No fewer than five watches kick off a year that will likely see plenty more releases marking Seiko's 140th anniversary. The smattering of new models come from the Prospex, Presage and Astron collections, featuring variations on existing watches but tied together by a common theme of showing different "faces of Japan." Each represents a cool new variant with striking use of color and limited production.
Prospex SPB207
Most exciting for many Seiko fans will be the two automatic dive watches hailing from the Prospex collection. They follow a Seiko convention of releasing a premium model alongside a more accessible one and are both modern reinterpretations of a vintage watch from 1968, but the SLA047 is well under half the price of its sibling.
The SPB207 has features familiar common to mid-tier Prospex watches like sapphire crystal, the in-house automatic 6R35 movement (3Hz, 70-hour power reserve), 200m of water resistance and a case diameter of 42mm. Like the other Prospex models in this release, its green and black colorway is said to take inspiration from Iriomote island in Okinawa. It's limited to 6,000 examples and will be available in the US alongside the other Prospex and Presage watches in this release starting April 1, 2021.
Price: $1,350
Prospex SLA047
The above diver's big brother in every way, the SLA047 is significantly more premium, pricey and boldly sized. Though its design looks very similar to the SPB207, it'll have a different presence in person with its large case measuring 44.3mm wide. It's water-resistant to 300m and houses a higher-end movement developed especially for dive watches that offers a a 50-hour power reserve. It's limited to 3,000 examples.
Price: $3,200
Prospex Solar SSC807
A relatively inexpensive option in the lineup is a quartz chronograph featuring Seiko's solar charging tech and a power reserve indicator. Its color scheme is further highlighted by the contrast of black subdials against its green dial, and it measures a prominent 44.5mm. With a water resistance of 200m and a sapphire crystal, the SSC807 is limited to 4,000 examples.
Price: $750
Presage SPB205
Here's something quite different: the SPB205 has a distinctly urban feel. The Presage line's Sharp Edge series feature dials with interesting, angled textures. With a 39.3mm black coated steel case contrasting with a copper-like tone to its dial, the brand says the look is based on the Tokyo skyline at dawn. It's powered by the same 6R35 automatic movement as mentioned above and is limited to 4,000 examples.
Price: $1,150
Astron GPS Solar SSH083
With the latest GPS and solar-charging, the new Astron has a black-coated steel case and purple dial with a sparkling effect. The inspiration is said to be cherry blossom viewing at night, but the night sky effect also seems to reference Seiko's use of satellites with its highly practical GPS technology. It features the newest such tech with the brand's 5X53 movement in a reasonably wearable 42.7mm case (considering all that's going on inside). Limited to 1,500 examples, the SSH083 will be available February 1, 2021.
Price: ~$3,000
