, in a variety of lights this watch looks impressive and is a fantastic every day wear watch. You can view the Seiko 5 Sports Series here.
