The 2022 Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean Special Editions

Inspired by the crags and fissures of glacial ice, these three new polar-ready Seiko Prospex Save The Ocean Special Edition watches come fitted on robust stainless steel bracelets and echo the instantly recognisable design of Seiko’s vintage dive watches from the 1960s and 1970s.

A trio of glacier-inspired designs in the form of three of Seiko’s most recognisable dive watches mark some of the first releases so far for 2022 by the Japanese brand. These robust dive watches are modelled on designs that any Seiko fan will be intimately familiar with and are ready to face the unforgiving conditions of the poles, just like the vintage dive watches they take inspiration from. If you’re an avid fan of Seiko, it’s no news to you that the first Seiko dive watch debuted in 1965, yet it was not until a year later (and the next few years that followed) that the company’s dive tools became closely associated with durability and accuracy when Seiko began supplying its timepieces to the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. These three new releases are designed to evoke the look of glacial ice. They go by the name of the Seiko Prospex ref SPB297, the Seiko Prospex ref SPB299, and the Seiko Prospex ref SPB301. Each is modelled on 1960s and 1970s dive watches worn by explorers and researchers taking part in polar expeditions of the past and each is distinguishable from the next by its intricately crafted dial surface.

The Seiko Prospex SPB297

The 40.5mm Seiko Prospex ref SPB297 is closely designed on the 1965 Diver’s Modern Re-Interpretation watch. It boasts a skin diver silhouette crafted from stainless steel. Belonging to what has now become an expansive range of 62MAS models – this watch derives from a family that is considered home to Seiko’s practical, everyday dive watches. Sitting at a thickness on the wrist of 13.2mm, the new special edition Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean ref SPB297 watch presents the time on a dark blue dial with a deeply grooved texture in a vertical direction. The case of the watch is executed with an eye-catching radial brushing and features a set of lugs that are squared-off with narrow polished chamfers. A black bezel insert offers clear markings for the 60-minute scale and is unidirectional rotating like its two siblings.

On the dial itself, the vertically brushed deep blue display features a second hand with a light blue circular pip, a set of bold square and rectangular-shaped hour markers, and a set of chunky hour and minute hands. These features have been treated with a generous coating of Super-LumiNova for assisting with timekeeping in the night or in conditions where light is limited. The dial features a date window located at 3 o’clock, dressed against a white background. The new Seiko Prospex ref SPB297 watch also features a large unguarded crown at 4 o’clock and a black minute scale surrounding the edge of the dial.

The Seiko Prospex SPB299

The new Seiko Prospex SPB299 is modelled after Seiko’s 1968 diver’s watch – the 6159 - which has since been adapted to suit the needs of the modern wrist. The 42mm model has a notable barrel-shaped case with a side undercut that is sharp and dramatic, a coin-edge diving bezel, and a broad polished upper chamfer. A glossy bezel insert is executed in a navy blue colour. Like its two glacier-inspired siblings, it offers a 200-meter water-resistant case with a screw-down caseback, and a super hard-coated finish applied to its stainless steel bodywork. Inspired by Seiko’s first Hi-Beat Diver’s watch released in 1968, the new special edition Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean ref SPB299 watch is powered by a 10-beat high precision automatic calibre named the 6R35, which produces a 70-hour power reserve. The same movement powers the other two new Prospex watches. The dial is a light blue but echoes the same layout, with a date window located at 3 o’clock but this time features a mix of circular and rectangular shaped hour markers.

The Seiko Prospex SPB301

The new Seiko Prospex ref SPB031 is the largest of the three models, measuring 42.7mm in diameter. Taking design cues from the 1970 Diver’s Modern Re-Interpretation collection, it has a cushion-shaped case crafted from stainless steel with bowl-like case sides and softly rounded lugs. The heavily guarded crown at 4 o’clock on this case, makes this model easy to distinguish from its two companions. A stunning azurage texture is applied to the surface of its navy blue bezel. Its dial in silver features square and rectangular-shaped hour markers treated with Super-LumiNova to match the surface of the dial’s central hands, along with a date window at 3 o’clock.

A special glacier-inspired dial texture

All three of the new Seiko Prospex Save The Ocean Special Edition watches share a stainless steel bracelet, securing with a robust folding clasp engraved with the famous Seiko name and all come with a complex faceted dial surface with the same pale blue pip on the second hand, accompanied by a cathedral shaped tip. Emulating the crags and fissures of glacial ice, each dial requires the skill and patience of one of Seiko’s talented artisans. Although appearing in a random formation, the vertical grooves applied to each dial surface are all, in fact, carefully measured. Over 100 hours of computer-aided design work and 2000 individual surface facets create the final impressive result, capturing the look of a glacial face.

Instead of applying each of the indices, Seiko technicians stamp the hour markers onto the dial itself to eliminate the risk of any features coming loose on the dial whilst the watch is subject to harsh conditions and extreme impact. The dial of the Seiko Prospex SPB297 achieves a shade that reflects the icy blue water surrounding the edge of a glacier, whilst the shade of the Seiko Prospex SPB299 reflects the colour of deep glacial ice itself. The Seiko Prospex SPB301 boasts a snowy white dial that offers the wrist a notably more contemporary finish.

If you’d like more information on any of the three new Seiko Prospex Save The Ocean Special Edition watches you can call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team on 01335 453453, or view the new range on our website here.