Seiko’s Latest Prospex LX Limited Edition is Very Big and Very Green

Seiko’s latest announcement capitalizes on a trend that we’ve seen developing over the last year or so: green dialed watches. Whether you want it or not, green is definitely happening, with brands of all sizes and at all price points getting in on the action. Personally, I’m a fan – green is a surprisingly versatile color choice for a dial and offers a nice contrast to all the blacks and blues that are still far more common. Seiko, of course, is no stranger to green themselves, incorporating green or green-adjacent variants into several recent releases. Seiko’s latest, the SNR045, is a limited edition entry in the Prospex LX line, a premium segment of their ever expanding Prospex sports watch range. This one features a Spring Drive movement, a uniquely textured dial, and, naturally, plenty of green. Let’s take a look.

Seiko Prospex LX SNR045

• Case Material: Titanium
• Dial: Green
• Dimensions: 44.8mm
• Crystal: Sapphire       
• Water Resistance: 300 meters
• Crown: Screw down                      
• Movement: Caliber 5R65 
• Strap/bracelet: Titanium bracelet
• Price: $6,000
• Reference Number: SNR045
• Expected Release: August 

What we have in the SNR045 is a dive watch inspired by the case lines of the legendary 6159-7001, Seiko’s first diver with 300 meters of water resistance, introduced in 1968. This isn’t the first time Seiko has created a modern watch as a tribute to the 6159-7001 – the SLA025 was released in 2018, and featured a similar high end trim, with Zaratsu polishing, monocoque case, and a high frequency movement. That same year also saw the release of the SLA019 (covered at the same link as above), a new (and green) spin on the modern Marine Master that shares quite a bit of DNA with the historic 6159, but isn’t a recreation in the strict sense of the word. Ultimately, the SNR045 is quite a bit more whimsical in its execution than previous tributes to the 6159, and very much its own thing. 

The textured dial of the SNR045 is inspired by the moss pillars found at the bottom of a lake during an Antarctic expedition by Japanese divers. These pillars, nicknamed “kokebozu” by the researchers, can grow up to 80 centimeters tall and are composed of moss, algae, and bacteria. They resemble grassy stalagmites that you might see in a cave, but are bright green and found underwater. It’s a truly surreal natural phenomenon, and an interesting concept for a watch dial to say the least. 

Part of this watch’s premium appeal lies in the Spring Drive movement, which we’re certainly used to seeing in Grand Seiko releases, and even some watches in the Presage line, but is a bit less common in a Seiko that we’d categorize as a sports watch. The Spring Drive movement is capable of incredible accuracy, getting it’s power through mainspring wound by a rotor, but with a quartz regulating mechanism in place of a traditional escapement. (For a much more thorough breakdown of the technical merits of a Spring Drive movement, see our in-depth post on this movement tech right here.) The result is not only timekeeping that beats any purely mechanical movement (it’s accurate to +/- 1 second per day), but a dramatic seconds hand sweep that’s unlike anything else in watchmaking. 

The titanium case measures 44.8mm in diameter, which, quite frankly, sounds enormous. And with so many highly polished facets on a case filled with pretty complex geometry, I’m guessing this watch will wear quite large. The bright green color won’t help in diminishing the overall wrist presence, either. But I’m thinking that diminishing wrist presence is not a goal that a customer for a watch like this is interested in meeting. With this color palette, unusual dial texture, and the impression of the case just in a general way, this is a statement piece, through and through. 

The SNR045 will be available in August, with a suggested retail price of $6,000. It’s limited to just 500 pieces worldwide. Seiko