The Bang-For-Buck Seiko 5 Sports Field Series Will Guide You When Lost

At this point, perhaps it is very safe to say that Seiko doesn’t like holding back when it comes to giving the 5 Sports collection new directions. What started as a home for SKX-inspired sports watches has gradually turned into one of the brand’s most varied collections. Along the way, we have seen GMT models, collaborations with the likes of HUF and Pepsi, gold-toned references, and field-watch-inspired designs. Recently, the collection welcomes four new 5 Sports Field Series references: HDB006, HDB007, HDB008, and HDB009, all fitted with a compass bezel. It is a feature more commonly associated with Seiko’s outdoor-focused Prospex models, and coming to the more affordable Seiko 5 Sports collection makes it particularly interesting.

These new Seiko 5 Sports Field Series watches are still your quintessential tool watches that bank upon straightforward, highly legible dials. Seiko has completed them with large Arabic numerals and a day-date display, with an additional 13-24-hour scale. The bezel may be the head-turning feature, but it is not the only update. Seiko has also given the Arabic numerals a full coating of LumiBrite, something that many felt was missing from earlier Seiko 5 field watches. Combined with water resistance of up to 100 metres and the proven 4R36 automatic movement, these new references bring a little more functionality to one of the most affordable sections of Seiko’s catalogue.

A compass bezel is not something we see every day, especially at this end of the market. Seiko does have a few models in its portfolio that feature it, though, such as the Tortoise series, the Alpinist collection and the Field Compass SRPD31K1, all part of the Prospex genre. Unlike a dive bezel, which tracks elapsed time, the compass bezel helps with rough bearings. Marked with E, W, S, (North is a luminous dot) along with SE, SW, NE, and NW, it works together with the position of the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, you point the hour hand towards the sun and rotate the bezel so that the south marker sits halfway between the hour hand and the 12 o’clock marker. Whereas in the Southern Hemisphere, the 12 o’clock marker is pointed towards the sun and the north marker is set halfway between 12 o’clock and the hour hand. Once aligned, the bezel gives a rough direction.

The bidirectional steel bezel has a diamond-pattern knurled edge, making it easy to grip and adjust. On the HDB006 and HDB007, the bezel is finished in brushed steel, while the HDB008 and HDB009 receive brown and black coatings to give them a bit of an extra utilitarian twist as well as their own identity, and a lumed pearl at 12 o’clock marks north on all four models, as mentioned.

These Seiko 5 Sports Field Series watches are packed inside a steel case measuring 41mm in diameter, 13.2mm thick, and 48.5mm lug-to-lug. Those dimensions place the new watches on the larger side of the spectrum, although the short lugs and case profile help keep things manageable on the wrist. For reference, the wrist in the pictures is about 18.5-19cm in circumference. The package is completed by a Hardlex crystal, mineral glass display caseback, push-pull crown, and 100 metres of water resistance.

Earlier Seiko 5 field watches illuminated only the square hour markers, leaving the large Arabic numerals dark once the lights went out. Here, the numerals receive LumiBrite treatment alongside the hands and indexes. It might sound like a small change, but for a watch built around legibility, it makes quite a lot of sense. The watches now feel a little more complete as practical, reliable tools when taking on some adventures. Coming to the dial colours, you will see the HDB006 has a glossy dial in black, while the HDB007 goes for white. The HDB008 opts for a sunray-brushed dial in khaki green, and the same style is executed in brown on the HDB009.

Inside is Seiko’s in-house calibre 4R36. The automatic movement beats at 21,600 vibrations/hour, offers around 41 hours of power reserve, and displays the hours, minutes, central seconds, day, and date. We most recently saw it ticking inside the Prospex Diver’s Watch PADI 60th Anniversary HBB002: again a reminder of just how widely Seiko continues to rely on this workhorse calibre across its catalogue.

The new Seiko 5 Sports Field Series watches continue the collection’s strong value proposition. For the HDB006 and HDB007, Seiko has gone for a 3-link steel bracelet with a folding clasp, while the HDB008 and HDB009 are paired with green and brown nylon straps, respectively. All four 5 Sports Field Series references share a 20mm lug width. The HDB008 and HDB009, fitted with nylon straps, are priced at EUR 390, while the HDB006 and HDB007 on steel bracelets cost EUR 410. And by all standards, that is a pretty smashing deal!

For more information, please visit SeikoWatches.com.