Introducing: The Seiko 5 Sports Heritage Design Re-Creation Limited Editions
For fans of vintage Seiko, today’s new release will be pleasing. The Seiko 5 Sports Heritage Design Re-creation Limited Edition, aside from being a mouthful, is a pair of fantastic watches. These pieces use a case design firmly rooted in the late ’60s. That’s exciting because Seiko has created another new case and is pushing to release some great models from its back catalog.
Among the many Seiko and Grand Seiko releases we see each year, the brand has quietly brought several reissues of cult-classic watches. Pieces including the Navigator Timer SPB411 and the SRPK17 were real surprises and look great in the metal. Plus, they’re affordable. The best news is that Seiko isn’t afraid to create a new case design for a limited-edition watch. That’s the story today with the Seiko 5 Sports Heritage pieces we’ll discuss.
A quick look back at the 5126-8090
Before we get into the new Seiko 5 Sports Heritage models, I’d like to draw your attention to the inspiration behind them. The 1968 reference 5126-8090 was one of many Sports Diver models made during the late ’60s until the early ’70s. It has picked up the nickname “Kamen Rider” due to its use by a character in a famous Japanese TV show by the same name. I’ve mentioned before that these are some of my favorites because they’re creative and comfortable. In the past, they were also reasonably priced. Now, good Sports Divers are pricey and hard to find in nice condition. Another point worth noting is that roughly one year ago, Seiko came with the SRPJ91. This watch used the SKX-style case with a 5126-inspired bezel and dial.
The Seiko 5 Sports Heritage models
The new Seiko 5 Sports Heritage models are available with a silver dial (reference SRPL03) or a black one (reference SRPL05). These watches use a 38.5mm by 44.8mm stainless steel case with a 100m water resistance rating. An external dive-style bezel and Hardlex crystal bring each watch to 12.4mm thick. Seiko has adorned the hands, bezel, and dial with its proprietary LumiBrite material.
The watches come on a stainless steel bracelet with a push-button and tri-fold clasp. The look differs from the original bracelet but is similar to what was used on last year’s SRPK17. Links may be removed using a pin-and-collar system.
A nice touch is the included black leather rally-style strap with a signed buckle. All of this comes in a retro-design Seiko 5 Sports box. Overall, it’s a nice package and a fitting tribute to one of the brand’s cooler watches.
A familiar movement
The Seiko 5 Sports Heritage models use the familiar 4R36 automatic movement. While this movement won’t set the world on fire with its stated accuracy of +45/-35 seconds per day or 41 hours of power reserve, it’s a reliable runner that often shows better timing results. Functionally, it has both a day and date display, consistent with the ’60s original.
Thoughts and pricing
Aside from the semi-boring strap, there’s nothing negative I can say about the Seiko 5 Sports Heritage pair. These watches are the spitting image of the original 5126-8090 and look fantastic. Yes, the dial text above 6 o’clock has been updated to reflect more water resistance and a different jewel count. The Daini symbol is also gone, but the overall layout is identical. The originals were some of the best-looking Sports Divers and are now among the most desirable. A new watch of the same size with modern reliability and robustness sounds like a great idea.
Then there’s the pricing and availability. Seiko will release these watches globally in July, and each color will be limited to 9,999 individually numbered pieces. That means that availability should not be an issue. Pricing is also attractive at €460 or £400. As a reference, last year’s SKX-based model came out at €380 on a leather strap, which makes these new pieces even more compelling. This was a fun surprise from Seiko today. Hopefully, you agree!
For more information on the new Seiko 5 Sports Heritage models, visit the official Seiko website.
