SEIKO 5 SPORTS SRPE53K1 SKX SERIES BLUE DIAL AUTOMATIC MEN WATCH

Is there a battery in it?

No. A weighted rotor inside the movement turns as your wrist moves and winds a mainspring, and the mainspring drives the hands, so nothing needs charging or replacing. What it does need is enough winding: a quiet day largely at a desk may not put much energy in, and the remedy is to wind the crown by hand. Mechanical movements also need periodic maintenance to keep running to specification, which is the trade for having no battery and no electronics.

What happens if I take it off for a couple of days?

It will have stopped when you come back to it, and that is how a mechanical watch behaves rather than a fault. Calibre 4R36 stores roughly 41 hours from a full wind, so a day off is survivable and a long weekend is not. Wind the crown, reset the time, day and date, and carry on. On timekeeping, Seiko rates this movement at −35 to +45 seconds a day as a factory setting and notes that the figure you actually see depends on how long you wear it, how much your arm moves, the temperature and how fully it is wound. Expect to nudge it back now and then.

What can I see through the case back?

The working movement. The large semicircular weight swinging as you move is the rotor, and it is what winds the mainspring; the small wheel ticking back and forth beside it is the balance, which regulates the rate. Seiko specifies the back as see-through and screw-in at once, so the view does not come at the cost of a properly sealed case.

How do I set the day and date?

Pull the crown to its middle position and the day and date can both be changed there without stopping the watch. The restriction to respect is the timing: Seiko's instructions for the 4R36 state that the date and day must not be set between 9:00 pm and 4:00 am, and that amending them inside that window may cause problems such as the date or day failing to change the next day, or may cause damage. Move the hands clear of that window first, set the day and date, then set the time.

Can I swim with it?

Yes. Seiko rates the watch at 10 bar, which covers rain, hand-washing, showering, swimming and snorkelling, and a steel bracelet takes a wetting without complaint. What it does not cover is scuba diving — neither Seiko nor the distributor designates this a diver's watch, and the 100-metre figure describes pressure rather than a depth you can take it to. Two habits: the crown pulls out rather than screwing down, so never pull or turn it while the watch is wet, and rinse the watch in fresh water after the sea or a chlorinated pool.

How does 40mm wear, and can the bracelet be sized?

The measurement that decides the fit is the 44.6mm lug-to-lug span, since that is what reaches across the wrist, and at 11.5mm the case is on the slim side for an automatic with a day and date. The bracelet is sized by removing links; City Chain offers complimentary bracelet sizing at any outlet, and it is worth bringing your warranty book. The clasp is a three-fold type with a push button release and a secure lock, so it folds shut on itself instead of relying on a pin through a hole.

What does the warranty cover?

Buying the SRPE53K1 from City Chain Singapore, an authorised Seiko retailer, includes a 3-year warranty against manufacturing defects. It does not extend to accidental damage or ordinary wear, and routine maintenance sits outside warranty work. Keep your warranty card and proof of purchase, as the watch cannot be submitted for warranty service without them.