With Seiko showing off all its releases in one fell swoop this year, we’re doing things a little differently; rather than one key piece, we’ll be getting hands-on with our favourite capsule collection of 2020, Seiko’s trio of recreated diving icons.
1965 Diver’s Re-creation “62MAS”
First up we have, fittingly, Seiko’s original diving watch, the one that began its association with serious tool timepieces. It’s smaller than you might initially expect if you’ve tried a Prospex on in the past few years and at 39.9mm it’s a fair bit larger than its progenitor. The bezel seems like it’s a little wider, though that might just be due to the increased size; either way, it’s a more modern take on a hard-to-find classic.
It’s also pretty sleek; the “62MAS” was built before Seiko got into the fun and funky case shapes most collectors go crazy for. That means straighter lugs and a more minimal look, albeit with chunky, retro, lume-covered indexes.
There are of course differences; this is a contemporary re-creation rather than an archival re-release. The first is the dial which, despite stylistic authenticity is in a nice grey-blue rather than the original black, colour paired with a particularly lovely textured rubber strap. The steel too is different. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill stainless, but Seiko’s proprietary Ever-Brilliant Steel – and they hit the nail on the head with the name.
It really is a bright piece of metal.Inside is Seiko’s high-frequency 8L55 movement, top of the line as Seikos go. It runs at 36,000 beats per hour – the higher the better in the watchmaking world – and is a phenomenal bit of watchmaking. It does have a catch though: price. This will set you back £5,600. For me that’s a bit steep, not because it’s not worth it, but because for me this is the least interesting of the trio. If you’re a purist though, go for it.
THE SPECS | The 1965 Diver’s Re-creation SLA037 | 39.9mm Ever-Brilliant Steel case with 200m water resistance | 8L55 calibre automatic movement with 55-hour power reserve | £5,600, limited to 1,100 pieces
1968 Professional Diver’s 300m Re-creation
Although released just three years after the “62MAS”, this is when Seiko really started kicking down the doors of the diving watch world. Bigger, chunkier and with the curved lugs that would later widen out into the ‘Turtle’, it’s a solid 44.8mm of corrosion-resistance Ever-Brilliant Steel. It does however wear very nicely; the lugs aren’t too long so what looks impressive in dimensions sits well on even my wrists.
This is also when Seiko began using its now-famous off-centre screw-down crown, set lower than usual at 4 o’clock so it gets in the way less. It’s a visual quirk that’s stayed with Seiko divers ever since.
It shares the same grey-blue dial that links the collection together, though the matching strap in this case is a more serious affair in chunky, faux-studded rubber. It’s incredibly satisfying to strap on, a shame to take off. The indexes are once again oversized for legibility, but all bar 12, 6 and 9 are round instead of rectangular, which suits the dimensions of the watch better.
It’s equipped with the same movement as the “62MAS”, the 8L55, which once again pumps up the price to £6,050. This time however, I’d be tempted to take the plunge; this is essentially the genesis of the modern Prospex line and toes the line between sensible and over-the-top perfectly. Unlike the last…
THE SPECS | The 1968 Professional Diver’s 300m Re-creation SLA039 | 44.8mm Ever-Brilliant Steel case with 300m water resistance | 39.9mm Ever-Brilliant Steel case with 200m water resistance | 8L55 calibre automatic movement with 55-hour power reserve | £6,050, limited to 1,100 pieces
1975 Professional Diver’s 600m Re-creation
I love this watch. If you know anything about Seiko’s diving history you’ll recognise the ‘Tuna Can’ without needing to see it written down. It’s a brilliant, downright insanely-proportioned watch that I dream of being able to wear. Unfortunately every time I wake I have to come to terms with the fact that I can’t. I really, really can’t.
At 52.4mm it’s a behemoth of a watch and it’s not much less so in thickness at 17.2mm. It’s not a piece to wear with a suit. But then with its incredible 1,000m water resistance (up from the original 1975 model which could manage 600) it’s not meant to be. Everything from the oversized outer case with its visible screws to the retro arrow hands scream professional instrument.
It shares the same dial as the other pieces, tying it into the capsule collection, but it’s otherwise a different beast. For one, the case is titanium, a necessity if you actually want to reach the water’s surface again – this in all steel would be intense weight training. That said, there’s still a flash of Ever-Brilliant Steel on the bezel.
It also has a different movement, using the 8L35, which has a more standard 28,800 vph instead of the 36,000. It also has a lower power reserve; where the other two can last for 55 hours, the Tuna Can can manage 50. It’s still good, just not as good.
That does however make it a good deal less expensive, clocking in £3,900. That’s a lot of metal for your money and out of the three, I’d expect the 1975 Professional Diver’s 600m Re-creation to do the best.
That said, I expect all three to sell out. Not only are they Seiko archive highlights, but they’re all limited to 1,100 pieces worldwide. The majority of those will likely not make it out of Japan and those that do will be snapped up in no time – one of the 1968 Professional Diver’s 300m Re-creations by myself.
THE SPECS | The 1975 Professional Diver’s 600m Re-creation SLA041 | 52.4mm titanium case with 1,000m water resistance, Ever-Brilliant Steel bezel | 8L35 calibre automatic movement with 50-hour power reserve | £3,900, limited to 1,100
Available at Seiko’s website.
