9 Best Seiko 5 Sports Watches (2025)

Whether you fully realized it at the time, you’ve almost certainly seen a Seiko 5 Sports watch. This range of timepieces has been around for decades and is not only extensive, covering everything from dive watches to dress watches, it has also become a model for the watch world when it comes to delivering value.

In short, it’s long overdue WIRED got properly acquainted with the 5 Sports lineup, so you don’t miss out on what is one of the most varied, well-respected, and, crucially, often most reasonably priced watch collections.

Be sure to check out our other watch buying guides, including the Best Cheap Watches Under $1,000 and the Best Smartwatches.

The Best Seiko 5 Sports Watches to Buy

Part of the SKX series, the SRPD55 is a modern icon. Why? The reason comes from where the series gets its name. Seiko’s SKX007 (and the more colorful SKX009) was an ISO-certified dive watch that gained a legion of fans due to its no-nonsense design, durability, reliability, and reasonable price. It shared many of the Seiko 5’s core principles, but didn’t wear the Seiko 5 name.

It was discontinued just before the Seiko 5 Sports rebrand in 2019, but has lived on (in spirit, at least) in the SRPD55, just without the hardcore ISO-certified 200-meter water resistance, making do with 100 meters instead. We love the no-nonsense black-dial model with its classic dive style, 42.5mm case, Hardlex mineral crystal, and choice of a metal bracelet or nylon strap.

Turn the watch over and there’s an exhibition case back showing the Seiko 4R36 automatic movement, which is known for its reliability, and returns a power reserve of around 40 hours. You’ll find it inside most watches on this list.

The SRPD55 is as close to a current SKX007 as you can get, and, considering the quality, reliability, and understated style, it’s a fantastic buy for around $350. A great everyday watch, and perhaps the ideal first automatic, too.

The SSK005 sits close to the top of the SKX line, and although the price is at the high end of what you’ll ever pay for a 5 Sports, you’re getting quite a lot for it. The SSK005 is a GMT watch, meaning it has a 24-hour hand to tell the time in a second time zone, but that’s not the only reason it’s on this list.

It’s important to note the model number here, because it relates to the Seiko 5 GMT with an amazing orange dial and black bezel, giving the date-only dial a sporty, eye-catching style all of its own.

Additionally, it’s on a five-link bracelet (just don’t call it a Jubilee), giving it a surprisingly classy look, especially if you decide against the orange dial and buy the SSK003 with its blue/black color scheme, or the green/black SSK035. The 005’s build quality and that reliable 4R34 movement will make you question why you’d need to spend more to get a GMT watch.

While the Seiko 5 Sports range, as the name suggests, has a sporty bias, if you choose carefully, you can get a sporty watch with a dressier edge, should you fancy flying under the radar with your wristwear.

For this, you need the SNXS line, and our pick avoids the very gold SRPL59, and instead goes for the SRPK91 and its lovely ivory sunray dial. The SNXS line also does away with dive-oriented, unidirectional bezels, favoring a clean, uncomplicated design.

This dial complements the compact 37.4mm case perfectly, as it doesn’t overpower it, and instead makes the watch look fuss-free and understated. All the expected Seiko 5 Sports features are there, along with the stainless steel case and bracelet. It highlights the 5 Sports range’s versatility.

Whether it’s the clean color scheme, supreme legibility, or modest 36mm case size, the SRPJ83 is the Seiko 5 Sports Field watch that ticks all the boxes. The matte stainless steel case, beige dial with clear, black Arabic numerals, and matching nylon strap make it beautifully simple, and a style that’s only enhanced by its mid-field-case size.

Perhaps you’ve been looking at the Hamilton Khaki Field, a perennial favorite, but were put off by the price or wanted to shrink the size even further than the 38mm Hamilton. Maybe you’ve looked at the Marathon Officers Mechanical or the Vaer A5 Field, too, but couldn’t make a decision.

The Seiko 5 SRPJ83 is yours for about half the price of all these popular field watches but still has the expected 100-meter water resistance, automatic movement with 41 hours of power reserve, curved Hardlex glass, and generous helpings of Lumibrite on the hands and indexes.

It’s a real little beauty—but one thing to note: Seiko classes the SRPJ83 as a ladies' watch, but anyone who likes small watches (original TAG F1, anyone?) will appreciate it.

Seiko did simplify the 5 Sports range with its rebrand in 2019, but don’t think it hasn’t hidden a few gems away that don’t quite fit into its dive, field, and style segments. Our favorite is the SRPH31, which is as close as you’ll get to a Seiko 5 Sports pilot’s watch.

Rather than a special bezel or a GMT movement, the SRPH31 has a 60-minute outer track marked out in five-minute gaps, and a regular 12-hour layout on the inner track, giving it a character all of its own. Being a “pilot,” the blue dial and strap are appropriate, while the orange-tipped second hand adds just the right splash of color.

If the blue color scheme isn’t for you, there’s an on-trend green version or a pretty wild SRPH33 with its dark gray case, black dial, and fiery orange hands and markers. Unlike the SRPH31, it’s not a watch for the shy and retiring. Any of these pilot-style watches gives you the desirable 5 Sports features, just in a less common format.

Now we get to the Seiko 5 Sports watches that will be harder to find, starting with one of the most recent releases. This is Seiko’s collaboration with British watch designer Bamford, known for its opinion-splitting style, but this is a real beauty.

