Seiko Celebrates Automotive Culture with New Seiko 5 Sports Mooneyes Limited Edition

Car culture is vast and diverse, with individual expression serving as the driving force (no pun intended) behind a thriving customization scene. Among the iconic brands helping enthusiasts bring their visions to life is the U.S.-based outfit Mooneyes. The brand’s founder, Dean Moon, made a name for himself and the brand in the southern California hotrod scene throughout the 1940s and ‘50s and played a vital role in taking the culture global. In the late 1960’s, Nissan tapped Moon to help develop engines for the R381 grand-prix car, instantly coupling the Moon name with Japanese racing culture and enthusiasm. This week, Seiko is paying tribute to Mooneyes with a new Seiko 5 Sports watch, bearing the brand’s iconic colors and “eyes,” in a celebration of its impact on car culture. 

The Seiko 5 Sports Reference SBSA287 feels very much like a custom take on the platform in the vein of prior collaborations with the likes of Rowing Blazers. Seiko has identified a niche with a distinct identity that can be expressed through the lens of its Seiko 5 Sports collection. By taking this route, the watches remain broadly available to enthusiasts’ groups that don’t otherwise overlap with watch collectors and enthusiasts. The trick is remaining authentic to both fans of Seiko and the identified niches. If you ask me, these watches work because Seiko takes the designs to the limit, rather than simply applying a logo and calling it a day. The brand takes risks with colors and patterns that feel well-placed. 

This reference boasts a bright yellow dial at a glance, though a closer look will reveal the presence of transparent “Moon eyes" placed throughout. There is a sunburst texture at work underneath, so it gains a hologram-like quality that brings a dynamic look to the dial. At 6 o’clock we find the Mooneyes logo rendered in black, with a framed day-and-date aperture taking residence at 3 o’clock. The use of yellow and black here doesn’t hold back, and as a result will likely land in “love it or hate it” territory, which is by far preferable to being forgettable in nature. 

What I love about the design is the bicolor bezel that gets a checkered application of yellow and black in segments defining each five-minute interval. We’ve seen Seiko get playful with these bezels in prior limited-edition collaborations, and this continues that trend in a unique way. The design mimics the pattern you’d find on a racing flag — and indeed, also a pattern that you’ll find on the homepage of the Mooneyes website — so it feels suitably representative of the subject matter. 

The yellow theme continues around back, as the ghosted caseback has received a translucent application of yellow with the Mooneyes logo rendered at its center. It still offers a partial view of Seiko’s 4R36 automatic movement, and to be honest, that’s all the view this movement needs. Additional customization options are present in the form of a black-and-yellow nylon pass-through strap, which also gets the Mooneyes logo down its center.

This watch is a lovely tribute to an iconic American brand. If you’re unfamiliar with Mooneyes, this might not be the watch for you, but I’d still highly recommend watching the documentary, Craft of Speed, especially if you’re a fan of cars. The Seiko 5 Sports SBSA287 will be limited to 1,500 units and is priced at $420.