The LX line is a masterstroke, the combination of Prospex cool and Grand Seiko haute horology, complete with the Japanese watchmaker’s legendary Spring Drive movement. It’s led to some seriously cool pieces of which the latest is the SNR051 – more colloquially called the Prospex LX Sky U.S. Special Edition SNR051 – a piece inspired by the moon. And it’s a looker.
First, the elephant in the room: this is a U.S. only release. Tragic, I know. The States seem to get the best Seiko releases at the moment. Hopefully that means we’ll get our own take on it, but time will tell. Either way you can always order it online.
Anyway, the base watch here is pure Prospex goodness with that signature 4 o’clock crown and chunky, tool watch dimensions. It’s big, too, a 44.8mm chunk of Zaratsu polished titanium. The main difference here is the dial.
The silvery grey is meant to imitate the surface of the moon with the texture of lunar dust. It’s lovely and feels like yet another flash of Grand Seiko coming through. The GMT hand and power reserve are both in bright blue, apparently an allusion to the view of Earth from space. That might be a stretch, but it’s handsome all the same.
Powering the watch is the calibre 5R66 with a 70-hour power reserve. There’s a good reason collectors get hot under the collar for the Spring Drive; it’s quite possibly the best modern movement around. It loses just 15 seconds a month. The GMT function can jump the local hour hand, making switching between time zones nice and easy. Exactly what time zone space is though I’m not quite sure.
The Prospex LX Sky will set you back $5,500, which is a hefty sum for the standard Seiko divers but what you’d expect from an LX. You are really just buying a Grand Seiko with sportier proportions and it requires a similar level of investment. It’s worth it though.
Price & Specs:
Model: Seiko Prospex LX Sky U.S. Special Edition SNR051 Spring Drive GMT
Case/dial: 44.8mm diameter x 14.7mm height, titanium case with Zaratsu polishing, silver-grey textured dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: In-house calibre 5R66, spring drive GMT movement with quartz oscillator, automatic, 30 jewels
Power reserve: 72h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, GMT, power reserve indicator
Strap: Titanium bracelet
Price/availability: $5,500 USD (available in U.S. only)
More details at Seiko Luxe.