Founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori, who in that year opened a watch sales and repair shop in Tokyo's Ginza district, Seiko produced the first wristwatch bearing his name in 1913. This year, the Japanese watchmaker celebrates the 110th anniversary of that historic event, and does so by launching a series of models in the Seiko Watchmaking 110th Anniversary collection.
This includes the Prospex Save The Ocean, with Ref. SPB33J1, made in only 5,000 pieces. The design of this diver's model, water-resistant to a depth of 200 metres, is inspired by a Seiko diver from 1968 (seen here in the version with a black dial), namely Ref. 6105-8000, considered the progenitor of the popular "Turtle", with its characteristic profile and crown positioned at 4 o'clock. The Prospex Save The Ocean SPB333J1 has a silver-toned dial characterised by a particular pattern of vertical lines, recalling the typical hues of glaciers. The hands and hour markers are treated with Lumibrite and between 4 and 5 o'clock is the date display.
The 41 mm steel case has a screw-down crown and back, a unidirectional rotating bezel and an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The movement driving it is the Seiko calibre 6R35 (21,600 vibrations per hour, 70-hour power reserve), mechanical automatic. The steel bracelet on 5 rows of links is fitted with a triple folding clasp with safety catch and extension.
The watch comes with an additional strap made of material from recycled plastic bottles and featuring the traditional Japanese braiding technique known as Seichu. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the watch will be donated to charities committed to saving the oceans.
Price1,350 euro.