The brief was for a retro-futuristic look, achieved using a dial design and hands with the same look as 1980s SKX watches, plus an acrylic bezel. The dial is see-through, so you can spy the day/date dial behind the hour markers, complete with both English and Japanese text for the days. You can watch the dials physically shift into position when the day and date change.

Add in Bamford’s trademark bright colors, a comfortable nylon strap, plus the Bamford logo on the lower dial and on the see-through case back, and you’ve got a unique limited edition 5 Sports model.

Want it? Only 2,025 watches have been released globally, and they’ve sold out online. Your only chance to find one will be resellers, or maybe in Seiko’s London boutique. Failing that, if you don’t care about Bamford but like the style of this watch, take a look at the similar SRPJ45.

This cool collaboration is between Seiko and Honda and celebrates the iconic Super Cub motorcycle, which should be instantly recognizable, even if you’re not a bike fan, as Honda has knocked out more than 100 million of them since 1958.

There are three versions, all released at different times and all packed full of nice details. Look closely at the dial design and you will spot how the shape of the center section combines with the orange markers at 11 and 1 o’clock, plus the Super Cub logo, to look just like the front view of the bike itself.

A total of 6,000 green and cream SRPJ49 watches were made, then came 5,000 of the black and gray SRPJ75 version, which was made to commemorate an international version of the watch. Finally, there are 7,500 navy and sky blue SRPK37 versions, which can still be found for sale outside of resellers.

If you’re a vintage watch fan and looking for a Seiko 5 watch, then going back to where it all began seems like the obvious route to take. Released in 1963, the Seiko Sportsmatic 5 didn’t wear the 5 Sports name, but it became the template for the model range.

All those five key attributes, from the day/date to the water resistance, are present and correct, and few who see the entirely recessed crown at the 4 o’clock mark will be able to resist its svelte lines for long.

It’s recessed for a reason, too, as the watch uses Seiko’s Magic Lever technology, which increases the efficiency of the automatic movement, leading to a longer power reserve. Seiko apparently recessed the crown completely because the Magic Lever meant the watch wouldn’t need to be hand-wound as often.

The Sportsmatic 5 may be more than 50 years old, but used models regularly come up for sale through watch specialists, and for relatively reasonable prices, depending on the condition. It’s an accessible way into vintage watch ownership.

If the Sportsmatic 5 is just a little bit too vintage, and you’d rather scratch the classic Seiko 5 Sports itch with something more modern, Seiko released the SRPK17 in 2023 to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the 1968 original Seiko 5 Sports.

It re-creates the design right down to the Sports logo at 6 o’clock, but with updated materials and the reliable 4R36 automatic movement. The 39.5mm case has a cool cushion style, separating it from the current range entirely, and a flat-link metal bracelet for a delightfully ’70s vibe.

A total of 15,500 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Limited Edition watches were produced, meaning it’s not difficult to find them through watch resellers or online auction sites. In addition to the 55th Anniversary model, Seiko also released a trio of SKX (SRPK09, SRPK11, SRPK13) “Sports Style” watches with color schemes inspired by the 1969 range, which are also worth looking at if you want a modern Seiko 5 Sports with retro appeal.

OK, we’re cheating a bit here by not immediately recommending one specific model, but it’s just too difficult to single out one of the glorious Rowing Blazers collaborations as the must-buy. Clothing brand Rowing Blazers is known for its modern take on the classic preppy style, and its Seiko 5 Sports collabs re-create it on a wristwatch.

The two have teamed up three times—in 2021, 2022, and 2023—and produced a host of different versions of the SKX, all linked by stunning color schemes, a second hand colored like the finishing post in a boat race, and usually both a metal bracelet and a nylon strap in the box.

If you’re going to force us to pick one or two Rowing Blazers x Seiko 5 Sports watches, then a favorite is the SRPJ71 with the white dial and pastel pink nylon strap, which is just lovely, especially with the multicolored flag motif hour markers. The other is the SRPG49 with the black-and-white rally-style checkerboard bezel, matched to a pastel green nylon strap, which gives it the splash of color most will associate with Rowing Blazers.

All the watches were produced in low numbers, are very collectible, and are hard to find, so expect to pay over the odds for one of these on the resale market.

If Not Seiko 5 Sports, What Else?

Yes, the Seiko 5 Sports range is packed full of different watches, and most people will find at least one that suits them, but don’t think this means it has the affordable automatic watch market all sewn up. There are some alternatives to look at if a Seiko 5 Sports hasn’t won you over. For example, Citizen’s Promaster Dive uses the brand’s solar Eco-Drive movement and has 200-meter water resistance, while Orient’s Mako III and Triton divers are also interesting alternatives to the SKX range.

If you want a Swiss-made alternative, you’re probably going to have to spend a little more. We’d recommend trying on the Hamilton Khaki Field, a very popular but considerably more expensive field watch, and one of the many different Tissot Seastar 1000 dive watches, which start at the price where the Seiko 5 Sports end.

If you want a Seiko movement inside your watch but don’t necessarily want an actual Seiko watch, look for watches using the Seiko NH35 or NH36 movement, which are essentially the same as the 4R35 and 4R36 movements, just sold by Seiko for use by other brands—including Invicta, Out of Order Watches, and Geckota.

But don’t go out of your way to not buy a Seiko 5 Sports watch. They’re very popular for a good reason. Just be warned that buying one Seiko 5 Sports can lead to buying another, and each has often become the start of someone’s ongoing, extensive watch collection.