New Seiko Prospex 6R GMT: the perfect do-everything tool watch?
Powered by a new three-day movement, a mechanical GMT diver’s watch joins the Seiko Prospex collection for the first time. It’s might just be the perfect do-everything watch.
It’s watches that make Luke Hopewell tick. He’s been a watch writer for five years and a tech writer for 10 before that.
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Seiko: A Leader in Diver’s Watches
Seiko started making diver’s watches in the mid-1960’s. Ever since, Seiko has developed new technologies, features, and designs under the Prospex banner.
These advances have made the Seiko Prospex diver’s watch collection a favourite among professional and recreational divers the world over.
New movement: Calibre 6R54
For the latest additions to the Prospex family, Seiko has introduced a new movement in the long-trusted 6R family. A manual movement, it’s named the Calibre 6R54. It features a GMT function and a power reserve extended to a full 72 hours.
Design and features
The watch comes in three new dial colours: black, green and the ice blue limited edition. I’ll get into that one in a moment.
The design of the new Prospex 6R GMT is reminiscent of the dive watches the house was making back in 1968. I absolutely love the retro design. The ancient Japanese house stands in contrast to other Swiss watchmakers who are pushing towards more avant-garde watch designs for their new collections.
The new GMT hand can be set independently in one-hour increments without interrupting the time-of-day hands. It allows the wearer to see, at a glance, the time in a second time zone.
All three watches are water resistant to 200 meters, have Lumibrite on the hands and all 12 markers. And you get a scratch-resistant unidirectional ceramic bezel with a luminous pip.
Each is presented on a new three-link stainless steel bracelet with a slim profile that allows it to sit securely and comfortably on the wrist.
Limited Edition Ice Blue Prospex
Alongside the classically styled green and black creations, which join the main Prospex collection, there is also a limited-edition ice blue model. It was minted to celebrate the 110th anniversary of Seiko’s, and Japan’s, first wristwatch.
Distinguished by an intricately textured ice-blue dial, this watch captures the power of the polar glaciers that shape the landscapes and seascapes of the Arctic and Antarctic. This is where Seiko’s reputation for reliable and durable watches was forged in the 1960s and ‘70s.
Sustainability
The limited edition watch shares the same case and bracelet with the other two creations, but it comes with an additional strap made entirely of recycled plastic bottles.
It was created using a traditional Japanese braiding technique called Seichu. The watch with the ice-blue dial is part of the Save the Ocean series. It is made in support of the Seiko Prospex mission to contribute to a greater understanding of the world’s oceans and their preservation.
Availability and price
All three watches will be available at the Seiko Boutiques and select retail stores worldwide from June 2023.
The black and green models will retail for $2500 AUD, while the Limited Edition Ice Blue model will retail for a little extra at $2800 AUD.
Read more
Did you know that Seiko created an Australian-inspired collection? It’s incredible, and I got it on my wrist so you can get all the details.
