In the great book of time of Seiko, 1924 is an important date. It has a special significance. Particularly for a watch manufacturer that, precisely 100 years ago, decided to have its name appear for the first time on the dial of a wristwatch.
To celebrate this important anniversary, Seiko has come up with the SPB455J1, a special edition of the Prospex collection with an anthracite grey dial, whose golden details evoke the many watchmaking advances achieved by the Japanese company over the last century. Progress which, for Seiko, has involved a whole series of innovations introduced as, in this case, also in the famous Prospex diver collection. In addition to the celebratory edition, there are two new references that expand the offer of the iconic diver’s timepiece range this year.
The new creations boast several refinements in terms of technique, design and construction and are inspired by, and represent the evolution of, a famous Seiko diver presented in 2020, the SPB143J1. With water resistance to 200 metres and a 70-hour power reserve, this watch has received wide acclaim for its functionality and especially for its vintage-style design inspired by Seiko and Japan’s first diver’s watch, the legendary 62MAS.
Returning to the present, the Seiko Prospex SPB451J1, with a blue dial, and the SPB453J1, with a black dial, are powered by one of the brand’s latest in-house developed movements, the calibre 6R55, which boasts a 72-hour power reserve. Moreover, this is the first time this movement has been included in the Prospex collection. The new watches are further refined to guarantee water resistance to 300 metres, another first for the divers in the Prospex collection who are not suitable for saturation diving.
The date display has been moved to a position between four and five o’clock, for a more symmetrical design and to leave more space for Lumibrite, which now also completely covers the index at 3 o’clock, improving legibility even in dark conditions. Seiko’s research work also went in the direction of rethinking the watch to be more compact. The end result was a case with a diameter of 40 mm, a lug spacing of 46.4 mm and a thickness of 13 mm, to ensure the reliability, safety and ease of use required of a Seiko diver’s watch. Each timepiece features a stainless steel bezel with an aluminium insert, giving it a light and classic appearance.
Matteo Zaccagnino
