Seiko Prospex: An Introduction to The Adventure Sports Watch Collection

One of the mainstream collections from Seiko, Prospex offers an extensive selection of sports watches. Offering optimum performance with endurance, they have been perfectly geared to efficiently handle various activities on the sea, on land or in the sky.

The present Prospex is the most modern representation of the company’s rich history in creating chronographs, diving instruments, event timers, and display systems, and outdoor-sports watches. Seiko’s impressive stint with the adventurous and sports activities began in the 1960s. In 1965, the brand introduced their first diving watch. Since then, the Japanese company has been maintaining its status as the world’s leading manufacturer of affordable yet high-quality diving timepieces.

The name ‘Prospex’ stands for professional specifications and this comprehensive series brings together all of Seiko’s sports watch expertise under one roof. Presently, the collection is comprised of various diving models, chronographs and field watches. This range is also ideal for experiencing various technologies implemented in precision timekeeping, like Mechanical, Kinetic, Quartz, Spring-Drive and Solar.

The Seiko Prospex line-up for the international market includes SEA, LAND, SPEEDTIMER and STREET collections.

Prospex SEA

This remarkable series is comprised of Seiko’s diving watches, including both recreational and professional models. The company has categorized its dive watches mainly into two groups. The first segment traditionally consists of Scuba Divers. Adequately tested for 200 meters (660ft) water resistance, they are suitable for scuba diving, snorkeling and various other aquatics activities. Seiko’s most popular recreational divers are Monster, Samurai, Shogun, Sumo, Willard and Turtle.

The next segment is Marinemaster Professional. As the name suggests, these sturdy and extremely water-resistant watches are used for deep-diving activities, mainly conducted for industrial or research purposes. This category includes diving timepieces with a water resistance of 300 meters and above. Origins of the Seiko tuna family date back to 1975 when the company launched the so-called Grandfather Tuna, a professional dive watch with 600 meters depth rating. Since then this series has evolved to a vaster family of deep-diving timepieces. The most water-resistant Seiko Prospex diver is the Marinemaster Professional 1000 meters.

Seiko is a key partner of the world-famous scuba diving organization PADI. Created in longtime collaboration with them, the Seiko Prospex Padi watches are highly sought-after by divers and enthusiasts from all over the world. In addition to the regular models, the Prospex SEA range also offers various limited editions and collaborative collections.

Seiko’s diving watches are typically made of robust materials like stainless steel or titanium. They feature either Hardlex or Sapphire crystal on the front side, allowing the unobstructed view of the dial indications. They are adequately equipped with a screwed case back and the screw-down crown for ensuring optimum water resistance.

In the automatic models, the brand uses tried and tested calibers like 4R36, 6R15, 6R35 and 8L35. They usually display hours, minutes and seconds, with a date or day date. Seiko also offers diving watches and featuring quartz movements, including Kinetic and Solar. Some of these models are equipped with GMT or Chronograph functions. The company also produces state-of-the-art spring-drive divers, but in limited editions.

All Seiko diving watches are typically mounted with a unidirectional bezel, a must-have component for modern-day divers. You can clearly identify various Seiko dive watch models from the distinctive shapes and designs of case, bezel, dial, markers and hands. For example, the “Turtle” features a turtle-shell shape case, and “Tuna” got its nickname as its massive casing looks like a tuna tin.

The company additionally offers a number of limited edition re-editions from its Scuba diver family. Among them, the most recent representations are the First Diver’s Re-creation from the Seiko Prospex 2017 collection and the 1970 Diver’s Re-creation released in 2019.

Along with the above-limited series watches, the brand also offers modern re-interpretations of its historic dive models. For example, the Seiko Prospex SPB143 is a modern reinterpretation of the 1965 diving watch model 62MAS.

The Seiko diving watches also emphasize large hour-markers and hands. For ensuring the excellent visibility of the dial, they feature proprietary material LumiBrite on the hands and indexes. They are available with metal bracelets or highly durable silicone straps.

Tested for a 200m depth rating, Seiko Prospex Diver Scuba watches are relatively affordable. Its price range starts modestly at HK$ 2,500.

The timepieces from the Marinemaster Professional family are usually expensive. With selling prices soaring above HK$ 25,000, the automatic Tuna with 1000m water resistance is the costliest among them. The marine master professional 300m models with the self-winding Caliber 8L35 are generally available within the price range of HK$ 17,500 – HK$21,000. The retail value of limited edition anniversary watches with the Automatic Hi-beat movement can go above HK$ 37,000.

