Seiko Prospex

The Seiko Prospex collection – whose name stands for "Professional Specifications" – is famous for its professional sports watches. The collection is known around the globe among enthusiasts and fans of the Japanese brand Seiko for its quality, reliability, and its excellent value for money. For this reason, limited editions sell out in very short periods of time. An example of this is the Seiko Prospex Automatic Diver's Blue Lagoon "Samurai" (Ref. SRPB09) and "Turtle" (SRPB11), each of which only has a run of 6000 pieces.

You can find a variety of diving watches in the Prospex collection, some of which have been given amusing names by the Seiko community. Most of the brand's fans will know the names "Sumo", "Shogun", "Samurai", and "Turtle". In this respect, Seiko enthusiasts are just as creative as Rolex's devotees. The Prospex collection, whose watches often have a large "X" on the dial, also contains pilot's watches and chronographs for measuring time. The Japanese manufacturer predominantly uses in-house automatic calibers to power these watches, though ones with solar or Kinetic movements can also be found. The latter is a combination of automatic and quartz movements, since it is the movement of a rotor that charges the battery. Kinetic watches from Seiko keep the time using the vibrations of a quartz crystal.

A highlight in the Seiko Prospex series are the Marinemaster Professional models, which is water resistant up to 1000 m (100 bar) and powered by high-quality, precise, mechanical calibers. Due to the movement's high quality and accuracy as well as its excellent workmanship, prices for a Prospex Marinemaster Professional in mint condition sit between 2,000 and 4,200 euros. Another high point of the collection is the Prospex Automatic First Diver's Limited Edition 2017 with the reference number SLA017. There are only 2,000 examples of this retro diving watch. Its design was inspired by the so-called 62MAS (Ref. 6217-8000/1), the first diving watch from Japan. You should set aside at least 3,500 euros for the remake of this iconic diving watch.

You can buy a new men's watch from the Seiko Prospex collection for as little as 200 euros. Among these affordable watches is the Prospex Solar Chronograph with the reference number SSC081P1. This watch has an alarm function and is powered by solar energy. Prices for the 48 mm Kinetic GMT Diver's in mint condition with the reference number SUN019P1 start around 450 euros. You should prepare to spend at least 350 euros for the model ref. SSG013P1, a radio wave watch in the style of a pilot's watch that has a chronograph function and uses solar power.

Top models, such as the Prospex Marinemaster Professional 600m Spring Drive with the reference number SBDB011, cost around 4,200 euros in mint condition. The Marinemaster Professional 1000m ref. SBDX013, which is water resistant up to 1000 m (100 bar), sits at around 3,000 euros. If you're looking for a diving watch with even higher quality, perhaps take a look at the Grand Seiko series. There you can find the automatic watch with reference number SBGH257, which is water resistant up to 600 m (60 bar) and uses the movement 9S85 with a balance frequency of 36,000 half oscillations per hour (A/h). This high frequency is the equivalent of 5 Hz and ensures high precision. You should set aside around 11,000 euros for this luxury diving watch.

The Prospex collection contains numerous retro watches, in keeping with current trends. One of the most sought-after watches from this collection is the Seiko Prospex Automatic First Diver's Limited Edition with the reference number SLA017. You can buy this watch in mint condition for 3,500 euros. The scratch-resistant stainless steel case is 40 mm, making it 3 mm larger than its historic predecessor from 1965. Even its water resistance of up to 200 m (20 bar) exceeds that of the first Japanese diving watch, which was water resistant up to 150 m (15 bar). However, the design of the case, dial, bezel, and silicon band are very close to the original. It uses the state-of-the-art automatic caliber 8L35 with a date display and a power reserve of 50 hours.

If the 3,500 euros for the SLA017 is too much for you, perhaps the retro diving watches with the reference numbers SPB051J1 and SPB053J1 are right for you. They cost 1,000 euros and 900 euros, respectively. The latter has a blue dial and silicon armband. The former is slightly more expensive due to its stainless steel bracelet. Both versions have a scratch-resistant, stainless steel case with a diameter of 43 mm, making them 3 mm larger than the SLA017. The automatic caliber 6R15 runs inside these more affordable diving watches. It also has a date display and, like the 8L35, has a 50-hour power reserve. However, the 8L35 is generally of higher quality and precision.

When they hear the name "Turtle", Seiko fans immediately think of the legendary diving watch with a rotund case reminiscent of a turtle's shell. This design is unmistakable and plays an essential role in the success of the current models. Martin Sheen also boosted their popularity when he wore a Seiko ref. 6105 in the movie Apocalypse Now. The 6105 was in production from the late 1960s into the 1970s. Its successor, the ref. 6309, was produced until 1988.

Seiko enthusiasts rejoiced when a new "Turtle" collection entered the market 28 years later. Six new watches with the reference numbers SRP773K1, SRP775K1, SRP779K1, SRP777K1, SRP787K1 and SRP789K1 have been available at affordable prices ever since. Every version shares the typical shape of the 44 mm "Turtle" case, the design of the dial and hands, as well as a unidirectional rotating bezel. Differences arise between the bands and the color of the bezels. For example, the SRP789K1 has a black and red bezel while the SRP787K1's is black and blue. The edge of the arrow-shaped minute hand is also red or blue, respectively. Both models have a stainless steel bracelet. If you prefer silicon straps, have a look at the reference numbers SRP777K1 or SRP779K1. You can buy these models for around 300 euros. Those with stainless steel bracelets cost about 50 euros more. If you're lucky, you may find a pre-owned, original "Turtle" ref. 6105 for 1,500 euros.

In these models, Seiko uses the caliber 4R36 with a day-date display and 41-hour power reserve. The rotor winds the mainspring especially efficiently thanks to the Magic Lever system. If the watch should come to a stop, you can also wind it manually. Conveniently, it has a stop-seconds mechanism so you can set it to the exact second.

With its massive 44 mm case, the Seiko Prospex "Sumo" immediately stands out. Its appearance is exaggerated by wide and angular lugs. Despite its size, this diving watch is pleasant to wear and falls in the middle of the Prospex collection's price range. This comfort comes in part from the fact that the crown is positioned at 4 o'clock, meaning it doesn't press against the wrist when bent. A stainless steel bracelet with 20 mm lugs keeps this men's watch firmly in place. You can currently choose between a version with a black dial and bezel (ref. SBDC031) or one with a blue dial and bezel (ref. SBDC033). Seiko powers this watch with the automatic caliber 6R15, which has a manual winding option, a stop-seconds mechanism, and a 50-hour power reserve. You can find both models for around 450 euros.

Since 2016, the Seiko Prospex collection has also offered special editions, which were developed in cooperation with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI. PADI is the largest diver training company in the world and offers diving courses worldwide. The Seiko PADI watches with the reference numbers SRPA21K1, SUN065P1 and SRPA83K1 are easy to spot by the "PADI" inscription above 6 o'clock and their red and blue design.

The variant with the reference number SRPA21K1 is a "Turtle" model and costs around 400 euros. The ref. SUN065P1 has a Kinetic movement and sits at about 600 euros. With a diameter of 52 mm, the ref. SRPA83K1 is especially large and striking. Its bright hands and indices make it easy to read in the dark. The price for this version is approximately 500 euros.