Seiko 5 SRPB89K1 Automatic Dive Watch Review

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Case

This Seiko 5 diver actually has a nice and sleek solid 316L steel case with drilled lug holes. The size is a bit biggee than norm coming in at 43.5MM x 13MM thick with a lug to lug width of 49.3MM. The watch definitely wears a bit bigger than something like a Seiko SKX but fits slimmer on the wrist. The flanks are highly mirror like polished with decent work and the tops of the 22MM lugs are finely brushed. As most Seiko 5 sports "Dive" models this watch does feature 100M of water resistance with a Pull/Push crown. I would not call it a true dive watch because of the lack of deep depth diving capability but it is certainly swimmable in most scenarios. Overall, it feels right on the wrist and does not sit out of place in any way.

Dial

The Blue sunburst dial is actually very eye catching when light hits it giving off different hues of blue. The applied markers are filled with lumibrite which gives off some decent brightness in the dark - but it does not seem to be as heavily applied in comparison to its' older brothers such as the Turtle or SKX. We get a date aperture at the 3:00 and an applied "5" logo and "Seiko" below 12:00. Personally, I always feel as if the 5 and the sports cheapen the look of the watch...but It IS a cheaper watch so I really cannot complain here. Another gripe of mine is the hands themselves...while legibile and filled with ends of lume - they just look out of place to me and I honestly do not like the semi skeletization aspect they embody. The crystal is Seiko Hardlex which is pretty common amongst most Seiko 5s and prospex models. Its obviously not as hard and scratch resistant as a true Sapphire crystal but once again we have to expect and deal with these things at lower pricepoints. Overall, it is legibile and gets the job done at the end of the day. Lastly, the unidirectional rotating Bezel is a good aspect on this model and feels pretty decent with minimal backplay and perfect alignment. ( Yay Seiko )

Movement

The common and robust Seiko 4R35 automatic movement is shown beneath the screw down caseback of this model. This movement is produced by Seiko and features a beat rate of 21,600 BPH whilst containing 23 jewels. The good aspect of this movement is the hand wind and hacking capability. Now, Seiko has a tolerance of around -35 +45 seconds a day for this movement - BUT usually they gain around 10 seconds a day max and sometimes even less.

Bracelet

The solid steel bracelet contains hollow end links and push pins to adjust along with a decent ammount of micro adjustments for exact fit. Its your typical seiko 5 bracelet - it works and gets the job done without looking too out of place. It does feature a stamped fold over clasp with a signed seiko buckle which is a nice touch. Honestly, if it doesnt pull hair and fits right I would leave it on the watch.

Conclusion

Furthermore, this watch is definitely a good piece to have as an everyday sports/leisure watch while your more expensive pieces take a break from destruction. It looks good on the wrist, comes in some nice dial
colors, and keeps fairly good time. I can definitely reccommend this watch to any experienced watch collector or someone just getting into the hobby.