Seiko Neo Sports Black SRP715

Rounding off my series of reviews of Seiko's Neo Sports 4R36-based field/military style watches is this review of the black dial, black leather strap SRP715. Among this particular line of watches, starting with the sunburst blue-dialed, stainless steel bracelet SRP707 (reviewed here), the light gray-dialed, stainless steel bracelet SRP709 (I don't actually have this variant),the dark gray-dialed, stainless steel bracelet SRP711 (reviewed here), the beige-dialed, brown leather strap SRP713 (reviewed here) and the SRP715 which is the subject of this post, the SRP715 has the most basic and arguably the most classic color scheme, with a black dial, white fence-post hands and Arabic numeral indices, silver 24-hour markings and logo, polished fixed stainless steel bezel with a black painted inverted triangle pip mark at 12 o'clock and black paint hour hash marks, and black calf leather strap.

Everything that can be written about this particular model line has probably been already written in the earlier reviews I made of its siblings, so let's just look at some photos:

SRP715.

SRP707 on Hirsch

In an earlier post I've written and posted photos of my Seiko Neo Sports SRP711 on a Hirsch leather strap. Decided that my SRP707, the sunburst blue-dialed version of the SRP711 (see earlier review here), could also benefit from the aesthetic improvements from a high-quality leather strap, as opposed to the rather bland appearance of the stock stainless steel bracelet. This time I used a 22mm brown Hirsch Forest Artisan leather strap, and I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out.

Have a look:

SRP711 on Hirsch

As a follow up to my Seiko Neo Sports SRP711 review (see earlier post here) here are some pictures of the SRP711 on a 22mm dark brown Hirsch Duke Alligator Embossed leather strap. I've mentioned before that the stock stainless steel bracelet doesn't really do anything for me, but the switch to high quality leather really enhances the overall look of the watch, with the rich dark brown strap nicely complementing the dark gray dial and bezel and high contrast white markers and hands. I'll probably end up doing the same to my SRP707 (see review here), perhaps with a slightly different strap style and shade of brown.

Some photos:

Seiko Neo Sports Gray SRP711

We now go on to the third model in my series of reviews for Seiko's recently launched line of Neo Sports watches, the dark gray dialed SRP711.

Again, as a sibling of the SRP713 (see earlier post here) and the SRP707 (see earlier post here), it is essentially the same design with the exception of the color scheme. Like the SRP707, this model also utilizes a stainless steel bracelet instead of a leather strap like the SRP713. The dial is dark gray, with most of the markings in white, except for the 24 hour markings which are in silver. The hands are also in white like the SRP707 with the second hand sporting the same predominantly black color with a white tip. The day/date wheels use white text on a black background.

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of this variant is the ion-plated brushed bezel which shares the same shade of gray as the dial.

While I have a preference for stainless steel bracelets in general, the bracelets used on this particular series don't really seem to do much in enhancing the overall appearance of the watch. Again, like the SRP707 this is on my list of candidates for a leather strap change.

Some photos:

SRP711.

Seiko Neo Sports Blue SRP707

I recently wrote about Seiko's recent line of Neo Sports field/military inspired watches (see the earlier post of the SRP713 here), and this follow up post focuses on the SRP707, the SRP713's blue-dialed sibling.

The SRP707 is identical to the SRP713 except for the adopted color scheme and the use of a stainless steel bracelet instead of a leather strap. This model features white dial markings on a very distinctive and eye-catching dark blue sunburst dial. Hands are white as well, and the second hand is black with a third its length up to the tip painted white. The day/date window is bordered in white, with the day/date wheels consisting of white text on a black background. The fixed coin-edge bezel is brushed, in contrast to the polished finish on the SRP713.

The stainless steel bracelet is a basic single fold-over clasp type with a pinch lock, measuring 22mm at the lugs and tapering down to 20mm at the clasp. End-links are hollow, and the links are secured with split pins. The clasp is signed with the Seiko brand, and only has two micro-adjustment holes, so finding the right fit may be tricky for some.

It's pretty much a variation of the theme, but personally I may consider some aftermarket straps instead of the stock bracelet.

Some photos:

SRP707.

Seiko Neo Sports Beige SRP713

Hidden deep in Seiko's product line up under its Conceptual Collection lies a range of Neo Sports watches powered by the ubiquitous hacking/handwinding 4R36. This line, which includes the SRP707, SRP709, SRP711, SRP713, and the SRP715, features a contemporary-sized 44mm diameter case (excluding crown) housing a dial with field/military design cues. Water resistance is rated at 100m.

This particular line seems to be a forum favorite but isn't that popular among non-Seiko fans or non-WISes. An Instagram search revealed only a handful of hits, and a lot of the hits pointed to the photos I myself uploaded. A shame really, because this line represents a lot of watch for the money, with a flexible aesthetic straddling the middle ground of being a tool watch and a dress watch. It can easily be dressed up or down depending on the wearer's whims, and it's available in a range of color combinations and strap options (black, blue, gray, beige dials, stainless steel bracelet or black/brown leather) and with a generic lug width of 22mm, the choices when it comes to straps are virtually limitless.

Features include a large, but not oversized, non-screwdown crown which is very easy to manipulate, hour hashes on the fixed coin-edged bezel, polished stainless steel surfaces except for the top of the lugs which are brushed, and a see-through exhibition caseback displaying a rather plain-looking, but reliable, 24-jewel, 21,600 bph, 41-hour power reserve, 4R36 movement. The dial comes in a variety of colors and is mostly a printed affair, with Arabic hour and 24-hour markers, lumed stick hour indices (the numerals themselves aren't lumed), and second hash marks. Dial text is relatively sparse, only highlighted by an applied Seiko logo midway between the center point of the dial and the 12 o'clock position, and a printed "Automatic" inscription in cursive font at the 6 o'clock end. Interestingly, the Seiko 5 logo is not at all present. Hands are lumed and of the fencepost variety, and the second hand features a lume ball on the opposite end. All of these details are topped off with a slightly domed Hardlex crystal.

As mentioned earlier, the case diameter is a rather large 44mm, and the lug width is a generous 22mm. Case thickness is 12mm, and lug-to-lug length is 50mm. The dimensions seem to be aimed at individuals interested in contemporary proportions, but may likely turn off those interested in watches with more classic sizes, or those with smaller wrists.

In the Philippines these models can be purchased for around 130-150 USD. In other territories, expect them to be priced somewhat higher, perhaps in the 200-300 USD range...still a bargain, considering what you're getting.

The specific model featured in this post is the SRP713, which has a beige dial, black markers, black outlined hands, red-tipped second hand, a black bordered day/date window, black text on white background day and date wheels, and a brown calf leather strap. Photos of the other models in this line will be shared in succeeding posts.

SRP713.