Seiko 5 Sports “SKX Sports Style GMT Model” (SBSC001, SBSC003)
The new “SKX Sports Style GMT model” of the “Seiko 5 Sports” announced by Seiko Watch in June and released in July. There are two regular models, black SBSC001 and blue SBSC003. It’s a mechanical watch, priced at 52,800 yen.
Even people who aren’t familiar with watches have a reputation for being “somewhat cool” when they see it, and while it has universal appeal, watch fans and watch enthusiasts groaned, “Is that so?”
Also, when it is actually released, the first shipment has become so popular that it is almost sold out just by reservation. There are probably many people who haven’t seen the real thing yet because it sold out without being lined up in stores. Therefore, in this magazine, we interviewed the person in charge of Seiko Watch. I would like to unravel the reasons for its popularity, including product photos.
5Sports and the evolution of SKX
First of all, what is “Seiko 5 Sports”? From the point of view. 5Sport is a brand of mechanical watches aimed at the younger generation. It was relaunched and rebranded in 2019, and after clarifying the concept of targeting the younger generation, it has become a lineup that will be deployed all over the world in line with global expansion.
The history of the 5 sports brand itself is quite long, and it goes back to 1968 when it comes to the model that triggered it. Even in the 1960s, it adopted an avant-garde design for young people, and there are many concepts shared with the current 5 sports. After that, the 5 sports in Japan temporarily disappeared due to the rise of quartz watches, but it will be revived in 2019 with the rebranding. As the company continued to expand its business overseas, even after the 1990s, products were imported into Japan as parallel imports. is expensive and has many fans.
After the rebranding in 2019, the current 5 sports are roughly divided into two lines, “SKX ○○○ Style” and “Field ○○○ Style”. The core SKX style is based on the design of a diver’s watch, and the Field style is based on the design of a military-style field watch.
Seiko 5 sports announced in 2019 rebranding
This SKX is derived from the model number of models such as “SKX007” and “SKX009”, which are diver’s watches that Seiko has been selling overseas for a long time. It was also popular with pet names such as black boy, navy boy, and orange boy according to the color.
The SKX series, which was previously sold as a diver’s watch, was released overseas in the 1990s and has been a long-selling model for over 20 years. The market price is often 10,000 to 20,000 yen in Japanese yen, and it was widely popular because it was a highly reliable movement. Production ended in 2019. In the form of replacement, the design was inherited by the 5 sports “SKX style” series.
The SKX series of diver’s watches whose production ended in 2019. The photo shows the “SKX GMT” realized by rebranding the SKX0095 sports called Navy Boy.
The “SKX Sports Style GMT model” featured this time is equipped with a “GMT function” that allows you to easily check the time in places with time differences such as overseas. The price is in the 50,000 yen range, which is the lowest price category for a mechanical watch equipped with a GMT function, including other companies. It can be said that this model was made possible because Seiko develops and manufactures movements in-house.
Mr. Ryohei Miura of Seiko Watch Product Planning Department 2 seems to have predicted that it would become a popular model from the planning stage. “I myself am a fan of SKX, having purchased and used the SKX series, and I knew that it was very popular overseas. As a global brand, this is a function that I definitely wanted to add to the lineup.Previously, there was no movement for this price range, but it seems that a GMT movement will be developed during the rebranding plan. We proceeded with the development plan from the time of the rebranding in 2019, and although there was a slight delay due to the corona crisis, development has caught up and we are now on sale. ”(Mr. Miura)
Mr. Junpei Matsue of the Seiko Watch Design Department said that he wanted the young generation, the target audience, to go outside. “This model was designed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when opportunities to go out and travel abroad were limited. I remember that I was proceeding with the design with the desire to have it.” (Mr. Matsue)
GMT based on affordable 4R series
The GMT movement is the 4R34 caliber. By developing it based on the 4R series installed in the 5 sports, we have realized the first GMT movement in the 4R series that can be introduced in the price range of the 5 sports. The GMT hand can be moved independently, making it intuitively easier for beginners to handle than the general GMT mechanism in which the movement of the GMT hand is linked to the date.
