Although we said goodbye to the beloved Seiko SKX a few years back, the replacement entry-level automatic diver, 5 Sports, has accomplished a lot in such a short amount of time, including the implementation of plenty of color options and even bringing back a GMT version. Now, the Japanese brand is offering four versions of the timepiece with a mid-size case.
Traditionally, dive watches tend to be bigger in order to increase their capabilities at farther depths underwater. However, even with this new release, Seiko has still not resumed the 200m water resistance of the SKX line and thus doesn’t need to make the case in larger sizes, other than for aesthetic purposes. With a 42.5mm diameter, the standard 5 Sports SKX Sports Style watch is simply too big for a lot of wearers. Whether you have smaller wrists or don’t want your dive watch to sink you down to the bottom of the ocean (that won’t really happen), you may have opted for a different sports watch altogether, like a Hamilton Navy Scuba or a Q Timex, or even the newly-release 36mm versions of the Seiko 5 Sports Mid-Field pieces. Now, Seiko diver fans can rejoice with a quartet of 5 Sports divers at a much-more wearable 38mm size on its stainless steel case.
Reminiscent of the retired 37mm SKX013, the four references in the discussion are the SRPK29, SRPK31, SRPK33, and SRPK35 — all part of the SKX Sports Style series — which feature dial colors in black, champagne, teal, and orange, respectively. All four have the same specs as the 42.5mm versions, including the in-house caliber 4R36 movement, 100m dive rating, and unidirectional bezel with an elapsed time scale of 60 minutes.
Equipped with stainless steel fold-over clasp bracelets, the 38mm Seiko 5 Sports SKX Sports Style watches have yet to drop in the U.S. market but are available overseas for AUD495 (~$330).
