FEELING SUPERIOR?

Just wanting to share one of the more obscure lines in the eponymous Seiko 5 series for the benefit of other Seikophiles. The Seiko 5 Superior is essentially an upgraded Seiko 5 primarily marketed in Asia where the demand for a slightly better "everyman's" watch could be satisfied within the Seiko 5 line up.

In Seiko forums I frequently see questions as to whether Superiors are fake as even many Seiko enthusiasts are unfamiliar with them. Unlike the Seiko Electra I've yet to see or hear about a fake Superior 5 though I often see watches listed as a Superior that lack the associated features and branding. These are more a matter of being misidentified rather than out and out fakes.

The Superior 5's are also not to be confused with the Seiko Superior Quartz line which are fine collectibles in their own right as seen below.

I was fortunate to pick up a Seiko 5 Superior with a gorgeous blue dial though it was listed simply as a Seiko 5. This is often the case should you decide to hunt one down for yourself. Weeding through Seiko 5 listings to find a Superior is half the fun no?

I particularly like the broad hands, bold legible hour markers and the deep blue pyramide style dial. Being a Seiko you can guess how awesome the lume is. I would've preferred a combination of brushing and polishing on the case and bracelet rather than solely polished as seen here though perhaps I can hunt down another one just to see if I can pull that off myself.

This particular style with an integrated bracelet comes in multiple colorways and bezel configurations as seen below.

Some Seiko 5 Superiors are made in titanium and one paricularly sporty model even has a tungsten bezel.

Seiko 5 Superior Titanium

Seiko 5 Superior with Tungsten bezel

What are the features that make these Seiko 5's a Superior? A slightly better 7S36 movement is common which is essentially a 7S26 with extra jewels. In addition some have sapphire crystals, all have enhanced dials, signed crowns and caseback branding.

I find it amusing that Seiko went with signed crowns on this more affordable line when other much more expensive Seiko offerings cheaped out on this feature.

Bezels come in a variety of styles including sawtooth and smooth. While they are mostly fixed I did spot a gorgeous unidirectional dive bezel on the PVD example at lower right.

There are quite a number of different case shapes, colorways, hand sets and case colors avaliable which probably isn't too surprising given the diversity in the Seiko 5 line up in general.

Though discontinued for over a decade Superior 5's can still be found online in various conditions at prices ranging from reasonable ($125 USD) to ridiculous ($1K).

Given the many styles and features there could very well be a Superior that resonates with you at a very accessible price point. I hope this info sheds more light on a watch I admire and please post and comment should you have one in your collection.

As always Your Wrist, Your Rules. Do You!