The day-to-day on-wrist experience is excellent, as I found the Seiko Prospex SRP777 to be surprisingly comfy and a consummate sport watch. From a grey NATO to leather, shark mesh, or the included silicone, the SRP777 is a versatile and tough-wearing design that manages to feel special despite its bargain price point. As mentioned, the Seiko Prospex SRP777’s saucer-like case is 44.3mm wide with a brushed finish on the dial side and a polished treatment on its underbelly. Thickness is 13.3mm and lug-to-lug is 47.25mm (indeed, almost a square). Lug-width is 22mm, and the total weight on the rubber strap is a diver-acceptable 122 grams. Those dimensions do not line up with my in-person experience with the Seiko Prospex SRP777, which was more comfortable and seemingly smaller on my 7-inch wrist than those numbers lead me to expect. For reference, the ever popular SKX007 on the same silicone strap is 112g.
While I don’t tend to like most rubber straps, and indeed never wear my SKX007 on the originally included Z22 strap, the black silicone strap that comes with with Seiko Prospex SRP777 is really nice. The material, while prone to collecting some dust, is velvety smooth and well finished for the price point. Furthermore, the strap features a metal keeper with some added detailing and an upgraded (vs that of the SKX007) signed tang buckle with drilled spring bar holes. The strap manages to hold the Seiko Prospex SRP777 perfectly on my wrist and, despite the added bulk of its wavy shoulders, the flat portions of the strap are quite svelte and don’t snag on cuffs and pockets nearly as much as I expected.
Competition is where the Seiko Prospex SRP777 (and its siblings) really shines. With a retail price of $475 USD, I can’t think of a single watch that offers direct competition. You could save a few bucks and go for the more basic SKX007, which has a street price floating around $220 USD, but I think that if you like the shape and size of the Seiko Prospex SRP77x, it’s worth the additional cash for the upgraded movement and vintage aesthetic. Due to considerable popularity, the street price of the Seiko Prospex SRP777 (with the rubber strap) is currently around $350 USD and at that price the Seiko Prospex SRP777 is in competition with entry-level and micro brand dive watches and generally unproven Kickstarter brands. While it doesn’t necessarily match the raw price point of an SKX007/9, the Seiko Prospex SRP777 offers one of the best combinations of build quality, performance, movement, and legitimacy at this price point. If you like dive watches and dig the 6309 styling, you should buy one, it’s just that easy. The Seiko Prospex SRP777 is a simply outstanding dive watch. seikowatches.com
Necessary Data
>Brand: Seiko
>Model: Prospex SRP777 Diver
>Price: $475 USD
>Size: 44.3mm wide, 13.3mm thick, 47.25mm lug to lug
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes, absolutely.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Anyone looking for a handsome and perfectly capable dive watch for a very fair price.
>Best characteristic of watch: Vintage inspired cushion case.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Case size might be too big for smaller wrists (under 6.5 inches).
