Seiko’s, and Japan’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.
Today, Seiko introduces into the Prospex collection a new interpretation of the 1968 diver’s watch. The watch will join the Save the Ocean series in support of several different marine conservation initiatives.
DIAL DESIGN
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.
CASE & BEZEL
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 grade of stainless steel which is more corrosion resistant than that which is commonly used in watches today.*
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.
*This material is used extensively in the surfaces of marine structures and vessels because of its extreme corrosion resistance in sea water. It has a PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number) value 1.7 times higher than that of the grade of steel used in most high-end watches. PREN is a widely accepted standard used to measure corrosion resistance.
FABRIC STRAP
The watch is also offered with a fabric strap which incorporates a traditional braiding technique from Japan called Seichu. Of course, this Seichu strap’s strength and resistance to the degradation caused by exposure to sunlight meet the most demanding standards of Seiko Prospex diver’s watches.
CASE BACK
The words “Limited Edition” and the individual serial number are inscribed on the screw case back.
* In an actual product, the case back direction might be different from the photograph.
MOVEMENT
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.
1968 DIVER'S MODERN RE-INTERPRETATION SAVE THE OCEAN LIMITED EDITION
1968 DIVER'S MODERN RE-INTERPRETATION LIMITED EDITION
FABRIC STRAP
This watch is also offered with a fabric strap which incorporates the traditional Seichu braiding technique. The strap’s color perfectly is in perfect harmony with the black dial and has a dignified presence on the wrist.
1968 DIVER'S MODERN RE-INTERPRETATION LIMITED EDITION
THE PROSPEX SAVE THE OCEAN SERIES.
This new watch joins the Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean series in support of several different marine conservation initiatives, one of which involves contributions to the National Institute of Polar Research, which is based in Tokyo. As part of this program, Seiko recently donated watches to the 63rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) team.
