Seiko has two more 5 Sports models arriving this October, and at first glance, the HDB004 and HDB005 look like another pair of color additions to an already enormous collection. Dig around a little, however, and there’s a cooler story here. Seiko is revisiting the old SNZH design (one I used to own), a watch that occupied its own strange and memorable corner of the Seiko 5 catalog.
The connection is clear enough, with the silver-dial HDB004 carrying the “Formal White” nickname and the green HDB005 labeled “Tweed Green.” Both are scheduled for October 2026, and neither is currently identified as a limited edition.
I think that SNZH connection is ultimately what makes these worth discussing. Seiko has an enormous back catalog, and plenty of those watches have developed their own enthusiast followings without reaching the cultural saturation of something like the SKX007. To me, digging into that slightly less obvious history is cooler than producing another collaboration or limited-edition SKX colorway.
Of the pair, my take is that the HDB005 is easily the more interesting design. The green dial and matching bezel already give it some personality, while the rose gold-tone hands and markers push the familiar Seiko 5 formula somewhere warmer and slightly dressier. The HDB004 takes a more traditional route with a silver-white dial, black bezel, and yellow gold-tone hardware. I suspect the HDB004 will be easier for more people to get along with. In my opinion, the HDB005 is the one people will remember.
Underneath those colors, things become very familiar. Both use 42.5mm stainless steel cases measuring 14.2mm thick and 46mm lug-to-lug. They get curved Hardlex crystals, 100 meters of water resistance, unidirectional bezels, steel bracelets, and display casebacks. Inside is Seiko’s automatic 4R36 with manual winding, hacking, day-date functionality, and approximately 41 hours of power reserve. And this is where I think the release gets slightly complicated.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with that setup. We’ve seen some version of this formula across Seiko 5 Sports for years. However, Seiko’s pricing has continued creeping upward around it. These models are listed at AUD 650 in Australia and £340 in the UK. Seiko’s US pages currently list the October release without a price.
My take is that Seiko is getting closer to the point where Hardlex and the 4R36 deserve more scrutiny, particularly as competition in affordable mechanical watches keeps expanding. That doesn’t sink these watches for me. It simply makes the eventual US price more important.
For now, I think Seiko made a smart choice by reaching deeper into its own catalog. The SNZH deserves a second look, and the HDB005 especially shows how much mileage Seiko can still get from these older designs.
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Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.