Seiko did something that few watch brands have done before: The Japanese brand asked its fans to design the new Seiko 5 Sports model. Seiko’s fans submitted a total of 48,000 entries and selected their winner: the Seiko Custom Watch Beatmaker. The design’s stand-out feature is undoubtedly its gold-colored dial. Read on to learn more about this new entry-level Seiko timepiece. Psst… Did you know that nearly all 2,021 copies of this limited edition watch are sold out from Seiko’s webshop? The model is currently trading for around $700 on Chrono24, which is more than double its official list price.
Seiko 5 Sports: A Quality Entry-Level Watch
Seiko has been producing watches in the Seiko 5 Sports collection since 1968. They have continued to introduce sporty and affordable watches to the series ever since, most recently the Custom Watch Beatmaker. The mechanical timepieces in the Seiko 5 Sports collection are reliable, robust, precise, and come at a very affordable price.
From October 2020 to January 2021, Seiko ran the “Show Your Style” campaign and invited fans to design their own Seiko 5 Sports model. A special website allowed participants to customize five different components of the watch.
Seiko’s Fans Have Their Say: 48,000 Designs and 16 Million Votes
Seiko fans around the world jumped at the opportunity to design their dream watch. The campaign managed to draw in more than 48,000 design entries. The top design won by a majority, earning 8.5 million of the 16 million votes cast. Seiko fans chose an interesting mix of features: a honey-gold sunburst dial, white hands and indices, and a day-date display with a white background. The red and blue unidirectional bezel is a typical feature on many Seiko 5 Sports models.
Fans opted for a 42.5-mm stainless steel case, which can also be found in the brand’s legendary SKX line. Thanks to a lug-to-lug distance of just 46 mm, the case appears smaller on the wrist despite the seemingly robust diameter. The Custom Watch Beatmaker is outfitted with Hardlex crystal and is water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft). The stainless steel Oyster-style bracelet comes with a safety clasp.
Seiko Custom Watch Beatmaker: Movement and Functions
The proven automatic Seiko caliber 4R36 powers the new Japanese watch. The movement features a stop-seconds mechanism and a power reserve of over 41 hours.
The Seiko 5 Sports Custom Watch Beatmaker Limited Edition can be found under the reference number SRPH19K1. The watch is limited to a run of 2,021 pieces and is exclusively available on Seiko’s webshop for $295, though, as mentioned, there are already a few listings on Chrono24.
