Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition Collection Review

Seiko launches three Prospex watches inspired by the subtropical forests of one of the world’s most famous diving hotspots – Iriomote Island. Each one of the limited edition Seiko Prospex “Island Green” watches captures the vibrancy of the coral reefs surrounding the island and the rich green hues of the land that surround these waters.

A trilogy of Seiko timepieces emerged earlier this year, inspired by the dense verdant forest on Japan’s Iriomote Island, where people from all over the world visit to explore the deep underwater world that surrounds it. The hotspot for diving is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands of Japan, and the second-largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself. Near here, the breath-taking underwater scenery around Nakano-ogan Island mimics the look of submerged mountains, where pelagic fish such as dogtooth tuna, bluefin trevally, and rainbow runner can all be spotted. Beautiful corals and diverse marine life only further add to the location’s popularity with dive enthusiasts and, with that, dive watch collectors, which brings us onto Seiko. The inextricable links between Seiko and diving are undeniable. Its expertly built and remarkably robust range of diverse dive watches has been sought after and collected by diving professionals and amateurs for decades, ever since the first Seiko dive watch was released, in fact, back in 1965.

Seiko identified the need for a reliable dive watch during this era when it became clear that diving capsules submersed beyond 300-meters of water easily became damaged, and so the world’s first Professional Diver’s 600m watch with a titanium case was created. Before that, however, Seiko had already been focussing greatly on improving the mechanical movements inside its dive watches. In 1968 it launched the highest of world standards with a hi-beat calibre that performed at 10 vibrations per second inside the Diver’s 300M watch. Over the years, Seiko dive watches have been tested beyond endurance. Alarm and chronograph functions were added, materials were improved and the brand’s cutting-edge movements were refined even further. To cut a long yet interesting story short, Seiko is a master in manufacturing superb, robust and reliable dive watches, so the link between the Prospex range, which first launched in the 1960s, and the subtropical primaeval forests of Iriomote Island are both expected and synonymous.

The three new Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition watches

The three new Seiko Prospex “Island Green” watches go by the references of; SPB207J1, SLA047J1, and SSC807J1. They were released earlier this year as part of the Japanese watchmaker’s 140th anniversary and have been inspired by an island that is part of the Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park. Not only rich in underwater “forestry”, the Island remains very much untouched, allowing for an abundance of rich, unspoilt and luscious scenery belonging to the mangrove forests. On that note, the captivating deep green dials of all three of these limited edition Island Green watches from Seiko are influenced by this dense green forestry. Let’s take a look at them.

The Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition SPB207J1

The Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition SPB207J1 is limited to 6000 pieces worldwide and was a 2020 re-make of a popular 1968 model. The 1968 Recreation Divers’ watch is crafted from stainless steel, leveraged by a super-hard coating for enhanced durability. The 200-meter water-resistant watch features a sapphire crystal glass front treated with anti-reflective technology to assist with a clear view into the watch’s display. To help with this during the night or in dark conditions, the central hour and minute hands of the Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition SPB207J1 are coated in Super-LumiNova. So too are the circular and rectangular hour markers. The dive watch remains faithful to its 1968 Diver’s 300M watch predecessor but with a slimmer bezel. The watch, which measures a 42mm diameter and a height of 12.5mm, features a closed caseback engraved with a special “Island Green” image. A screw-down crown, black unidirectional rotating bezel, and a three-fold clasp on the watch’s stainless steel bracelet also help assist with underwater explorations. This limited edition Seiko Island Green watch is powered by the automatic and manual winding Calibre 6R35, which provides a 70-hour power reserve. The movement also has an accuracy of -15/+25 seconds per day and offers a date window at 3 o’clock on the dial.

The Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition SLA047J1

Large in size compared to the aforementioned SPB207J1, the limited-to-3000-pieces Seiko Prospex “Island Green” watch ref: SLA47J1 bears one instantly detectable difference on its dial. It goes without the red dot on the second hand that is seen in the 1968 Recreation Divers’ watch. Instead, the hand is finished in the same gold colour. It features just the white luminous tip and matches the gold colour of the 300M lettering in reference to the model’s sub-collection name at the 6 o’clock location. The same sunray forest green dial adds a superb touch of colour to this sporty-looking Prospex dive watch. The solid stainless steel case with a closed screw-down caseback, screw-down crown and anti-glare sapphire crystal glass front measures 44.3mm in diameter. A polished zirconia ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel is incorporated into this design. Only rotating in the counter-clockwise motion, it ensures dive time can never accidentally become extended whilst underwater. The dial of the Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition SLA047J1 features the familiar luminescent sword-shaped hands and indices but is powered by the calibre 8L35, which provides up to 50 hours of power reserve whilst away from the wrist. It also promises an accuracy of -10/+15 seconds per day. Bettering the water-resistant capability of the SPB207J1, the Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition SLA047J1 is water-resistant to 300 meters and comes complete on a robust stainless steel bracelet with a three-fold clasp, a secure lock & push button, and a slide adjuster.

The Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition Solar Chronograph watch SSC807J1

Nicknamed “Sumo” by its fans, the distinct shape of this watch’s stainless steel case is large and bulky in size, measuring a 44.5mm diameter. First and foremost – the watch is solar-powered, charging itself from both natural and artificial light. Limited to 4000 pieces worldwide, the watch is a strong and sturdy-looking timepiece with the iconic 12 o’clock marker, the Super-LumiNova-treated central hands and hour markers, and a date window, this time, at 4:30. In addition to this, the Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Solar Limited Edition watch ref: SSC8071J features a trio of sub-counters located at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. Starting with the 3 o’clock location, this is where you’ll find the 24-hour scale for using as an additional time zone. The watch also features a 60-minute chronograph function in 1/5 second increments. At 6 o’clock you can also reference the remaining solar power energy of the quartz movement. The 9 o’clock location features a small second sub-counter. With 200-meter water resistance and a robust stainless steel bracelet to complete its dive-ready look, this Seiko Prospex “Island Green” Limited Edition Solar Chronograph watch, once again, embodies the green hues of the Iriomote island and promises an incredible accuracy of ±15 seconds per month. On the back is yet another special limited edition engraving upon its stainless steel surface.

If you’d like any more details on the three limited edition Seiko Prospex “Island Green” watches, you can view the collection here or call our Jura Watches sales team on 01335 453453 to secure an order today.