Sometimes I feel like I’ve taken the unorthodox route to watch collecting and discovery. Most budding enthusiast tend to enter the hobby with a brand like Seiko, and eventually if circumstances allow, exit or self refine themselves to brands like Rolex, Patek, and Audemars Piguet. While I dabbled somewhat with some affordable brands like Hamilton and Citizen many years ago, Rolex was really my gateway into the hobby with the purchase of my Air-King 114200 in Milan. It’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve lowered my guard and began to really let the incredible value of Seiko creep into my sights – and this interest has only been fortified experiencing watches like the amazing Seiko Marinemaster 1965 that I recently reviewed.
Today we have another one of these new release high value proposition watches with us, the Seiko 5 Sports SRPK91K1, courtesy of Gem Bijou from Ontario. This is a very sleek offering from Seiko, it has a toned down classier appearance, with a smooth flat bezel much like the current Explorer 1. As someone who grazes through watch brand press releases every morning, this specific model caught my eye – but I will say that there’s some things I didn’t notice from the press images that I’ve now discovered on this watch while enjoying it on wrist and having it under the lens in our studio for the past week.
Surprising First Impressions
After reading about this watch online, and taking into consideration it’s sizing and specs on paper, I built up an initial impression even before receiving it in hand. When it arrived at my door and I unboxed it, three aspects jumped out to me as different that I hadn’t quite paid attention to. The first being the bracelet, I think the link design it great but it’s too skinny visually for the size of the watch, it really should be a couple millimetres wider to keep the proportions proper. Additionally, the bracelet does not seem to taper at all, sometimes I just expect minor tapering to be implemented on all bracelets, but that’s not always the case. A widening and slight tapering of the bracelet would transform the appearance and fit on wrist to perfection.
Following this observation, the black background date wheel stood out to me like a soar thumb. While there is some black to be found on the tiny text of the dial, as well as the inner chapter ring, the large rectangular date window looks too heavy in full black as it is – it just doesn’t quite match the silvery beige of the dial. Following this I then noticed the awkward position of the crown at 4 o’clock – this doesn’t bother me as much as the first two initial observations. It’s a weird position, but it’s also functional allowing for a more comfortable fit with no crown digging, and let’s face it – it’s also a signature Seiko move. If you love Seiko, as most do, you might actually really like this design feature.
A few things I really like about the SRPK91K1 is the use of burnt orange on the seconds hand, which stands out really well against the dial, and the hue of the orange is a little retro which is nice. The applied baton style markers are absolutely fantastic, they’re very well placed around the dial and are easy to catch due to the polished borders, 12 o’clock is also beefed up with a double baton. The hour and minute hands are also really well designed, they’re both quite wide and long for this style of watch, lending the watch a touch of sporty aesthetic inside of an overall classy package.
Fit and Finish
I have no complaint with the watch on wrist long term. This is a small very wearable watch coming in at only 37.4mm with tapered lugs and a refined side profile, it’s quite ideal on the wrist as a daily wear. The metal finishing of the watch exceeds that of most watches from this price bracket, which is nothing new for Seiko, and why most people gravitate towards the brand when they start collecting.
The bracelet is completely brushed except for the polished sides of the links, and the case is also nearly entirely brushed except for the side bevelling and the bezel which are polished. The watch catches the light with nice flair due to the contrasting metal finishes, and the sections that are polished seem to be done with care and expertise, with no blemishes or overlaps.
Final Thoughts
We can go over the design and specification for ages, but at the end of the day what really matters is if you like the watch or not. Is this watch a cool, overtly loud, groundbreaking design? Absolutely not. What it does do well though is blend into any situation with ease as a great daily wear for a variety of occasions. It certainly caters more towards those with small wrists like mine at 6.5 inches, but there are some areas that can be improved on in terms of its overall proportions.
The design might be somewhat muted, but you do get that retro Seiko DNA with the burnt orange seconds hand, and the color of the dial is also quite unique and fun. This is a watch that can lean sporty or elegant depending on how the wearer is feeling, and it even provides a useful day and date feature thanks to its 4R36 caliber viewable through the exhibition display back.
John Buttler says
Great review! The Seiko 5 Sports SRPK91K1 is definitely a standout in the lineup. At 37.4mm, it’s refreshing to see a size that works well for smaller wrists but doesn’t sacrifice presence on the wrist. I agree that the date window could be a bit more cohesive with the overall design, but that’s a small trade-off for a watch with so much versatility and quality.
Matthew Catellier says
Thanks very much John! It’s a great little watch for sure.