SRPD71K2: a very smart little watch that I would never buy
A curious little fellow
Thanks to Seiko Steve I have almost every level of Seiko, and today's is this curious little fellow, the Seiko 5 Sports SRPD71K2. What do I really think of it? Let's be fair. This is the 2019 release, the not-quite-reintroduction, because it's not an SKX. The SKX was the first mechanical watch I ever bought, and probably the first many of you bought. I would never buy this one.
RRP is £280, which is a rip-off. But Goldsmiths are selling it for £169, which is a great deal. For that money, it's almost nothing, isn't it?
What you get
A 4R36, an upgrade on the old 7S26, which didn't hack or hand-wind. That's a brilliant upgrade. Three hertz, 21,600 beats, 41 hours, 24 jewels, day-date. A Hardlex crystal, and I don't have a problem with that on a cheap watch. Even the SBDX001 Marinemaster had Hardlex. You get drilled lugs, which the SKX never had. The spring bars are the silly little normal ones, not Fatboy 2.5 mil. The case is identical to the SKX, with the same excellent finishing, finished to a very high standard even on the cheap ones.
And you do get an excellent silicone strap. Very, very comfortable, and I've been very impressed. They could have made it fit the case properly, mind.
Bezel and loom
The bezel action is crap. Extremely light. The SKX bezel is better: more dampened, more satisfying. No loom pip at the 12 either. The white chapter ring is misaligned, but it's the best one I've seen. A lovely red-tipped seconds hand. And the loom? Creamy, blue, underwhelming. Not normal Seiko loom. Quite rubbish, and I hate it. I do like that they ditched the word Sports from the five logo.
Verdict
I just don't really like it. I'm reviewing it because I've got it. A lot of people do like these, and I'm not saying you shouldn't buy one. It's a very smart little watch. It's not a pro dive watch, and it doesn't pretend to be one. Push-pull crown, 100 metres, the thing all the Seiko fans complained about.
Now, I've been warmer since. In the 5KX video: striking blue sunburst dial, high-quality silicone strap, a ridiculous value proposition. In the extravaganza: he wears well, but I wouldn't buy it. Steve, chuck it in the bin when I send it back. Never give up.
