Seiko Prospex Automatic Diver's 1965 Save The Ocean blue dial steel bracelet 40.5 mm

Seiko and diving

The Japanese Manufacture Seiko is known to watch lovers as one of the most reliable and legitimate brands in the world of diving watches. Since the launch of its first diver's watch in 1965, Seiko has been dedicated to exceeding divers' expectations with its innovative technology, creating timepieces that will help you cope with deep water obstacles in a wide variety of situations around the world. These timepieces have proven to be equal to the rigours of the environment and have received praise from professional divers.

A 1965 Diver's with polar roots

Seiko has had great success with the special edition "Save the Ocean" watches, which has been growing year on year since 2018, when Seiko partnered with Fabien Cousteau, grandson of legendary explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. By combining the rugged styling of its most affordable dive watches with unique, textured dials, the Manufacture has managed to create one of the most popular sub-collections. Today, Seiko welcomes to its Prospex collection three modern reinterpretations of the legendary dive watches of this period, whose design is inspired by the glaciers that these pioneers traversed and that shape the land and seascapes of the Arctic and Antarctic. Each has a dial that evokes a different shade of glacial surface, from deep blue to white.

This reference SPB297J1 uses as its base an iconic model of the Japanese brand, the "62MAS", which is a modern reinterpretation of the first Japanese Diver's 150m watch launched in 1965. Nicknamed 62MAS by the brand's fans, it is one of the mythical watches in Seiko's history. Indeed, it is this model that marks the beginning of Seiko's quest for reliability and safety, a notable characteristic of future Diver's models. In particular, it proved its reliability when it was used in the harsh environment of Antarctica in the 1960s during the 8th Japanese Antarctic research expedition.

For this Save The Ocean edition, the new model is true to its heritage in terms of design, but is updated to meet the standards of today's Prospex collection. It is ideal for everyday use thanks to its slim profile and the low centre of gravity of the case. It is 40.5mm in diameter, with a textured blue dial evoking the power and beauty of polar glaciers. The indexes and hands are coated with Lumibrite to ensure optimal legibility in the darkest of conditions and are topped by a domed sapphire crystal.

The watch is water resistant to 200 metres and is presented on a steel bracelet with an extension and a secure clasp. The case has an ultra-hard coating and the sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating on its inner surface to ensure great readability from all angles.
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Technical side

This Prospex Diver's 200 is equipped with the Manufacture calibre 6R35 with automatic winding. This is one of the Japanese firm's essential movements which is notably used in most of the brand's watches. It beats at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour and offers a comfortable 72-hour power reserve, allowing you to alternate with your other watches without having to systematically wind it. Designed to be reliable and robust, its construction is as simple as possible. On the complication level, we find the day and the date in an aperture at three o'clock, very practical in everyday life! Concerning the precision, the tolerance indicated by the firm is from -15 to +25 seconds per day.

In brief

• A modern reinterpretation of a legendary diving watch
  A special edition supporting the preservation and protection of the ocean
  A sublime textured dial with a deep and hypnotic colour