Hot Take: The Seiko 5 Sports Mooneyes Limited Edition SRPL39
Seiko has released a flurry of special and limited Seiko 5 models since the collection staged a comeback in 2019. Today marks the debut of a new model, the Seiko 5 Mooneyes Limited Edition. Fans of hot-rodding culture in Japan, America, and worldwide should find this one fun.
Mooneyes is a supplier of custom car parts and was founded in the 1950s in California by Dean Moon. The Sante Fe Springs-based speed shop is notable for creating the first Cobra for Carroll Shelby in 1962. After this, the company’s two-eyed logo became legendary on the hot-rodding scene. As a car nut who lived in Detroit, I remember the stickers being common on custom classics. When Dean Moon passed away in 1987, Shige Suganuma, a friend and long-time Japanese distributor, restarted the Mooneyes brand. It continues to be popular today with restorers and hot rod creators. Furthermore, the company hosts events celebrating US car culture in Japan. Now a new Seiko 5 limited edition is the perfect watch for these events or the wrists of enthusiasts in garages around the world.
The Seiko 5 Mooneyes Limited Edition
The Seiko 5 Mooneyes Limited Edition uses the familiar 42.5mm by 46mm SKX case with a 13.4mm thickness. As we’ll see, though, the aesthetics are unique on this model, which is officially known as reference SRPL39. With each passing year, the iconic SKX007 becomes a distant memory, and that means less angst over the 100m depth rating and non-screw-down crown. Regarding accessories, the watch is fitted with an Oyster-style bracelet and comes with a black and yellow nylon strap. A small lapel pin with the Mooneyes logo also comes in the garage-themed box.
The watch goes all-in on the screaming yellow theme with a sunray dial. It has shadow-printed Mooneyes logos throughout and a black version below the center. While I don’t always care for overt collaboration logos on a dial, this works. It feels like the type of watch the company would make for its employees. The logos also complement the luminous applied baton indexes, polished metal hands, and orange seconds hand. Thankfully, Seiko opted for a black rehaut with a white minute track and matching day/date wheels. The lack of the cursive “Automatic” script found on other SKX-styled models is a welcome reprieve.
The coloring of the 60-minute rotating bezel is also unique, but the style recalls the early ’70s Rally Divers from Seiko’s Daini manufacture, such as the 5126-8130. Seiko brought this design back in 2023 on another model, the SRPK09, but on an aluminum insert. On the Mooneyes Limited Edition, the bezel insert is acrylic with printing on its underside. This creates a glossy, deep, and old-school look. Unless I am incorrect, this approach is new for a Seiko 5, which adds something cool to the mix.
A special case back over the 4R36
The Mooneyes logo makes its way to the screw-in display case back. I’m fairly picky about crystals with printing, but the semi-transparent yellow design is fun, and the logo looks appropriate. Besides, the 4R36 isn’t a highly decorated movement. The workhorse automatic caliber ticks along at 21,600vph and has a power reserve of 41 hours.
Pricing and availability of the Seiko 5 Sports Mooneyes Limited Edition
The case back also shows that the Seiko 5 Sports Mooneyes is limited to 1,500 pieces. That should be enough to satisfy collectors and car fans. Plus, with a retail price of €450 / £390, it’s relatively affordable. I didn’t forecast a collaborative Seiko 5 with a manufacturer of car parts, so let’s call this a welcome surprise. I expect it to strike a chord with the always-enthusiastic car modders out there.
