Seiko has been associated with innovative diver’s watches since its first design in 1965 but now the Japanese watch company has formed a partnership with the world’s biggest diver training body.
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) was established just months after that first Seiko divers watch and has gone on to become the world’s most recognised scuba diving training organisation with more than 3,600 dive centres and 136,000 qualified professionals with 24m certifications issued to divers worldwide.
Seiko is now supporting PADI’s Project Aware which aims to help clean the oceans of discarded rubbish one dive at a time, using its network of millions to aid marine conservation.
To celebrate and promote this partnership, two Prospex PADI special editions will be released this autumn.
The Kinetic GMT Diver’s (SUN065) uses Seiko’s unique Kinetic calibre, which is powered solely by the movement of the wearer’s body, and features a modern interpretation of the two-layer case construction found in the famed Seiko ‘tuna’ divers watches. It will retail for 630 euros.
While the 430 euro Automatic Diver’s (SRPA21) is designed around a classic 1970s Seiko 150m mechanical divers watch.  Both special models feature PADI’s characteristic red and blue colour on the dials and the bezels, and the PADI logo on the dials.
