TIME ZONE
BY NANCY OLSON
S eiko’s talent for producing durable diver’s watches, first emerging in the 1960s and 1970s, has resulted in timepieces favored by polar researchers and adventurers. Three special edition Heritage models from the Prospex Save the Ocean series combine the brand’s signature dive- watch architecture with glacier-inspired dials. Best of all, Seiko donates a portion of the proceeds from this collection to assist in the care of the world’s oceans through various conservation initiatives. Each watch is powered by the automatic Caliber 6R35, which delivers a generous power reserve of 70 hours, and the stainless steel cases and bracelets are scratch-resistant. Anti-reflective sapphire crystals ensure high legibility from every angle, and the indexes and hands are coated with Lumibrite for further legibility. Thanks in part to screw- down crowns and screw-in casebacks, the watches are water resistant to 200 meters. The deep-blue dial of the 40.5 mm model (SPB297) is based on Seiko’s first diver’s watch from 1965, which proved its reliability when used by members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition from 1966 to 1969. The 42 mm model is a reinterpretation (SPB299) of the landmark 1968 diver’s watch — the first Seiko watch with 300-meter water resistance and a 10-beat automatic movement, beating at a frequency of 36,000 vph. A high frequency movement is always more accurate. The white dial on the 42.7 mm timepiece (SPB301) has the same distinctively shaped case as the 1970 classic that served as inspiration. That watch from the past proved its strength and endurance when worn by the Japanese adventurer Naomi Uemura from 1974 to 1976 when he completed a 12,500 km solo dog-sled run from Greenland to Alaska. SEIKO SAVES THE SEAS WITH PROSPEX
19 RICHTER & PHILLIPS JEWELERS MAGAZINE
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