Though black-cased divers are a staple of the fashionable sports activities watch panorama, few manufacturers have dedicated to the fashion as closely as Seiko. The Japanese model’s latest historical past is riddled with blacked-out takes on its extra reasonably priced divers, from a wide array of Seiko 5 Sports activities fashions, to restricted version takes on fan favorites such because the “Turtle” sequence. Not often, nevertheless, do the model’s black divers cross the $1,000 worth threshold. Seiko goals to alter this with its newest launch, that includes a quartet of restricted version releases primarily based on current diver designs with a extra premium really feel. The brand new Seiko Prospex The Black Collection, together with the Seiko Prospex SPB253J1, the Seiko Prospex SPB255J1, the Seiko Prospex SPB257J1, and the Seiko Prospex SLA061J1, reimagines 4 of the model’s hottest vintage-inspired diver designs with a high-impact black and orange colorway meant to evoke the thriller and journey of night time diving.
Followers of the model shouldn’t have any bother recognizing all 4 stainless-steel circumstances within the Seiko Prospex The Black Collection. The SPB253J1 builds on the 40.5mm 1965 Mechanical Diver’s Trendy Re-Interpretation platform, with its clear, squared-off pores and skin diver-style lugs and broad, radially brushed bezel insert. For the SPB255J1, the model turns as an alternative to the sharply beveled 42mm type of the 1968 Mechanical Diver’s Trendy Re-Interpretation, with its angular Grammar of Design-style lugs and case sides flanked by an unguarded 4 o’clock screwdown crown. The broad, immediately recognizable 42.7mm rounded cushion case of the 1970 Mechanical Diver’s Trendy Re-Interpretation types the idea for the SPB257J1, which provides the model’s proprietary super-hard black coating to the acquainted asymmetrical 4 o’clock crown guard and pebble-like profile. Seiko additionally makes use of this traditional rounded “Willard” case design as a jumping-off level for the SLA061J1, however right here the model takes a extra luxe strategy in pictures with a refined bezel insert and extra ‘70s-accurate 44mm case proportions. The model additionally retains the signature bowl-like polished case sides of the “Willard” sequence intact right here, which ought to create an nearly mirror-like black floor on the wrist. For the three SPB fashions in The Black Collection nevertheless, Seiko retains the brushed surfaces of the unique fashions intact, however replaces any sprucing with a purposeful matte end in preliminary pictures. The three SPB fashions within the sequence additionally take comparable approaches to their dive bezels, with full Seiko-style diving scales break up between pale grey and a high-visibility sign orange in pictures. For the SLA061J1, Seiko as an alternative makes use of a extra restrained, luxurious full diving scale in white. All 4 fashions provide an ISO-approved 200 meters of water resistance. As well as, every mannequin within the line sports activities an anti-reflective sapphire crystal for a extra upscale really feel than Seiko’s typical Hardlex mineral glass.
As with the circumstances, the dials of the Seiko Prospex The Black Collection carefully comply with their common manufacturing counterparts however add putting new colorways. The SPB253J1, SPB255J1, and SPB257J1 all keep their common manufacturing rectangular, rounded, and sq. utilized dive indices, respectively, together with their broad pointed baton handsets. The place these three fashions diverge from their mass manufacturing stablemates is with their use of shade. Every of the trio begins with a deep black dial floor, forming a clear visible base to construct upon. The vast majority of the lume fills are rendered in a lightweight fauxtina tan, and the fingers themselves are completed in a stealthy brushed black. The minutes fingers of those fashions are the actual stars of the present, nevertheless, with a dramatic dive-ready orange lume fill that instantly attracts the attention towards these essential components at a look. Whereas Seiko’s earlier black and orange diver designs have used orange painted fingers for distinction, this distinctive mismatched lume strategy permits for a extra cohesive, balanced look in photographs with out dropping any of the visible influence an orange hand brings. Given the considerate, holistic aesthetic decisions behind the dials of the SPB253J1, SPB255J1, and SPB257J1, it’s considerably disappointing to see all three fashions resort to mismatched 3 o’clock date home windows in vibrant optic white.
The Seiko Prospex SLA061J1 follows up its extra upscale case ending with an equally refined dial remedy, leaning closely upon its expertise for dial textures. The deep black dial’s gently rippling crosshatch texture is impressed by the ridged patterns of sand on the seafloor, and offers the easy diver structure a extra advanced and layered character in preliminary pictures. The remainder of the dial takes the same however extra restrained strategy to the opposite entries within the sequence, with an identical pale fauxtina lume fill, utilized sq. indices, and brushed black pointed baton fingers. Seiko confines the usage of its daring orange accents to the distinctive “stoplight” seconds hand and the “Diver’s 200M” textual content at 6 o’clock, lending this mannequin a stealthier, tastefully restrained look in preliminary pictures. In distinction to the SPB fashions within the line, the SLA061J1’s 4:30 date window makes use of a dial-matching black wheel, permitting this convenient ingredient to neatly fade into the visible background.
Seiko powers every mannequin within the Prospex The Black Collection with an in-house computerized motion. For the SPB253J1, the SPB255J1, and the SPB257J1, the model makes use of the succesful 6R35 motion. Sitting on the midrange of the model’s motion lineup, the 6R35 affords a sturdy 70 hours of energy reserve at a 21,600 bph beat charge, together with a (conservatively) said accuracy of -15/+25 seconds per day. For the higher-end SLA061J1, Seiko as an alternative turns to its 8L35 computerized motion. Assembled within the model’s unique Shizukuishi Watch Studio in northern Japan alongside actions for Grand Seiko, the 8L35 affords a smoother 28,800 bph beat charge, however a smaller 50 hour energy reserve. Seiko’s claimed accuracy for the 8L35 is a lower above its extra reasonably priced stablemate, nevertheless, with a ranking of -10/+15 seconds per day. Seiko completes the SPB253J1, SPB255J1, and SPB257J1 with deep cocoa brown NATO straps utilizing the standard Japanese Seichu braiding sample. For the SLA061J1, Seiko as an alternative makes use of a totally black-coated three-link bracelet in stainless-steel.
With detailed ending, strong building, and traditional vintage-inspired silhouettes, the 4 watches within the Seiko Prospex The Black Collection convey the fan-favorite black Seiko diver colorway to a extra luxurious section of the model’s lineup. All 4 fashions within the sequence are restricted editions, with the Seiko Prospex SPB253J1, Seiko Prospex SPB255J1, and Seiko Prospex SPB257J1 restricted to five,500 examples every. The Seiko Prospex SLA061J1 is restricted even additional, with only one,000 examples produced. All 4 fashions within the Seiko Prospex The Black Collection might be accessible via licensed sellers in March 2022. MSRP for the Seiko Prospex SPB253J1 and Seiko Prospex SPB255J1 stands at $1,200 as of press time, whereas the Seiko Prospex SPB257J1 and the Seiko Prospex SLA061J1 are at present priced at $1,300 and $3,300, respectively. For extra particulars, please go to the model’s web site.
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