Introducing: The Seiko 5 SRPL91 And SRPL93 — Re-Editions Of The “Gene Kranz” 6119-8460 Sports Diver
“Failure is not an option,” said actor Ed Harris in the 1995 movie Apollo 13 as he directed the successful efforts by the Mission Control team to save the crew. Harris played the role of Gene Kranz, the actual Chief Flight Director during that mission and many more, including Apollo 11, the first lunar-landing mission. In the movie, Ed Harris wore a Seiko 6139-6002 chronograph. However, in real life, Kranz wore a white-dial Seiko 5 6119-8460 Sports Diver. That’s the watch Seiko decided to make a re-edition of, as well as its black-dial counterpart. Let’s take a look at these new limited editions.
Chief Flight Director Gene Kranz at his console in the Manned Spacecraft Center’s Mission Control Center in Houston during the launch of the Apollo 11 mission on July 16th, 1969, wearing his Seiko 5 ref. 6119-8460 on the original bracelet — Image: CNS / NASA.
As Mike said in his article on some of his favorite Seiko Sport Divers, the company made hundreds of variations in this collection. Every once in a while, Seiko decides to launch a re-edition. Two years ago, for example, there was the SPB411 Navigator Timer reissue, and last year, the brand brought back the 5126-8090 “Kamen Rider.” Just like those two, the new Seiko 5 SRPL91 with a white dial and the SRPL93 with a black dial stay very true to the original references from the 1960s.
The Seiko 5 SRPL91 and SRPL93
Like the original Seiko 5 ref. 6119-8460, the case shape of the new limited editions is between a sharp C shape and a full cushion. The crown is also almost in the same location, just above the 4 o’clock index, nestled inside the case flank. The stainless steel case measures 38.2mm in diameter, 44.7mm from lug to lug, and 12.3mm thick. It’s nice and compact, just like the original watches from the late ’60s. The case has a circular-brushed finish on top and a polished finish on the sides and bottom. Also, like the original, the bidirectional bezel has a silver insert with a lume pip at the 60-minute mark.
Both new references come on a stainless steel bracelet. Its five-row design is very similar to the original one Gene Kranz wore during his missions. It features a push-button-operated clasp and has a brushed finish. It doesn’t come with quick-release spring bars, but the lug holes make switching it out for something else a breeze.
Choose between white (SRPL91) and black (SRPL93)
As said, during his mission, Gene Kranz wore a white-dial version of the 6119-8460, but there was also a black-dial version. For the Seiko 5 re-edition, you can also choose between a glossy black or matte white dial. The layout with the applied stick markers and straight hands is almost an exact copy of the original from the 1960s. The same goes for the contrasting day/date window at 3 o’clock. It has a white background for the days of the week and a black background for the date.
On the dial’s upper half, we find the Seiko 5 logo, while the lower half states the water resistance (10 bar) and some features of the automatic movement inside. Both the hands and the hour markers feature a nice amount of LumiBrite to ensure good readability in darker situations. A double-domed Hardlex crystal protects the dial from water, dust, and impact. Design-wise, both the white SRPL91 and the black SRPL93 stay very true to the original watch, which I think is good.
The movement
As with other recent re-editions, Seiko’s automatic 4R36 movement powers these two new references. It runs at a frequency of 21,600vph, features 24 jewels, and holds a power reserve of 41 hours. It also offers hacking, manual winding, and resistance to magnetic fields of up to 4,800 A/m. The closed case back mentions the fact that these are limited editions and states each watch’s number of the total 9,999 pieces.
An accessible alternative to the hard-to-get original
Mike already mentioned that it’s quite difficult to find a good example of the original 6119-8460 for sale these days. That’s why I think it’s great that Seiko decided to come with a re-edition, especially because many people will have fond memories of Gene Kranz and/or watching the Apollo 13 movie. The great thing, I think, is that Seiko stayed very close to the original design. Of course, it’s a more modern watch, so some characteristics are improved. Still, it very much looks like that original watch from the late ’60s.
The price is also quite friendly. Both the Seiko 5 SRPL91 in white and the SRPL93 in black cost €460. The two versions have a limited production run of 9,999 pieces each. That might be quite limited for Seiko, but those are still quite large numbers, so I hope everyone who wants one of these can get one.
What do you think of these new re-editions from Seiko? Let me know in the comments below.
