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Seiko 5 Sports x Honda Motocompo Limited Edition 36.5mm Mens Watch
Ref. HDB010K1
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The Motocompo was a folding 49cc scooter built to live in the boot of the Honda City, and this watch marks its 45th anniversary with a fidelity to the original that goes well beyond slapping a logo on a dial. The yellow is lifted directly from the scooter's Daisy Yellow livery; the horizontal black bar crossing the dial replicates the vehicle's protective side bars; the word "AUTOMATIC" is set in the original Honda font; and the crown is engraved with "TURN", echoing the scooter's fuel cock. The caseback carries a red silhouette of the Motocompo itself, picking up the model's red detail work. The strap continues the theme with "CARRYING POINT" and "INSERTION POINT" printed exactly where the tie-down markings appeared on the scooter when it was strapped into the City's boot. At 36.4mm with a 44.4mm lug-to-lug, this sits closer to a vintage field watch than a modern sports piece, and the fabric strap keeps the whole thing flat and unobtrusive on the wrist. The 4R36 inside is Seiko's dependable workhorse — hand-windable, with a hacking seconds hand and a 41-hour reserve — honest rather than showy, which suits the spirit of a watch built around a utilitarian little scooter that became unexpectedly beloved.
- Reference
- HDB010K1
- Brand
- Seiko
- Collection
- 5 SportsCase Size: 36
- Case size
- 36.4mm
- Case thickness
- 12.5mm
- Lug width
- 18mm
- Case material
- Black PVD
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Yellow
- Crystal
- Hardlex
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 4R36
- Functions
- Day-date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Fabric strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- LumiBrite
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 44.4mm
- Power reserve
- 41 hours
Learn more about Seiko
Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo in 1881, aged twenty-one, and began manufacturing under the name Seikosha — roughly, house of exquisite workmanship — in 1892. The Seiko name appeared on watches from 1924.
The company's significance is that it broke the Swiss monopoly twice. First on precision: Seiko was appointed official timekeeper of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and built the quartz chronometers and printing timers to do it, and in the 1960s its movements placed highly at the Neuchâtel and Geneva observatory trials against the best Swiss houses.
Then on technology. On Christmas Day 1969 Seiko released the Astron, the world's first quartz wristwatch, accurate to five seconds a month where mechanical watches managed that per day. The consequences for Switzerland were catastrophic — employment in the Swiss industry fell by roughly two-thirds over the following decade. Seiko deliberately did not enforce its quartz patents, allowing the technology to spread.
The same year it produced the 6139, among the first automatic chronographs, and it has since introduced Kinetic, Spring Drive — a hybrid regulating a mechanical mainspring electronically, giving a perfectly gliding seconds hand — and its own dive and field lines.
Seiko remains fully vertically integrated, making its own hairsprings, quartz crystals, and even the Zaratsu-polished cases, at price points from under a hundred pounds upward.
- 1881
- Kintaro Hattori opens his Tokyo shop.
- 1924
- The first watches carry the Seiko name.
- 1964
- Official timekeeper of the Tokyo Olympics.
- 1969
- The Astron becomes the first quartz wristwatch.
- 1999
- Spring Drive enters production.
Manufacturer’s guarantee
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
It resists most everyday knocks. Hardlex is a hardened mineral glass — tougher than standard mineral, softer than sapphire.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 41 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
18mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 44.4mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 36.4mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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