A signature Prospex diver’s watch evolves with enhanced specifications.
The new watch features multiple updates in technology, design, and construction. In the decades since it introduced Japan’s first diver’s watch, Seiko has created a wide range of diver’s watches that have won the favor of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide for their safety, reliability, and ease of use. One such model is the SPB143, introduced in 2020. With water resistance to 200m and a power reserve of 70 hours, this watch has received worldwide acclaim for its functionality and its vintage-style design inspired by Seiko’s original diver’s watch, the legendary 62MAS. Today, Seiko introduces into the Prospex collection a range of watches based on the fan-favorite SPB143 that feature multiple enhancements in technology, design, and construction. Black dial and blue dial versions join the main Prospex collection, while a commemorative special edition with gold-colored accents celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Seiko brand.
More power, greater water resistance, and enhanced legibility
Just like the SPB143, the new creations reimagine the design of Seiko’s original 1965 diver’s watch.
Each watch is powered by one of Seiko’s latest in-house movements, Caliber 6R55, which has a power reserve that extends to 72 hours, or three full days. This marks the first time that Caliber 6R55 has appeared in the Prospex collection. The new watches are further enhanced to ensure water resistance to 300m, a first for the Prospex collection’s non-saturation diver’s watches. A change in the location of the date window from the three o’clock position to the space between four and five o’clock now allows a more symmetrical design and more space to be filled with Lumibrite, ensuring high legibility even in dark conditions.
A compact construction designed for comfort
The shorter lugs also contribute to the enhanced wearability of the watches. Even with the many upgrades that enhance performance, each watch has been redesigned to be more compact, with a diameter of 40mm, lug-to-lug length of 46.4mm, and thickness of 13mm, while maintaining the reliability, safety, and ease of use required of a Seiko diver’s watch. Each watch features a stainless steel bezel with an aluminum insert for a slim design that delivers a classic feel and appearance, with minute markings that now extend under the numerals of the bezel display. The bezel’s minute markings and numerals are laser-engraved to prevent their wear from long periods of use. Thanks to a new bracelet with shorter links and a smaller clasp, the watch achieves a higher level of comfort as it conforms to the wearer’s wrist.
A special edition with an additional strap
The special edition features the same specifications as the blue and black dial versions. Since the beginning of Seiko in 1881, the company has continued to innovate in line with the founder’s philosophy to be “Always one step ahead of the rest.” In 1924, the company introduced the first wristwatch with “Seiko” on the dial, signifying the beginning of the Seiko brand. The year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of this landmark event. In celebration, a third creation with a charcoal-grey-colored dial is introduced as a special edition. Its gold-colored accents are intended to evoke the many watchmaking advances brought forth under the Seiko name over the last century.
Thanks to its unique braiding pattern, the strap has the flexibility and air permeability
to ensure maximum comfort on the wrist.
The special edition comes with an additional strap made entirely of recycled plastic bottles. It was created using a traditional Japanese braiding technique called Seichu, familiar in Japanese culture for its use in fabric designs. The rich texture and sheen that result from the technique can be observed in the traditional obijime, the decorative cord that holds a kimono sash in place. The strap presents a uniquely Japanese aesthetic and texture and is specially manufactured to have a tensile strength nearly four times that of regular Seiko fabric straps*. The strap’s strength and resistance to the degradation caused by exposure to sunlight meet the demanding standards required of Seiko diver’s watches, and it is perfect for use underwater.
*based on research conducted by Seiko.
Availability – All three watches will be available at Seiko Boutiques and select retail stores worldwide, as well as on the online store www.seikowatches.co.in, starting from June 2024.
Gracefully embracing Japan’s timeless beauty, a new Presage design series makes its debut.
Since its introduction in 2016, the Presage collection has melded Japanese artistry with Seiko’s longstanding mastery of mechanical watchmaking. With the new Classic Series, Presage draws from the colors, materials, and textures of traditional Japanese crafts to express the soft and gentle side of Japanese design. The series makes its debut with five new creations, each conveying a traditional sense of Japanese beauty while bringing the mechanical watchmaking for which Seiko is renowned to the fore.
Curved dials with rich textures inspired by silk
At the heart of the new series are richly textured, curved dials that express the soft and supple feel of natural textiles whose use is interwoven into Japan’s culture. The series features two different dial configurations and sets of functions. The dials of the three-hand with date creations are inspired by lustrous silk fabric, while the two open-heart watches express the texture of raw silk yarn through a radial pattern. With their curvature and intricately textured patterns, the dials capture and reflect ambient light to create a heightened sense of depth and beauty. The tops of the indexes curve to conform with the dials’ rounded shape, and the minute and seconds hands bend gently toward the markers. The series makes its debut with dials in four traditional colors,
left to right: shiro-iro, sensaicha, araigaki, and sumi-iro
Each watch imparts a warm luster to the traditional Japanese color it expresses. These include shiro-iro, the color of unbleached natural fabric, which inspires two dials in the collection; sensaicha, a dark brownish-green that was fashionable during the Edo Period; araigaki, a washed and bleached persimmon color; and sumi-iro, a greyish black originally used in garments worn by monks.
A softly curved case and a bracelet crafted for comfort
The case has a refined construction. Viewed from the side, it has a slim appearance.The case is constructed with soft, curved surfaces, and the dual-curved sapphire crystal echoes the contours of the dome-shaped dial, adding further depth to the overall design.The short length of each link enhances the bracelet’s comfort. A newly developed multi-row bracelet with design inspiration from the 1970s provides a delicate and comfortable feeling on the wrist. The bracelet’s links have an ergonomic shape, with a curved top surface and a reduction of contact points around the wrist for a comfortable fit and enhanced aesthetics.
Two automatic movements with three days of power
Three of the watches have the classic three-hand configuration with central seconds and date, while the remaining two bear a 24-hour scale and a dial opening onto the movement’s escapement at 9 o’clock. Powering each new watch is one of two recently introduced Seiko 6R movements that run for 72 hours, ensuring that a watch removed Friday evening will be ready to wear on Monday morning without having to be reset. The three-hand watches with date use Caliber 6R55, while Caliber 6R5J powers the open-heart watches. Each movement’s gold-colored oscillating weight is visible through an exhibition case back.
Availability – All five watches will be available at Seiko Boutiques and select retail stores worldwide, as well as on the online store www.seikowatches.co.in, starting from June 2024.
