Are The NEW Seiko 5s A Downgrade? – Old vs New Field Watch Battle (SNK805 vs SNZG09 vs SRPG33)

In this Seiko SRPG33 review video, I take a look at the new Seiko 5 field watch and compare it to some of the older alternatives. Essentially, this is a battle of SNK805 vs SNZG09 vs SRPG33, to see which is the best affordable field watch.
Thanks to Jomashop for providing the SNK805 and SNZG09 and Amazon for covering the cost of the SRPG33 for this video. All thoughts are my own.
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Disclosures:

Ben's Watch Club tends to cover affordable watches like Seiko, Timex, Casio, Citizen, MVMT, Vincero, Bulova, Orient, Hamilton, and more. We rarely feature luxury watches like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Breitling, Tag Heuer, Tudor, Grand Seiko, Cartier, Omega, Audemars Piguet, or Hublot due to their price.

[Podcastage]

The SNK805 was my first automatic and it will always hold a special place in my heart. This was a great comparison video Ben. Keep up the great work.

[JusttheWatch]

The thing with Seiko pricing is that it drops. The SRPGs are already down to around 19, 000 yen here in Japan, so like 123 GBP. The SNZG and SNK have both been out long enough that their prices have bottomed out long ago. Great comparison of the three models!

[TomasWatchReviews]

the oldest one looks incredible, has some character.

[sfmorris]

I think the newer model is by far the smartest, but the footage of all three side-by-side suggests that daytime legibility has taken a big step backwards versus the older printed dials.

[MrUpsetGamer]

I picked up an SRPE "dresskx" and I have to say it is incredible. If Seiko keeps making and selling these oddball watches then I'm fully on board with the new 5 lines

[jacc]

Imagine the SNK at 39mm, a 4R36 and sapphire crystal. That would be my perfect field/pilot’s watch.

[reythin]

I habe the SNK805 - replaced the Movement with an NH36, The crystal with a domed saphire crystal. And the hands with mercedes hands. The watch is a real stunner now. I think sapphire replacement is essential for every Seiko5.

[ExAnimoPortugal]

The chainsaws in the background was Spaghetti Scametti cutting out the middle men

[davidbreckler]

I have all 3 of these watch model in multiple colors. Nothing beat the charm of the SNK. Jomashop had the black SNK on the metal bracelet for $70 last week. I have one, but want t back up. It's an awesome everyday beater.... best watch under $100....ever!

[watchchimp]

I own all 3 and I have to say the new one is by far the best. Out of the new batch you chose the least attractive colorway. I've got the SRPG39K1; Blue dial, leather strap and Champagne colored Arabics. Extremely classy and the domed crystal adds nice distortion. I would say if you don't have the 💲for an Alpinist this would make a great budget alternative.
Also, I don't think it's quite fair to compare it price wise to the two older watches that have been out for ages; clearly if those were being released now, they would cost more and the difference in price wouldn't be nearly as much!

[jimdog]

I still love my snk809 - wear it daily in the office and I've scratched it plenty. It's cheap enough to replace if I need to but would be even better with more water resistance I agree. Nice to see the 3 models side by side Ben, cheers!

[mattreardon]

Not even close to a downgrade. The movement is way better than the trash 7S26 movement, and the water resistance is improved. As a Watch maker, not having hacking and hand winding on a new watch bought in 2022 is absolutely ridiculous, and you’re absolutely wrong about them having similar reliability, the 7S26 on a time graph machine gets blown out of the water compared to the 4R36

[wilburwhateley]

I don't get the watch companies that give the same old line about sapphire is too expensive to upgrade a watch with. A single sapphire crystal upgrade for an SKX can be bought for $50 USD, that's one crystal at retail. In bulk it would be far less, so a price increase like this and still 'hardlex" is ridiculous. It's a shame that Seiko has recently decided to raise their prices but not their quality.

[steven]

I never wanted the previous Seiko 5 version.... The new ones are great! 100m wr is 300 ft deeper than I will ever go. Hacking and hand winding are a must. Plus the variety of choices is great!

[BosunMJames]

The newest seiko is an attractive field watch but I don't think it merits a $200+ price tag. I'll be waiting for this to go down in price before I add it to my collection.
Nice review Ben

[alextomlinson]

SNK is a legend. I also have the SNZG which is excellent but doesn't have the charisma of the SNK. The SRPG is way overpriced. Usual no nonsense and honest review Ben.

[chrisr]

The SNK was my first automatic, the only drawback was the lack of hand winding for me. Not convinced I would consider the new one, just feels like a cash cow.

[simonthewatchguy]

Just re-watched this video - Ben, please never stand in front of the computer doing the Seiko shuffle ever again. My eyes....my eyes!!! Great video matey!

[Rudey]

I love my SNK 805, but I have quite large wrists, about 8" it can look lost, the size of the SRPG looks about right 39 - 40", which is my preferred size and £200 is not too bad considering my 805 was pretty much my everyday beater.

[boristabacsplatt]

Had my beautiful SNK805 flieger style watch for six years, It's my go-to beater watch which I wear for dirty DIY jobs at home, and when I'm out in the wilds. It goes everywhere I go. Hill climbing, paddling or swimming/snorkelling in the sea and spending lazy days on sandy beaches.

It's got a few scuffs and dings on the case, but still keeps good time and, surprisingly, not a single scratch or chip on its Hardlex crystal. It small and weighs next to nothing on wrist - the perfect watch for all outdoor activities. IMO I think it looks way cooler than the other two watches presented in your excellent review.