A Covert Release: The Seiko 5 Sports Field HDB001 And HDB002 GMTs

Sometimes Seiko silently releases watches that deserve attention — for example, the new HDB001 and HDB002. These two new dial variants of the popular Seiko 5 Sports Field GMT joined the lineup in August. That’s right in the middle of the summer break, so, understandably, they flew under the radar. But knowing how popular the first two Seiko 5 Sports Field GMT models were, we definitely want to check out these new colors. They’re sure to land well with Seiko fans.

The Seiko 5 Sports collection has grown into an extensive series of watches with three main product lines. The first is the popular SKX series, and the second is the SNXS series, which consists of retro-style daily watches. The last line, which these new releases belong to, is the Field series. It consists of variations on three-hand and GMT field watches that are great daily wearers. Nacho reviewed the first two GMT versions of these field watches in December 2023. They turned out to be really popular with our readers, and we were also impressed by these two travel versions of the military-inspired field watches.

The details of the Seiko 5 Sports Field HDB001 and HDB002 GMTs

The two new HDB001 and HDB002 models are essentially new dial variants of the same watches. But let’s go over the details to remind ourselves what they are all about. Each version has a 39.4mm stainless steel case with a 13.6mm profile, 47.9mm lug-to-lug, and 100m depth rating. The brushed case has a fixed stainless steel bezel with a 24-hour GMT scale, a 20mm lug spacing, and a curved Hardlex crystal.

For the new dials, buyers can choose between a grainy olive green (HDB001) or khaki beige (HDB002). Both feature a large set of Arabic numerals for the 1–12-hour scale. This encircles a smaller 13–24-hour scale, typical of field watches. On the dial’s perimeter, you will find a minute track with raised luminous hour markers, and a framed date window sits at 3 o’clock. For the beige version, the date numerals are black on a white disc, while the green dial features white date numerals printed on a black disc.

Sticking to a winning formula

A familiar handset hovers over the dial. The sword-style hour and minute hands are joined by an arrow-shaped seconds hand with an orange tip. The large GMT hand is fully orange, and all four hands have a Lumibrite filling. The two watches each come equipped with a five-row stainless steel bracelet. It’s the same bracelet Seiko used for the previous releases, with a fully brushed finish and a folding push-button clasp.

If you turn the watch over, you can see the Seiko 4R34 caliber through the display case back. The automatic movement operates at 21,600 vph, has 24 jewels, and offers a 41-hour power reserve. It’s a caller-style GMT caliber, so it allows you to independently adjust the 24-hour GMT hand.

Final thoughts on the new Seiko 5 Sports Field HDB001 and HDB002 GMTs

With these new references, Seiko adds two great GMT variations to the Field series. Until now, you could only buy them with a black dial (SSK023), a white dial (SSK059), or a blacked-out version with, again, a black dial (SSK025). That last model is no longer available in several markets, leaving only the black- and white-dial steel versions. These two new dial variations add some welcome color to the lineup. I especially like the beige-dial version. The dial looks great with the orange accents, but the classic green-and-orange combo works really well too.

Both the Seiko 5 Sports Field HDB001 and HDB002 retail for €470. It makes these two GMTs some of the best travel watches currently available under €500. At that price, they compete with the GMTs in the Seiko 5 Sports SKX series, which we also love. After seeing several variations of those, these new Field models bring a different aesthetic and serve as great alternatives. With the new dials adding a bit of color, we do not doubt that the HDB001 and HDB002 will be two more hits for Seiko.