It is 140 years since Kintaro Hattori created Seiko at just 21-years-old, and his youth allowed him to devote half a century to building the business into the largest watch producer in his native Japan.
This year’s anniversary is a huge deal to the brand, and it is kicking off with a series of creations that embody the spirit of Mr Hattori starring fresh Prospex, Presage and Astron watches inspired by the landscapes, oceans and cities of Japan.
WatchPro will be describing each of the new collections in the coming days, and we begin with a line of Prospex diver’s watches, said to be inspired by the island of Iriomote, a divers’ paradise in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Japan’s mainland that is home to several species of rare flora and fauna, coral reefs, jungle, mangrove forests, beaches, rivers and waterfalls.
There are two mechanical watches in the anniversary Prospex collection based on Seiko’s 1968 diving timekeepers and one solar chronograph.
Top of the line is the SPB207, a 300 meter water resistant, eight-beat diver’s watch suitable for saturation as well as air diving.
The 3,000 piece limited edition houses Seiko’s Caliber 8L35 and retails for $3,200.
A second reference, the 200 meter water resistant SLA047 with a six beat caliber, will have a production run of 6,000 and a price of $1,350.
Finally, Seiko has unveiled the Prospex, a 200m solar chronograph limited edition of 4,000 pieces priced at $750.
All three watches go on sale in March on stainless steel with an extra silicone strap.
