Seiko’s Affordable Rolex Explorer II Homage Gets a Military-Inspired Makeover

Over the past couple of years, Seiko has laid claim to the best affordable Rolex Explorer II alternative under $500 on the market with its 5 Sports Field GMT. The watch is a dual-time version of the fan-favorite 5 Sports Field featuring an Explorer II-esque orange GMT hand and fixed stainless steel 24-hour bezel.

The watch initially launched exclusively with a black dial, like the original Explorer II, and then later added a “Polar” white dial, again mimicking the available dial colors of the Rolex.

But now, Seiko is stepping out of Rolex’s shadow with a pair of brand-new dial options for the 5 Sports Field GMT, both of which take inspiration from military styles.

Seiko

Desert Storm

Seiko’s two new 5 Sports Field GMT color options have classic military vibes, with the olive green “Khaki Drill” recalling vintage army uniforms and the ivory “Desert Sand” mimicking desert fatigues or traditional British bush uniforms.

The military inspiration certainly makes sense for the watch. While the Rolex Explorer II is not a field watch and has its roots in spelunking, the 5 Sports Field GMT is a descendant of the trench watches used in WWI and WWII. Its dial layout, with a 24-hour inner track, is a classic field watch feature and is used for keeping track of military time. It’s unrelated to the GMT function, which uses the bezel’s 24-hour scale to track a second time zone.

Seiko

Like the previous Seiko 5 Sports Field GMT models, both new versions feature orange GMT hands and orange-tipped seconds hands, along with raised Arabic numeral indices and fencepost hour and minute hands. Metal-framed lume plots outside of each index are filled with LumiBrite, as are all four hands.

The dials feature a grained texture, and there’s a framed date window at 3:00. The Desert Sand model has a white date window, while the Khaki Drill has a black one. This follows the formula found on the previous white and black models.

Seiko

Both new models come on fully brushed Jubilee-style bracelets, same as before, and the movement remains the Seiko Calibre 4R34 automatic with an independently adjustable fourth hand and quickset date. The movement is visible through an exhibition caseback, and there’s a Hardlex crystal over the dial.

Part of the appeal of the 5 Sports Field GMT, other than its price, has always been its compact dimensions, and those remain unchanged. The stainless steel case measures just 39.4mm across, 47.9mm long and 13.6mm thick. Water resistance is the same at an adventure-ready 100m.

Availability and pricing

I’m honestly a little surprised it’s taken this long for Seiko to give us some new, non-Rolex colors for the 5 Sports Field GMT.

It’s a great watch at a pretty unbeatable price, so it makes sense for Seiko to broaden its options in a way similar to what Christopher Ward has done with its own Explorer II homage, the Sealander GMT, which comes in several colors that no Rolex GMT would be caught dead wearing. Doing so helps the watch stand on its own four lugs rather than being a knockoff, if you ask me.

U.S. pricing has not yet been unveiled for the Khaki Drill (HDB001) or Desert Sand (HDB002) 5 Sports Field GMTs, but British pricing is set at £410, which is the same price for the black dial (SSK023). Assuming U.S. pricing follows the same strategy, I expect a retail price of $450 stateside.

Seiko

Seiko 5 Sports Field GMT HBD001

Specs

Case Size	39.4mm
Movement	Seiko Cal. 4R34 automatic GMT
Water Resistance	100m

• $450 at Seiko

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