News: Seiko releases the Prospex 1968 Diver GMT
When you’re ticking off the list of what makes the perfect summer holiday watch, two features should surely sit at the very top: decent water resistance so you can wear it swimming, and a GMT function for keeping an eye on the time back home.
Throw in an accessible price point and a reputable brand that’s been making dive watches for well over half a century and you’ve got a timepiece that’s destined to fly off the retailers’ shelves.
The new all-steel Prospex model from Seiko is a reinterpretation of a 1968 model and comes in three dial/bezel colour combinations: all green, all black, or a limited-edition version (pictured) with a textured ice-blue dial evoking rippled snow drifts that’s teamed with a black bezel, of which 4,000 pieces have been made.
The GMT function is the “caller” kind as opposed to a “true” GMT, which means the second hour hand can be set independently in one-hour increments without interrupting the time-of-day hands. These tend to be a little easier to use but everyone has their individual preferences.
There’s even a discreet date-window squeezed in between 4 and 5 o’clock.
Water-resistant to 200 metres, it runs on Seiko’s new Caliber 6R54 movement which provides a “weekend-proof” 72-hour power reserve and is visible through the exhibition case back.
You should be able to get your hands on this beauty in June, just when most of us are dusting off our passports and stocking up on Ambre Solaire.
Case | Steel
Dimensions | 42mm
Dial | Green, black or ice-blue (limited edition)
Crystal | Sapphire crystal
Water-resistance | 200m
Movement | Self-winding, Seiko 6R54
Power Reserve | 72 hours
Frequency | 21, 600 VpH
Strap | Steel bracelet
Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT
RRP | Green and black – $1,500. Light blue – $1,700
