Some time ago I found myself wanting a smaller automatic sports watch at a reasonable price that would fill the gap between the more precious automatics and the full on G-SHOCK sports watches in my collection. Enter the Seiko 5 Racing SNK375K.

Watches with a staggering history and heritage all of their own and a range that stems back decades! The model I settled on here is the Racing dial as it’s known. A deep black dial with rich red detailing and a red second hand to add some flair.

At 36mm the case is on the smaller side but I find this suits me fine and means the watch wears very comfortably on the wrist. The stainless steel case houses the Seiko 7S26 movement with a day/date complication and the applied Indices hold plenty of Seikos proprietary lume. Meaning that although there is no hand winding or hacking it is a sturdy reliable movement and a great package overall at the price point.

As with most Seiko 5 pieces, there are weaknesses and these may very well be subjective but personally I never find the bracelets very appealing. They function but especially on this 5 I don’t find it suits the character of the watch. I quickly swapped this out for a rubber strap with red stitching to complement the dial and I think this is a far better package.

The crystal is my other moan. Sapphire crystal is fantastic! Acrylic crystals add character and can easily be polished and brought back to new. But this has hardlex. It’s not that it’s bad but if scratched it will require replacement and so really I would rather have had acrylic. The hardlex is also on the rear for a display caseback which for this movement really isn’t needed.

In conclusion Seiko deliver as they have done for decades a sharp sporty design, a fantastic dial and minor drawbacks that most would be happy with. With a simple strap change this Seiko 5 Racing SNK375K will deliver smiles for years to come.