Imagine this scenario: You’ve been told that you’re about to be given a nice automatic watch for your birthday gift or any other event. As such, you strike up a conversation about automatic watches in an attempt to know what to get. Well, chances are, someone mentions something about a Seiko 5. Do you know what they’re talking about? If you don’t, but you’ve definitely heard the name before, you’re in the right place.

Today, we want to demystify the world of Seiko 5 for you to help you understand what Seiko 5 is all about:

What Does the 5 Even Mean?

While the five can be thought to mean different things depending on the sources you reach out to, one commonly agreed upon reason for what the five represents is the five essential features the Seiko 5 offers. These are automatic movement, day-date complication, water resistance, a recessed crown, and sturdy construction. The features are often associated with dynamism and youthfulness, but it was really to show that the watches had the five qualities.

The Automatic Movement

The Seiko 5 collection has always been known for its innovative movement designs, and the 7S26 is no exception. This mechanism was created in the 1950s and was designed to automatically wind the watch. This system, known as the Magic Lever, was a bi-directional winding design. It provided a 40-hour power reserve, 21 jewels, and a day-date complication, making it a recognizable part of the Seiko 5 series.

The Day-Date Complication

In Japan, the days of the week were originally named after the five Chinese elements: fire, water, wood, metal, and earth. Tanaka, a watchmaker, wanted to create a complication on the Seiko 5 watch line so that when people glanced at their watches, they could tell which day it was. To do this, he used the elements of the characters to represent the days. The watches with this complication were to be distributed globally, so Tanaka also included an English day complication.

The Water Resistance

Seiko 5 was intended to be a line of watches for the average person, so making them water-resistant was a natural choice. Before that, waterproof watches were only seen on expensive and large dive watches. But Seiko 5 wanted to offer the same feature in a smaller, more affordable size. So, the team engineered a way to make the watches able to withstand light splashing and a brief swim.

The Recessed Crown

The crown on the Seiko 5 watches is located at the 4 o’clock position, making them more comfortable to wear than regular watches. Additionally, this design makes it easier to adjust the time, date, and day. Some say that the concept behind this was to showcase the Magic Lever, an efficient feature that lets people use the watch without having to operate the crown. This has become a defining feature of Seiko watches and is easily recognizable.

The Case and Bracelet

After making the decision to make the Seiko 5 watches waterproof, the look and feel of the watch needed to be addressed. Leather straps were not suitable for this purpose, so a stainless steel bracelet and case were chosen instead. This enabled the watch to be suitable for aquatic activities and look fashionable at the same time.

Conclusion

So, even if the 5 in Seiko 5 doesn’t mean any of these things, at least we can appreciate these amazing features that the watch line has to offer. Of course, whether you’ve received a Seiko 5 as a gift would be up to chance. But now, you know exactly what the Seiko 5 has to offer, so the next time you’re out watch-hunting, consider grabbing one for yourself as your first one or to add to your collection!

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Does the “5” in Seiko 5 Actually Mean Anything?