Seiko are celebrating their 145th anniversary this year and they’ve already delved into the brand’s past with the Timekeeper in gold launched in January. Now, halfway through the year, we have a multi-watch collection dedicated to Seiko’s present. The collection consists of two Presage models and two Prospex models, each featuring a vibrant blue and white colour scheme inspired by the company’s signature branding colours.
Seiko Presage 145th Anniversary Limited Edition Arita Porcelain HCC007J
Kicking things off is this lovely Presage based on the craftsmanship series, the 145th Anniversary Limited Edition Arita Porcelain (HCC007J). The dial is crafted from traditional Japanese porcelain and while their previous watches that use this material are white, this version switches things up with an intense blue glaze in a shade called Ruri blue. Under the lights you can see a faint gradient where the pigment gets slightly lighter towards the lip of the raised chapter ring and gets darker in the recesses of the central fluted motif.
The dial is held in a 39.6mm diameter steel case with a thickness of 12.4mm, a practical size that suits both daily wear and formal, dress watch occasions. It has a nice, polished finish on its smooth bezel, leading into brushed lugs and a flared crown. It sits comfortably on the wrist with a black leather strap (which I might be tempted to switch out for a dark blue to match the dial).
Powering the Seiko Presage 145th Anniversary Limited Edition Arita Porcelain is the 6R51 automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve. The 6R series is Seiko’s high end calibre series befitting a watch in the craftsmanship series. The watch is limited to 1,500 pieces at a price of £1,600.
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Seiko Presage 145th Anniversary Limited Edition ‘Shiro-neri‘ Classic Series HCC004J
Second of the Seiko Presage 145th Anniversary Limited Editions is a Classic Series model inspired by Shironeri, a traditional Japanese silk. In order to achieve that silk-like impression, it features an irregular sunray burst pattern across the dial that looks like the folds of fabric. It’s similar in execution to a linen dial but in a radial motif rather than cross-hatched. Under close inspection it’s really not a far cry from the more entry-level Grand Seiko dials. The white of the dial is accented by deep blue hour markers and hands with a matching leather strap.
The case is 38mm in diameter, made from steel with a pronounced grip along the edge of the bezel that reminds me of delicate beading. It has the same flared crown as the porcelain model above. It makes for a surprisingly tactile watch despite its dress watch elegance, which is also backed up by its 100m water resistance rating let it tackle most day-to-day challenges with ease.
Inside is once again the 6R51 automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve. Though the 145th Anniversary Limited Edition Classic Series is notably more accessible than its porcelain counterpart at a price of £900 in a limited edition of 2,500 pieces.
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Seiko Prospex 145th Anniversary Limited Edition 1965 Heritage Diver’s HBC005J
Next, we have the first of two Prospex Anniversary editions, the 145th Anniversary Limited Edition 1965 Heritage Diver’s. It’s a fairly straight and narrow interpretation of the dive watch formula. A monocolour dial in white with a uni-directional rotating bezel in blue. The use of block colours provides a solid backdrop behind the lume elements across the hands and markers to ensure good low-light legibility. Typically, a dive watch would have a matte finish to avoid glare but the sunray brushing here gives the watch a bit more energy when viewed outside the water.
As it’s based on the 1965 Heritage Diver’s watch it has relatively short lugs with facetted edges displaying alternating brushed and polished surfaces. It also sports the improved 300m water resistance rating that Seiko upgraded from 200m a few years ago. Of all the anniversary releases, this is the one that feels like it could just be a core collection release and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s a handsome diver in a nice colour scheme.
Housed inside the 40mm case is the 6R55 automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve. It’s essentially the date version of the 6R51, with the date window presented between 4 and 5 o’clock. It’s priced at £1,300 in a limited edition of 4,000 pieces. We’re getting up to limited edition numbers where most people who want one will be able to purchase one.
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Seiko Prospex 145th Anniversary Limited Edition “Samurai” Mechanical Diver’s HBB001K
Last up is the 145th Anniversary Limited Edition “Samurai” Mechanical Diver’s, which unfortunately was not available when we got hands-on with the collection. As part of the Samurai line, it measures 41.7mm in diameter, made from steel, with a multi-facetted and angular design like samurai armour.
Aesthetically it follows the same motifs as the 1965 Heritage Diver’s edition, featuring a white sunray brushed dial and a blue diving bezel. Although this time the first 15-minutes of the bezel are grey to make it stand out. Plus, the shapes of the hands and hour markers are different as well.
The Samurai is one of the entry-level Prospex dive watches, so it houses the 4R35 automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve. It also still has only a 200m water resistance rating. However, the positive trade-off is that it’s also the most accessible of the anniversary models at £560 in the (barely) limited edition of 9,999 pieces.
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More details at Seiko.
