New Seiko Prospex dive watch brings GMT function to a 60s classic

Seiko has announced a collection of three new dive watches, adding GMT functionality to its longstanding Prospex range.

Intended to be a modern reinterpretation of Seiko’s classic dive watches of the mid-1960s, the new collection marks the first time the company has fitted its Prospex models with a mechanical GMT movement.

The calibre 6R54 movement offers an impressive 72 hours of power reserve, so once fully wound the watch should keep accurate time for up to three full days without being worn – useful if you want to switch to a different watch for the weekend.

Being a GMT movement, this watch will be particularly appealing to frequent travellers. Seiko explains how the GMT hand can be set independently in one-hour increments without interrupting the time-of-day hands, allowing the wearer to see the time in a second time zone at a glance.

The collection includes three watches, each with a 42mm stainless steel case, sapphire crystal and screw-down crown at the five o’clock position. All are water resistant to 200 metres, have glowing Lumibrite on the hands and hour markers for visibility at night or when diving, and a unidirectional rotating bezel with ceramic insert and a luminous marker at the 12 o’clock position. Each model is fitted with a new three-link stainless steel bracelet.

Called the Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation GMT, the collection includes a model with a green dial and bezel, as well as one in black, and a limited-edition version with a black bezel and textured ice-blue dial.

Restricted to 4,000 units, the blue dial is intended to capture “the power of the polar glaciers that shape the landscapes and seascapes of the Arctic and Antarctic,” says Seiko. Part of Seiko’s Save the Ocean series, this model also comes with a second strap made entirely of recycled plastic bottles.

All three models will be available at Seiko boutiques from June this year. The green and black versions are priced at £1,400, while the limited-run ice blue variant is £1,600.