There is a specific category of watch that it seems every microbrand must have in their portfolio: the vintage-inspired dive watch. Many of the most coveted vintage watches out there are mid-century divers such as the Rolex Submariner, the Omega Seamaster 300, and the Longines Super Compressor (now the Legend Diver), but good examples of these will go thousands of dollars at a minimum.
It’s not a surprise, then, that people search for alternatives. The market responded accordingly, with dozens of watch brands creating their own take on a midcentury dive watch at a more accessible price. These watches range from having genuinely new and clever designs to homages and near clones to the watches listed above. A few years ago I found myself shopping in this category, but I couldn’t pull the trigger on anything. The midcentury dive watch homages always had a detail wrong compared to the original, leaving me with an “Uncanny Valley” feeling when looking at them.
As I started looking in 2021, a microbrand named Serica launched its second model, the 5303. While the watch is certainly on-trend, its design language makes it stand out from the crowd. The Serica 5303-2 doesn’t feel like a mid-century diver homage; it feels like a watch that could have conceivably existed in the 1960s.
I purchased my watch secondhand in 2022. My specific watch is from the first generation of the 5303. This watch has a Soprod Newton movement and the mark “S617” on the dial. The current 5303 has a Soprod M100 movement, is chronometer certified, and lacks the S617 mark. The change in movement was sparked by a controversy regarding issues with the crown and hacking feature. I have experienced these issues, which I will discuss in the movement portion of the review. Other than these two changes, the watches are effectively the same, with no changes in its design, dimensions, or water resistance rating (300 meters).
Dimensions
The watch’s dimensions are definitely within the “goldilocks zone” of wearability, with a diameter of 39mm, a lug-to-lug of 46mm, and a height of 12.2mm. That height is further masked by the proportional bezel, mid-case and caseback, making for a slimmer overall profile. While it doesn’t exactly disappear on the wrist, it does make for a nice wearing experience that doesn’t make you constantly aware of the object attached to your arm.
Design
Aesthetically, the Serica 5303-2 is an incredibly well-designed product. The dial has a familiar geometric feel to it, but reinterpreted. The entire dial is pad-printed, giving it a more rugged appearance. The hour markers are set closer to the center of the dial and have a circle and line around each of them, which tethers them to the minute track. The lume is excellent; its legibility and application means I have never had an issue reading it in low-light conditions. Typical for Serica, there is no branding on the dial, only the water resistance rating and a S617 marking underneath. The only place where Serica’s branding appears is in very small font by the six o’clock marker. Usually I like a logo, but Serica has done an excellent job of keeping the other details of the watch unique enough that the logo becomes irrelevant—you know the watch is a Serica just by looking at it.
The dial color of the Serica 5303-2 is described as a “metallic silver,” but from most angles it appears as a flat white, which gives it some contrast from the bezel. The other mid-century design cues of the watch make the white dial stand out even more here—it gives the 5303 a very retro-futuristic look, rather than a “modern” look. The handset has a black PVD coating for legibility. The handset matches the watch well, but I feel that this is one area that Serica could be better with; the coating on the hands feels less premium than other aspects of the watch.
The bezel is one of the watch’s standout features. It consists of two separate scales—the outer scale, a black ceramic ring, is a dive bezel. The inner twelve hour scale is displayed on a brushed stainless steel ring. This combination calls back to the Omega Seamaster 300 of the 1960s. The biggest difference is that the Omega did not have an inner scale, just a stainless steel inner ring on the bezel. Serica’s take on this look adds some much-appreciated utility to their design choice. Serica uses a 120-click bezel, which has no play and feels solid while in use.
The case has a polished chamfer at the edges of the lugs, giving the whole product a more refined feel. The transitions between brushed and polished angles are crisp and give the watch a premium look. The crown is big at 8mm and easily manipulated. The lack of crown guards adds to the vintage styling. It is unsigned, in keeping with the branding philosophy of the company. The case back is solid, with writing along the edges and an empty space in the center, likely for any future engraving a buyer might want to add.
Movement
The first 5303 models released use a Soprod Newton movement, which according to Serica is regulated to +/- 4 seconds per day. Many customers of the original 5303 complained that they experienced issues when adjusting the time. Either the crown would slip while setting the time, requiring the user to pop it back out to finish adjusting it, or the seconds hand would not hack when they pulled the crown. I have experienced both of these issues irregularly over the years, but it has been nothing more than a second’s inconvenience. Serica has changed the movement in its new models to the Soprod M100. The Soprod Newton movement in my example of the 5303 has been reliable through more than three years of regular use. I have experienced the dreaded “slip” of the keyworks that slightly inconveniences me for several seconds. It’s never bothered me. Since the 5303 was originally released, several other watches have been released using the Soprod Newton movement, indicating that some of the technical issues it had have been resolved.
Bracelet
A lot was made of the mesh bracelet with an integrated end link in the initial reviews for this watch in 2021/2022. I have found it to be serviceable, but not my go-to choice when picking out a strap for this watch. While the mesh pattern is really interesting, I find it less practical than other strap choices. Parts of the clasp are sharp, and there is nothing in the way of safety measures should the clasp get stuck on something and pop open. Luckily, this watch sings on pretty much any strap you throw it on. With a 20mm lug width, it will likely fit on whatever current excess straps you, reader, currently have. Just dig through the bag that I know you have in your home somewhere, and I am sure you’ll find something that will work.
The Brand
Beyond design, I like the direction Serica is headed as a brand. They have created a coherent design language across all of their models—the lack of branding on the dial, the twisted lugs, and the handset are the same on their GMT, their dive watch, and their field watches. You can even see the similarities between their field watch and dress watch in the wide, brushed bezel that appears on both.
For its sportier pieces, Serica has gone to great lengths to increase its association with the French military. It started with the original 5303 and the “S617” text on the dial. S617 is the designation for a recently-retired French ballistic missile submarine, Le Téméraire (or Daring). In 2024 it began a partnership with the Ecole de Guerre, the French War College, to offer a special version its field watch for sale to graduating officers. They also recently released a limited edition 5303 with a bezel specifically patterned after timing tables for French Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians. While some of their ad campaigns on Instagram are a little over the top, I do appreciate some of their tribute to older watch marketing. Serica has a page dedicated to pdfs of posters that are reminiscent of old watch ads.
So what is my long-term assessment of this watch? I think it is a functional, good-looking model that meets every expectation I had for it. Many of the issues I’ve experienced with my “version one” model have been fixed on the updated model released a few years ago. But despite its flaws, the Serica 5303-2 has accompanied me across the world and has consistently been one of my most-worn watches each year.
It has taken some beatings at work, I’ve taken it snorkeling and swimming in the Pacific, and I have had no issues with timekeeping or functionality in general in the four years since I purchased it. Rolex and Omega are two of the best-known names in watchmaking today in part because of their reputation as makers of reliable, rugged, and good-looking tools in the mid-20th century. I’d like to think that Serica, had the brand existed at the time, would have given them a run for their money.
John began collecting watches in 2018, when he realized that the hobby meshed well with his love of studying history and researching obscure topics. In addition to watches, John enjoys collecting fountain pens, learning languages, reading, and traveling.