Seiko has revealed a pair of new additions to its Prospex Diver's watch collection, with a new GMT movement and design inspired by the late-1960s.
Available with a black or green dial and bezel, the watch has 300 metres of water resistance, three days of power reserve, and is priced at £1,600. Pre-orders are open now, ahead of deliveries starting in May.
Seiko has expanded its Prospex dive watch collection with a new model inspired by one of its late-1960s ancestors.
Called the Prospex Diver’s Watch 1968 300M Heritage GMT, this watch really has everything you could want from a diver. It’s got a stainless steel case and bracelet with micro-adjuster, 300 metres of water resistance, a full set of illuminated markings across the dial and rotating ceramic bezel, and a screw-down crown.
What I particularly like about this watch is the green dial and bezel. Instead of going down the tried-and-tested blue route taken by many other dive watches – my own Tudor included – Seiko presents a strong alternative here.
It’s not as bright as the green (and bronze) used by Omega on its Seamaster. But it's a lovely colour that, for me, feels more approachable and something I’d be more likely to wear daily.
For an even more restrained look, Seiko also offers the 1968 Heritage GMT with a black bezel and dial.
As the name suggests, this is a watch that harks back to 1968 – which is when Seiko created Japan’s first hi-beat, one-piece dive watch. It also boasts three days of power reserve, and helping it stand out from many other dive watches is the GMT function.
This uses a 24-scale on the outer edge of the dial, along with a second hour hand finished in striking gold, to show a second time zone. Traditionally, this hand would be set to GMT - hence the name – but it can be set to whatever time zone you like.
Being able to see two time zones at once is particularly handy for frequent travellers who might be on holiday or abroad for work and. That GMT function is provided by a new in-house calibre from Seiko, called the 6R54.
The case measures 42 mm in diameter and is 13.3 mm thick, so it’s a fairly chunky watch even by modern standards – and especially so when you consider it a throwback to the late-Sixties. But the extra bulk gives a sense of solidity to the design, which is probably just wants a frequent flyer wants from their dependable diver.
Both the green and black variants are £1,600 and available for pre-order now, ahead of delivery in May.