Prospex Land

As the name suggests, this series offers sports timepieces specially made for various terrain activities, like trekking, mountaineering and outdoor sports. The most notable models in the present Prospex Land catalogue are Fieldmaster and Alpinist. These robust stainless steel wristwatches boast excellent features like sapphire crystal, luminescent markers and hands, a screwed-down crown, impressive water resistance and reliable automatic movements. Seiko also offers gold-toned versions of these wristwatches.

Distinguished by their dive-watch-inspired design, the Prospex Fieldmaster automatic is mounted with a rotating compass bezel. Driven by the 4R35 movement, it features a date display at 4.30H. The broad-arrow hour-hand and the syringe-shaped minute-hand and the counterweight of the center-seconds hand are embedded with LumiBrite. Its large hour-markers also employ the same luminescent material.

Equipped with a screw-down crown at 4 o’clock and a solid screw-in case-back, this outdoor exploration and sports watch offers water resistance up to 200 meters. The Seiko Fieldmasters are available with stainless steel bracelets, calf leather straps or polyester wristband. Also known as “Land Tortoise”, this timepiece retails just above HK$ 3,200 in Hong Kong.

The Prospex Alpinist is a descendant of an iconic Seiko sports watch. In 1959, the Japanese watchmaking house introduced Laurel Alpinist, marking its entry into the sports category. The brand has recently introduced this cult timepiece into the Prospex collection with upgraded features. Firstly, the modern alpinists feature 200m water resistance. Furthermore, they are equipped with advanced 6R series automatic movements rated for an impressive 70-hour power reserve.

Quickly identifiable by their cathedral-style hands, Prospex Alpinist models feature easy-to-read dials with a date window at 3 o’clock. Some references feature an inner rotating compass ring. This Seiko explorer’s watch is fitted with sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, and screwed-case back with transparent glass. Made of stainless steel, two case sizes are available: 38mm for the regular models and 39.5mm for the versions with the inner bezel. The Hong Kong retail price of the Alpinist stainless watch starts around HK$ 4,200.

Seiko has also launched a number of limited series Alpinists, including the Recreation of the original watch of 1959 and its modern interpretations. The other noteworthy timekeepers from the Prospex Land Series are the Field Automatic, the Fieldmaster Digital, the Landmaster, and the Landtracer.  

Prospex LX

This exclusive sports watch family prominently represents the Japanese company’s impressive capability to fuse the most acclaimed artistic traditions with practical functions. These timepieces come with upgraded design features for ensuring optimum comfort for the wearer’s wrist. On the aesthetic side, the Zaratsu-polished case provides a brighter appearance thanks to the dazzling reflections of the light on its broad surfaces. Interestingly, LX refers to LUX, the Latin word for light.

These ultimate luxury sports watches in titanium are typically equipped with the spring drive movements: the Caliber 5R65 (with date display) and the Caliber 5R66 (with GMT and date). The Seiko Prospex lx watches cost around HK$ 41,000 for the LX GMT models and HK$ 45,000 for Spring Drive Professional 300m diving timepieces.

Prospex Street Series

This line-up derives inspiration from the 1975 Seiko professional diving wristwatch popularly known as the Grandfather Tuna. It was the ancestor of all Seiko TUNAs, the extreme diving watches known for their massive case dimensions and the emblematic outer protector. Prospex Street Series offers a similar design of these mighty deep divers, but in a compact size to suit the urban lifestyle.

Water-resistant to 200 meters and these watches are available in automatic and solar quartz versions. The stainless steel case is fortified with the TUNA-style outer protector. These sports watches feature Hardlex crystal, Unidirectional rotating bezel, Silicone wrist band, Screwed case-back, Screw-down crown and LumiBrite luminescent coating on the hands, indexes and bezel. The retail price range of Prospex Street in Hong Kong is HK$ 3,700 – HK$ 4,000.

Prospex Speedtimer 

Speedtimer is the most recent addition to the Prospex collection. The inaugural series includes two automatic chronographs and four solar-powered quartz chronographs.

The stainless steel case and bracelet of Speedtimer automatic models are fortified with a super-hard coating. They are equipped with the self-winding 8R46 movement featuring column wheel and vertical clutch mechanisms. This 35 jewel, 28,800 v.p.h. calibre provides a power reserve of 45 hours. The watch case measures 42.5mm diameter and the dial highlights the classic bi-compax design. The Prospex Speedtimer solar chronograph features a 39mm diameter stainless steel case fitted on a bracelet.