Seiko Mods You Can Do With Your SRPD79
The Seiko SRPD79 is a beloved model in the brand's popular 5 Sports line, offering an affordable yet reliable automatic timepiece with a versatile design. Among watch enthusiasts, modifying or "modding" Seiko watches has become a popular hobby, allowing owners to personalize their timepieces and unleash their creativity.
Source: Seiko Boutique
The SRPD79 is an excellent canvas for various mods due to its well-proportioned case size, understated styling, and the availability of a wide range of aftermarket parts. Whether you're looking to make subtle changes or completely overhaul the watch's aesthetic, the SRPD79 offers endless possibilities for customization. In this article, we'll explore some of the most popular mods that you can do with your SRPD79. But first, let’s give it a little more back story.
A Closer Look at the Seiko SRPD79
Source: Seiko Boutique
Introduced in 2018, the Seiko SRPD79 pays tribute to the brand's legendary SKX line, but with a couple of improvements that makes it more appealing for the modern watch wearer. This 42.5mm stainless steel watch rocks a unidirectional bezel and a screw-down caseback, making it water-resistant to 100 meters – perfect for beachside adventures.
Beating inside is the workhorse Seiko 4R36 automatic movement, known for its reliability and solid 41-hour power reserve. The black dial features luminous markers and hands for excellent readability, whether you're diving or just going about your day.
One of the SRPD79's biggest strengths is its versatility. With its timeless look and rugged build, it can easily transition from being a capable dive companion to a stylish everyday watch. Plus, it's an affordable entry into the world of automatic Seiko watches, making it a popular choice among enthusiasts and collectors alike. It also retained the “moddability” of the SKX watches, so if you have an SRPD79 in your collection that you think can use a bit of sprucing up, continue reading.
Subtle Mods and Part Swaps
A misconception with watch mods is that you have to make changes to everything about the watch, but in reality, you can make subtle changes by just swapping out one or two parts. Probably one of the top choices for an upgrade is the crystal - like the SKX before it, the SRPD79 comes out of the box with a scratch-resistant Hardlex crystal. It does the job, no doubt, but you can give your watch a more premium feel with a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating to make your watch face clearer. This requires opening the watch and owning a special tool (crystal press) to pull off though.
Another common part to be replaced is the bezel insert, which can give your watch an entirely new look. The original black insert on the SRPD79 is not half bad, but you can give the watch more color if you wish. We have 140+ designs for bezel inserts for you to choose from, whether you want a simple ceramic Pepsi-colored insert, or a vintage bakelite insert for more character. Whatever design you switch into, it will surely pop out against the stealthy look of the SRPD79.
Want a change that you can do without any specialized tools and anytime you want? How about an aftermarket Oyster-style bracelet to add some Rolex vibes to your Seiko dive watch? The black NATO strap surely matches the look of the SRPD79 but a stainless steel bracelet will always make a dive watch look better. You can also opt for a straight end bracelet if you want to make it look like a 70’s retro watch.
More Comprehensive Mods
Dark Knight 79
We already talked about the Batman mod before, and how it is one of the most homaged designs in watch modding due to its iconic, Rolex-popularized look and relative ease of modding. Well, you can apply the same look to your SRPD79 with just a couple adjustments that will transform it into an entirely new watch! You can keep the case, dial, and bracelet for now. The first main part swap that you have to make is for the insert, where you’ll want to look for a half-black and half-blue design.
Source: @jp_wristshop on IG
In our store you’ll see a Dual Time Style Batman insert with lumed number markers and a triangle 12-hour marker. Aside from a cool new look, this also adds functionality to your watch as you’ll then be able to track a second time zone without having to change your movement into a GMT one! If you want to stay with the diver watch theme though, we also have a Seiko Style Batman insert that features a 60 minute tracker so you can keep track of your time underwater.
Now is the second part of the mod. To match the new blue hue on the bezel insert, you can change the seconds hand to blue as well. We have a blue lightning seconds hand that closely matches the blue of our Batman inserts, making for a cohesive look. If you’re feeling a little cheeky, you can also try on a trident-tipped seconds hand for more character.
By this point you’d already have a good-looking Batman mod, but if you want to take it a step further, you can also mod the chapter ring and change it for a navy blue one, so you have more blue parts to balance out the stealthy facade of the SRPD79. This Sunburst Navy Chapter Ring would be a nice color match while also featuring white minute markers to ‘expand’ the dial.
Green Lantern / Deadpool 79
You’ve already done one comic superhero-inspired mod - why stop there?!
By changing the same parts and replacing them with different colors, you can create a colorful collection of SRPD79 mods. For example, swapping the insert for a half-black and half-green one will turn it into the start of a Green Lantern mod. You can also swap to a Coke insert (with a half-red design) and voila, you have the basics of a Deadpool-inspired watch!
Now you just have to find other parts with subtle color matching details to pair with these inserts. Like with the Dark Knight 79, you can also change the seconds hand to either green or red. You can find a crown with a red ‘S’ logo. You can change the strap into a dark green one. It’s all in the imagination.
To inspire you further, just look at this beautiful SRPD79 mod trio by @jp_wristshop
Wrap Up
The Seiko SRPD79 is a great watch for creative people who want to modify and customize it. Its simple design and the many aftermarket parts available make it easy to change the way this watch looks into something uniquely yours.
Modifying isn't just about looks either. You can add new functions like tracking a second time zone or making the watch face glow better in the dark by adding luminous parts. The best part is wearing a one-of-a-kind watch that shows off your unique style.
You can make small tweaks like swapping the bezel insert or the crystal. Or you can go all out and transform your SRPD79 into something superhero-inspired. And that is far from being an exhaustive list! From our catalog of hundreds of watch parts, you can make countless combinations for a custom watch. From the bracelet to the case and everything in between, we have the premium Seiko mod parts for you.
So dive into the world of watch modding! Use your imagination and the right parts to turn your affordable Seiko SRPD79 into an amazing custom timepiece unlike any other.
Happy modding!