Seiko Introduces Three New Dark Divers

If you’re looking for a Seiko in one of their classic, vintage inspired case shapes, but with a decidedly sleeker and more modern twist, their new “Black Series” trio of divers will almost certainly be of interest. These limited editions follow an easy to understand formula: take a much loved Seiko diver, coat it in black, and add some orange and yellow highlights for contrast. The color palette here feels more appropriate for Halloween than for Valentine’s Day, with a tactical and stealthy appeal. 

First up is the SPB253, a blacked out take on the Prospex 1965 Modern Re-Interpretation references that have proven to be extremely popular. The modern rendition of a 62MAS case wears extremely well at 40.5mm, and this all black version in stainless steel has orange accents on the bezel and plenty of lume, so there’s still actually quite a bit of color here. The 6R35 movement used on this watch (as well as the other two in the series) has 70 hours of power reserve, and the watch includes both a fabric and rubber strap (again, common throughout the Black Series). The SPB253 is a limited edition of 5,500 watches, with a retail price of $1,200. 

Next we have the SPB255, which is based on Seiko’s 6159-7001 diver from 1968. The 6159 introduced a barrel shaped case profile that is still key to Seiko’s design language to this day, and was a real technical achievement as well, introducing a high frequency movement in a diver rated to 300 meters. For the SPB255 Seiko is using essentially the black/orange combination, but the case here is a little larger at 42mm, and the crown sits at 4:00 rather than 3:00. The SPB255 is also a limited edition of 5,500 watches, and has the same retail price as the SPB253 at $1,200. 

Finally, we come to the SPB257. This diver is based on the iconic “Captain Willard,” otherwise known as the reference 6105-8110. The original version of this watch was made famous when it was worn by Martin Sheen in Francis Ford Coppolla’s Apocalypse Now, and while the watch doesn’t actually have an official military history, the modern version is certainly purpose built in a way that would make sense for that kind of use. It has a large yet easy to wear asymmetrical case measuring 42.7mm, and has a full 200 meters of water resistance. Legibility is a cinch thanks to large, lume filled hour markers and hands, which of course are that much easier to read on this variant set against the black dial and matte black case. Like the other watches, this one is limited to 5,500 examples, but has a retail price of $1,300. 

Based on information on Seiko’s website, it appears these releases will be available in April of this year.