Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Re-creation

Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Re-creation

A recreation of Seiko’s and Japan’s first hi-beat diver’s watch

Seiko’s reputation for diver’s watches is the direct result of a long tradition of innovation that stretches back over 50 years, during which time Seiko has been responsible for creating many of the features that are now widely accepted as the industry norms. From the first titanium case for a diver’s watch to the invention of the accordion-style strap and of the one-piece case structure with outer protector, Seiko has been a pioneer in the field, and we are proud that part of the current ISO standard was developed with Seiko’s own standard as its base.

Seiko’s and Japan’s first ever diver’s watch was made in 1965. Just three years later, in 1968, Seiko’s engineers raised the bar with a hi-beat diver’s watch with 300 meter water resistance. This watch was one of the foundation stones on which Seiko’s future diver’s watch development was based. It had a 10-beat, high precision automatic caliber, a one-piece structure, a screw-down protection crown and a uni-directional rotating bezel.

The 1968 original was for air diving while this new re-creation is specified for saturation diving.

Like the original, it features a one piece case construction and a flat case back. It incorporates Caliber 8L55 which was specially designed for diver’s use and is made by Seiko’s craftsmen and women in the Shizukuishi Watch Studio in Morioka in the north of Japan. Zaratsu polishing gives the lug sharpness and beauty, a dual curved sapphire crystal ensures high legibility and the strap is made of the high strength silicone. The markers have polished edges and those at 12, 6 and 9 are different in design to ensure that time is read without error even 300 meters down. The watch is offered in a limited edition of 1,500.