Seiko Celebrates 140 Years With Four New Limited Editions

This year marks the 140th anniversary of Seiko’s founding in 1881 by a 21 year old Hattori Kintaro. In celebration of this milestone, Seiko is releasing 4 limited edition models across their Prospex, Presage, Astron, and 5 Sport families. Each share a distinctive white and blue color scheme that sets them apart at a glance, and each will be produced in limited quantities. The 4 watches span from throwback divers, to high tech solar GPS, representing the breadth of Seiko’s current portfolio in a fitting acknowledgment of just how far they’ve come in 140 years.

Beginning with the entry level 5 Sport reference SRPG47, Seiko is using a white waffle dial with a blue bezel within their latest 42mm 5 Sport dive case with crown at 4 o’clock. The lume found in the hour markers and hands is stark white to match the dial, while the hands receive a blue outline providing some contrast. Day and date complications reside at the 3 o’clock position courtesy of the 4R36 automatic movement inside. 

This is a simple take on the Seiko diver formula we know and love, and while Seiko calls it a great summer wear, we’d rock this thing year round. The SRPG47 will be limited to 11,000 units and is priced just under $300.

Seiko introduced the Sharp Edge collection within their Presage family last year, and they are building on the concept further with the release of a series of Sharp Edge GMT watches (more on these coming soon). The 140th Anniversary Sharp Edge GMT reference SPB223 pairs the geometric dial pattern rendered in white with a blue 24 hour bezel. Seiko is using their 6R64 automatic GMT caliber here (making its first appearance in a US bound model) fitted to the steel 42.4mm case which measures 13.7mm in thickness. 

The Sharp Edge GMT collection has us pretty excited, this complication (and that bezel) bring a lot of oomph to the concept and we hope to bring you a hands-on look in the near future. The Sharp Edge GMT 140th is limited to 3,500 examples and will be priced at $1,400.

The Astron line may not get a lot of love around here but it’s a family that represents some pretty impressive tech and Seiko incorporates it in a manner that falls under the radar in many ways. The 140th Anniversary model here, reference SSH093, features a solar powered 5X53 caliber that can receive GPS signals to adjust to the exact time anywhere in the world. On the outside we see the same white and blue theme represented with a pair of blue rings on the dial itself to manage the slew of complications offered (including day of the week, a 24hr hand, charge levels, and modes), and a blue ceramic bezel.

There’s a lot going on with this watch, but it still manages to be relatively straightforward in its presentation and at 42.7mm in diameter and a hair of 13mm in thickness, fall into manageable territory on the wrist. The Astron 140th Anniversary model is limited to 1,400 examples and will be priced at $2,200.

Finally, we have the classic Prospex diver, the SPB213. This brings the white and blue theme of the anniversary models to one of our favorite watches of 2020, and looks damn fine in doing so. We’ve spoken at length about this particular watch (here, here, and here) and in 140th Anniversary guise it offers a very different take on the 4 original references released last year. The white dial gets the same sterile lume on the hour markers and hands, leaving the blue seconds hand as the only real point of contrast in sight. The blue bezel insert works brilliantly here and we wouldn’t be shocked to see one of the 6,000 examples planned for production end up in one of our own watchboxes when they become available this summer. 

Along with keeping the same dimensions as the other models, 40.5mm in diameter and 13.2mm in thickness, it also shares the same price at $1,200. We’re already setting aside potential strap options for this one. 

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