The Prospex Legacy Returns to Antarctica

Seiko's first diver's watch was born in 1965. With water resistance to 150m and an automatic movement, it proved its high quality and reliability when worn by members of the 8th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1966. Thanks to the positive reaction of the members of the expedition on their return, Seiko's diver's watches were chosen by the same research team between the years 1966 and 1969, during which time the landmark Seiko diver's watch with 300m water resistance and a 10-beat automatic movement was created, in 1968. New for 2022, Seiko introduces into the Prospex collection a new interpretation of that hallmark 1968 diver's watch. The watch will join the Save the Ocean series in support of several different marine conservation initiatives. Furthermore, this watch will be worn by members of the 63rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition's mission to Antarctica.

The patterned dial captures the feeling of the Antarctic landscape while the subtle gradation of the blue from light to dark echoes the hauntingly beautiful colors of the polar ice. The bezel's numerals and markings capture exactly the frozen scenery of blue-ice. The dial is designed with the wish that the beautiful Antarctic landscape, that is suffering from the negative impact of global warming, lasts forever.

While the design reflects its heritage, every aspect of this new creation exemplifies the high levels of diver's watch technology for which the Prospex collection is renowned. The case, bezel and crown are all made of Seiko's Ever-Brilliant Steel, a special grade of stainless steel which is uniquely corrosion-resistant. To further ensure the watch's durability, the crown is not screwed directly into the case but locked into a separate component that is built into the case and so can be more easily replaced.

The watch is powered by Caliber 8L35 which was developed especially for diver's watches and is hand-assembled by the craftsmen and at the Shizukuishi Watch Studio in northern Japan. The movement's rigidity and accuracy ensure the highest possible levels of performance in the most demanding environments, both on land and under water. In addition to its durable rubber strap, this Seiko Diver is supplied with a fabric strap which incorporates the traditional Seichu braiding technique. 

Specifications:

• Ever-Brilliant 42.6mm stainless steel case
• Caliber 8L35 (Automatic with manual winding mechanism)
• Frequency 28,800bph, 26 Jewels
• Power reserve: 50 hours
• Dark zirconia ceramic bezel
• Sapphire crystal with AR coating on inner surface
• Luminous hands and indexes with LumiBrite
• 200m water resistance
• Magnetic resistance
• Unidirectional rotating bezel
• Screw-down crown
• Additional woven nylon strap
• Limited to 1,300 pieces