Newly developed movement “4R34”.In addition, as will be described later, pinholes are provided at the ends of the lugs to make it easier to attach and detach the spring bars that fasten the band.
The design of this GMT model is based on the SKX series. The streamlined case side, the unique knurling around the rotating bezel, the design of the indexes and hands, etc., incorporates the “SKX style” that follows the flow of diver’s watches everywhere.
On the other hand, in order to make it clear that it is a “high-end model” equipped with the GMT function, which is an additional function, “The point was how to step up from the conventional SKX and how to make it look attractive.” As Mr. Matsue said, the attention to detail that is not found in the conventional model was included.
High-quality texture is also pursued as a high-end model of 5 sports
One of them is the design and mechanics of the metal bracelet used on the GMT model, although it’s hard to tell from the photo.
A 5-row link metal bracelet with a design that was also available in the SKX series of diver’s watches sold since the 1990s. However, the SKX series 5-row bracelet was a specification with solid parts on the outside and plate-shaped rings wrapped around the 3 rows in the center. “The play of the pieces was too large, and I didn’t feel the texture was very good,” says Mr. Matsuei.
Therefore, in the GMT model this time, all the tops are changed to solid stainless steel while keeping the good shape of the SKX and following the design. Furthermore, by adopting a structure in which the rows on both ends are connected on the back side, it is possible to reduce excess play and distortion. The pitch (vertical width) of the top is as short as before, so it fits like it sticks to the arm, and the feeling of wearing and texture are “a step up compared to before” (Mr. Matsue).
A 5-row link stainless steel bracelet for the GMT model.The finish of the top three columns in the center differs depending on the color.All parts are made of solid wood, and by adopting a structure in which the rows on both ends are connected on the back side, excess play and distortion are reduced.A glass bezel with vapor deposition on the buckle adds a sense of luxury
The second is the display plate of the rotating bezel (the part on the bezel surface where numbers etc. are drawn), which is also a feature of the appearance. Conventionally, it was made of aluminum, but the GMT model uses the same glass (Hardlex) as the windshield, realizing a high quality texture with a sense of transparency and depth. By applying a vapor deposition process from the back side, the appearance changes greatly depending on the angle at which the light hits, and the blue model has an impressive metallic shine.
Although acrylic bezels exist in 5 sports, glass bezels are extremely rare. Vapor deposition is not compatible with acrylic materials, but can only be done with glass.
Vapor deposition from the glass bezel and the back side makes the display panel gleam and reflect depending on the angle of the light.It is a rare specification compared to other 5 sports lineups and the SKX series of conventional diver’s watches.
This bezel display has a number indicating 24 hours, but in fact, some of these numbers are “newly created” characters. The SKX series uses the Arabic numeral font on the bezel inherited from a fairly old diver’s watch, but this is a handwritten font by the designer at the time. Since the designed numbers only have 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, “While referring to conventional numbers, I created a new font for the missing numbers such as 6 and 8.” Mr. Sung).
In addition, the rotating bezel can be rotated in both directions to make it easier to adjust the 24-hour display, and it can be moved steplessly without a click feeling.
The design of the GMT hand is from the hour marker
As a somewhat maniac point, the design of the GMT hand is also a point. Depending on the model, the GMT hand may be thinner or a slightly less conspicuous color, and the design varies depending on the concept. In a sense, the design of SKX’s diver’s watch is in the realm of perfection.
The GMT model of the 5 sports this time was equipped with a fairly thick GMT hand due to the specifications of the movement. The tip is also large, and the color is also conspicuous red. “Even though it follows the traditional SKX design, we made it recognizable at a glance as a GMT model. I was conscious of designing it so that people would pick it up.” (Mr. Matsue).
