Introducing the Seiko 5 Sports Custom Watch Beatmaker Limited Edition

Watch modding is an enormous part of Seiko culture, and the brand has leaned into it in a major way since the launch of their revamped Seiko 5 Sports collection. These affordable sports watches are available in a dizzying array of variants, with unique color combos and dial textures that seem to be in conversation with the tradition (some would rite of passage) that is watch modding, where enthusiasts can flex their creative muscles to create something of their own design out of a mass produced product. Seiko’s “Custom Watch Beatmaker” campaign was a clear nod to modders, as it allowed would-be Seiko designers to create their own watch through an online tool. Seiko has just announced the winning watch (in this case, the watch with the most likes) and it’ll be available for all to purchase soon in a limited run later this summer. 

The Custom Watch Beatmaker campaign ran from October of 2020 to January of this year, and saw more than 48,000 original designs, garnering a total of over 8.5 million votes. Participants mixed and matched five separate watch parts on the website to come up with their own unique creation, and then paired their watch with one of 32 pieces of original music that Seiko selected as part of the contest.

The winning design is remarkably coherent, but still feels like something you’d find in a modding thread on one of the forums, which is appropriate and also kind of the point. It features a gold dial with a red and blue Pepsi style bezel, and stark white hour markers and hands. The underlying form factor here is that of the first of the wave of new Seiko 5 Sports watches to hit shelves, with a rotating bezel and a style rooted in classic Seiko divers. These watches measure 42.5mm in diameter, have water resistance to 100 meters, and run on a 4R36 movement. For much more on the wearing experience of this watch, be sure to check out Ed Jelley’s comprehensive review of the SRPD series right here.

The Seiko 5 Sports Custom Watch Beatmaker Limited Edition (reference SRPH19) will be available in August with a retail price of €290 (pricing in USD has not been revealed at press time). A total of 2,021 will be made, and the watch will be sold via selected Seiko Boutique Online websites. Seiko