Seiko is one of the largest and most revered watch brands on Earth, but its origin is as humble as can be. In 1881, after apprenticing since the age of 13, Kintaro Hattori opened his own watch and jewelry repair shop in Tokyo.
For the third release in its 145th-anniversary collection, Seiko honors the city it has always called home with a set of “Edo purple” dials. The blue-toned violet shade was prominent among the city’s merchant class during Japan’s Edo Period and remains associated with the city that became Tokyo.
As with the previous two 145th-anniversary releases, “Edo purple” dials are applied to watches that sample Seiko’s vast catalog. In this case, one of the brand’s most affordable and popular models was chosen: the Seiko 5 Sports SKX Series.
At $450, this purple automatic dive watch is more affordable than any previous 145th anniversary release. It is also the least “limited” of the nominally limited-edition references, with a whopping 9,999 units available.
Blocked off
Since Seiko revived the SKX line as part of the 5 Sports collection in 2019, it has produced far more references than I can keep track of. But of the new dial arrangement introduced in 2025, this is only the fifth example.