The shape of the tip of the GMT hand is not a triangle, but a pentagon named after “5” sports. It’s hard to tell if you don’t stare at it, but… actually, the index (hour marker) at the 12 o’clock position on the dial has traditionally been a pentagon with cut corners instead of an inverted triangle. The shape of the hour marker at 12 o’clock is also used for the tip of the GMT hand, aiming for a shape that blends in with the SKX design.
Seiko 5 sports “SKX Sports Style GMT model” SBSC001. The GMT hand is thick and red, and the design stands out. Date magnifying lens, color lineup
Another eye-catching appearance is the “magnified glass” lens attached to the windshield that magnifies the date. This is also a specification added to the GMT model among the 5 sports, and it plays a role in producing a special feeling.
The color lineup of the GMT model is black, blue, and orange (limited to some sales channels), and the three colors that have been popular with the SKX series of diver’s watches. “It’s not an official name, but based on the three colors that fans called Black Boy, Navy Boy, and Orange Boy, we paid homage to the original and adopted it for the first model.” Mr. Sung).
In addition, the model called Navy Boy (SKX009) featured a vivid color scheme using blue and red for the bezel display plate, but the GMT model has chosen beautiful and striking colors such as blue and gunmetal. .
In addition, although the overlap (height) of the hands on the dial has increased due to the addition of the GMT hand, the overall thickness of the product has increased by about 0.2 mm by making the windshield thinner than before. holding back. “The SKX was a diver’s watch, but the rebranded 5 sports is not a diver’s watch, so we designed it with a thick windshield,” says Matsue.
Seiko 5 sports “SKX Sports Style GMT model” SBSC003.5 sports with improved usability and texture
A common feature across the 5-Sport line-up is the pinholes in the lugs of the case for the insertion of pins from the outside. This is provided so that the spring bar that holds the belt can be removed without a special tool. It also contains a message that users can easily exchange bands by themselves and have fun.
The index of the dial has a glittering plating around the marker, and this is a specification that was added to the SKX style model during the rebranding of the 5 sports. Rather than a separate part (applied index), the part that looks three-dimensional is said to have been embossed on the dial and then polished.
A common feature is the see-through back with a glass back cover. It is a specification that has been adopted in the sense that it is not a battery-powered or smartwatch, and that it appeals to the younger generation to enjoy the mechanical mechanism.
As an aside, the SKX series traditionally features a luminous marker on the opposite side of the second hand. This is one of the functions for diving, not for reading the seconds, but for confirming that the watch is “working properly without stopping”. The other side of the second hand is painted black to highlight the movement of this marker.
Expectations for future development of GMT model of 5 sports
The 5-sport GMT model was greeted with enthusiastic popularity, with the initial shipment almost sold out just by pre-ordering. Will there be additional color variations in this series? Mr. Miura strongly replied, “We are positively considering future developments.”
“We are positioning this as a series that we hope will continue to play an active role in the future.
The 5 sports GMT model is a model that strongly inherits the design of the SKX series, a diver’s watch that has been loved as a long-selling model around the world. However, as the 5-sport lineup no longer meets the standard for divers watches, SKX has become a “style”, and the image of “tool watch” and “practicality” has faded, and SKX fans who feel sorry for that there might be
On the other hand, however, the SKX diver’s watch probably wouldn’t have been possible, but the “development of adding functions” with the GMT function has been realized by the global rebranding of 5 sports. Seiko’s unique ingenuity has been put into its design and specifications to make it look as comfortable and high-quality as a 5-sport.
The nostalgia and sense of security of the beautiful heritage design of the SKX, the exhilaration of the added function of the GMT, the reliability of the movement with its historical background, and the satisfaction of the quality of the material, which easily exceeds the price of 50,000 yen, are all expressed in this watch. It has become a very big attraction of the model. It is a notable model for the second half of 2022 that you want to wait for the next shipment without rushing.
