Seiko 5 Sports Owner Review : Symbolic, versatile and friendly

This little Seiko 5 is the first watch I ever owned. My parents gave it to me for Christmas 2022, and since then, my love for these little mechanical objects has only grown. I immediately put it on a Seiko NATO strap in the brand's "sand" color, to better match its military feel and the ochre yellow of the Arabic numeral hour markers. The dial is a very elegant blue gradient. The blue gradually darkens as you move away from the center. Depending on the light, the dial appears sometimes blue in the center and black at the edges, sometimes almost black/gray, and sometimes entirely blue. This dial works very well with the ochre color of the hour markers. The case is simple with a sort of sandblasted/micro-blasted finish. This reflects the light beautifully and gives the watch a clean, understated look. It also complements its military inspiration. It's 39mm, a modern size. I would have preferred the 36mm versions, but if I remember correctly, they weren't available at the time, and this version wasn't (and still isn't) available in 36mm. This case remains perfectly wearable for my 16 to 16.5 cm wrist. The lug-to-lug measurement of 48mm is within the acceptable range for a wearable watch. Ultimately, it depends on personal taste and wrist size. The hands are a slightly lighter yellow than the hour markers and lack the ochre tint. The overall design is very cohesive, and it's a pleasure to gaze at the dial with its striking black seconds hand featuring an orange arrowhead. Legibility is excellent, and the printed 13-24 hour scale adds a touch of military style. It's present but blends seamlessly into the dial. The lumibrite is also excellent. At the slightest exposure to light, it sparkles brilliantly once in a darker environment. This creates a beautiful interplay of colors between the dial, the hands, and the luminescent material. The crystal is Seiko Hardlex. Personally, I love it. I love it because it brings that touch of warmth reminiscent of vintage plexiglass. It's a far cry from the coldness of sapphire. The crystal is also slightly domed, which creates a distortion of the elements when viewed from the side of the watch. It's a truly beautiful effect. For me, Hardlex is a definite YES. For a watch in this price range, it's frankly fantastic. I don't know, I just think it complements the overall design perfectly. It's simply warm and inviting. The watch lugs are drilled, making it very easy to change the strap. A simple, small paperclip is all it takes. I recently put the original strap back on. A black leather strap, and frankly, it suits it perfectly. It's not the highest quality, but I think it does the job. In any case, it seems consistent with the rest of the watch, and I don't think it looks cheap. Personally, I'm happy with it. Plus, it goes very well with the dial when it's dark. Whether it's the sandblasted NATO strap or this black leather, both look fantastic. In short, this military-inspired watch is superb for a small budget. It's a great entry point into watchmaking with something reliable, elegant, and very versatile. The whole piece works very well, and you can put lots of different straps on it to change its look. Simply top-notch. Personally, it's really the watch I wear when I don't want to overthink things and I want to be able to go anywhere. Plus, it's the kind of watch that can cover most of the "average" person's life today (in my opinion). The comfort, whether on the original strap or the NATO strap, is excellent. The watch is very lightweight, which I find a very important point. You forget you're even wearing it. Truly a great product. Seiko offers a wide variety of Seiko 5 models. A real winner in my opinion. Just one point about the movement. I was lucky enough to get a really good one at +7 seconds per day. It was very accurate when worn daily and left face up overnight. Unfortunately, it fell from a height of one meter. As a result, the Hardlex crystal needed replacing, and the accuracy has never been the same since, despite a visit to my local watchmaker. It's now at -15 seconds per day, and I find it lacks consistency. Too bad, that's life.