Seiko Samurai Review: Smaller And Better Than Ever

Last year, we saw a trio of new Seiko Samurai watches that aimed to broaden the collection’s appeal within the Prospex family. It’s fairly well understood that the Samurai has been seen as the odd man out among the “Seiko with a nickname” family, but why exactly is that? Well, it doesn’t have that vintage heritage, having only debuted in 2004. Also, the second generation has been around since 2017, and since then, tastes have certainly changed. The 44mm-wide case is a little too big for today’s tastes, where conventional wisdom puts anything above 42mm safely in the “huge” category (the case has been pretty thick, as well) . And while models like the Turtle, SKX007, or Willard (or even Tuna and Arnie) have rounded cases, the Samurai’s case has a very sharp and almost aggressively angular design that, again, is not for everyone.

Wisely, Seiko’s third-generation Samurai addresses that persistent case-size issue while giving the dial a refresh too. Fortunately, the angular case is a bit more refined, yet no less geometrical. Sorry, that’s just part of the Samurai’s identity.

Seiko Samurai Case and Bracelet

First off, yes — the new Seiko Samurai has taken design cues from the Shogun. If that makes it not a “true Samurai,” then so be it, but the end result is one good-looking watch. The case improves over that of the second generation in just about every meaningful way (the older case is still available alongside this new iteration). First off, it now measures 41.6mm wide and 12.6mm thick, with a 49mm lug-to-lug height compared to the 43.8mm-wide and 13.4mm-thick case of the previous iteration. True, the lug-to-lug for the new model is a bit taller than the 47mm of the old model but the lugs are slimmer and taper down in a way that compensates for this. In reality, it wears smaller than all of its specs. Of course, water resistance is still 200 meters.

Done with a mix of brushed and polished finishes, the case has nice sharp angles throughout, which are especially noticeable at the lugs and end links. The admittedly stubborn, 120-click unidirectional bezel still has that nice knurling, and while I like the aluminum insert it is understandable why a good number of people would prefer ceramic here. That said, while ceramic is “fancier,” I think the matte finish on the aluminum is more appropriate than the glossy ceramic finish.

The SRPL11 (seen here) and the SRPL13 come on a new three-link steel bracelet, while the SRPL15 has a rubber strap. The pin-adjusted three-link bracelet is fully brushed and I’ve always been a big fan of the angular design carrying over from the case here. The bracelet tapers down, from 20mm wide at the end-link to about 17.5mm at the clasp, which has a fold-over lock and a dual-button release. To compare, the larger, second-generation Seiko Samurai has a lug width of 22mm. There is also that Seiko diver’s extension that doesn’t require a tool, which is always appreciated. That said, the stamped clasp does fall a little flat, especially on a watch with so much design personality.

The new bracelet as well as the end links here are significantly improved over the larger Samurai. The sharp downward angle on the end links is more refined, while the bracelet design is much more seamless and cohesive. The clasp is still pretty underwhelming, though.

One decision that is a bit controversial is the use of Hardlex for the crystal rather than sapphire. I personally do appreciate Hardlex for its crisp, vibrant, and rather distortion-free view of the dial, but I know a lot of people would prefer the more practical scratch-resistant (and more “high-end”-feeling) sapphire crystal.

Seiko Samurai Dial

The Samurai got its nickname from those sword-shaped hands, which look as striking (and legible) as ever here. Indeed a lot of the design cues look to be borrowed from the also-excellent Shogun, but the personality here makes this undeniably a Samurai. The matte dials are framed by new pointed hour markers that shed some of the bluntness from rectangular hour markers. Just like the hands, the hour markers have brushed steel framing and are filled with healthy lume. The hands are slimmed down a bit from the older models and the hour hand is basically entirely redesigned (I personally love it).

The circular date window is found at 4:30 and…just isn’t my favorite. It’s quite small, which makes it not very legible, even with the contrasting white font against the black background. It’s just a bit of a strain to read the date, ultimately. That said, this is definitely a matter of taste more than anything else.

4R35 Movement

Something unchanged is the automatic 4R35 movement, which has been around since 2011 and is ubiquitous across several Seiko collections. This is a tried and true movement that operates at 3 Hz with a 42-hour power reserve. It also has hacking and manual wind functionality which is always appreciated. And while accuracy is stated as +45/-35 seconds/day, our tests on each of the three versions handily surpassed this. The SRPL11 came in at +2/+12 seconds/day, the SRPL13 at +2/+9 seconds/day, and the SRPL15 at +5/+11 seconds/day.

Price and Final Thoughts

There have been a lot of takes on this new Seiko Samurai since it’s release. These range from “not a true Samurai” to nicknaming it the “Shog-urai” or “mini Samurai.” While I don’t think it’s a perfect watch, it really does not have to be when you consider the price here. In fact, it’s a tremendous value when price is factored in. The SRPL15 black-on-black rubber-strap model is priced at $550, while the red-dial SRPL11 and black-dial SRPL13 on bracelets are priced at $575. Since launch, at least two more iterations have come out as well. First, there is the blue bezel/blue dial SRPL51 on bracelet which is also $575. Second is the very cool PADI special edition SRPL53, which has a green bezel with green patterned dial priced at $625. I don’t think I’m alone in happily welcoming this smaller new Samurai into the very vast Seiko catalog. You can learn more at seikowatches.com.