Seiko Quietly Improves Its Best GMT Dive Watch

Two small updates add up to a better watch.

Silver Seiko dive watch with black bezel and black dial on a green background.

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By Johnny Brayson

Published 2 hours ago

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Hiding in Seiko’s Prospex line is a killer GMT dive watch.

Introduced in 2023, the 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT reinterprets the brand’s 1968 dive watch through a modern lens and adds a travel-friendly GMT complication.

The original launches from three years ago, the green SPB381 and black SPB383, were both packed with premium features.

Among them were a chamfered 42mm stainless steel case with mirror-polished sides (a design inherited from the ’68 model), a glossy ceramic bezel insert matched to the dial, a slim new three-row steel bracelet, Super-Hard Coating on the case and bracelet, an AR-coated sapphire crystal, 200m water resistance and the then-new Calibre 6R54 automatic “office” GMT movement with a three-day power reserve.

Two Seiko stainless steel diver watches side by side, one with a green dial and bezel over a beach background, the other with a black dial and bezel over a city street at dusk. — The original 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT models that launched in 2023.

It’s a beast of a watch for $1,500, and Seiko has revisited the line a few times since for special editions like the SPB534 and SPB519, both of which added a couple of welcome updates to the line in greater water resistance and a new microadjustable clasp.

Now, with little fanfare, Seiko has brought these updates to the main line of the 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT with two new references in the original green and black colorways.

A quiet update

The new watches, ref. HBC001 in green and HBC002 in black, are almost completely indistinguishable from their three-year-old predecessors.

Stainless steel Seiko diver's watch with black dial, rotating bezel, and metal bracelet on reflective surface. — Yes, this is a new model.

Put the two generations side by side, and the only visual difference you’ll pick up after an intense 30 seconds or so of staring is that the water resistance rating on the dial has been updated from 200m to 300m. Despite this water-resistance increase of 50 percent, the new watch retains the 12.9mm thickness of its predecessor.

Turn the watch around, and you’ll find the other major update, which is the clasp. While the previous generation had a diver’s extension, which is great for diving but not so useful for everyday wear, the new version has a push-button, sliding, microadjustable clasp that offers a full 15mm of travel in six 2.5mm increments.

Stainless steel Seiko watch with open clasp showing engraved case back and metal bracelet. — The addition of a microadjustable clasp is the biggest upgrade.

It’s not the most elegant-looking clasp in the business, but it’s great for adapting the watch to your changing wrist size throughout the day.

That’s literally it as far as changes go. The cases, dials, bezels, bracelets and movements all appear to be exactly the same, with only the water resistance and clasp having changed.

Silver metal Seiko dive watch with green and black bezel worn on a wrist with a rolled-up white shirt sleeve. — The new black model is joined by a new green model.

Availability and pricing

As of right now, Seiko is showing both generations of the 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT in its catalog, but with a $200 price difference. While the originals were priced at $1,500, the two new references go for $1,700, which is the same as previous editions featuring the new clasp and increased water resistance.

It’s unclear how long the old SPB381 and SPB383 will remain available to purchase, so if you don’t care about the clasp or higher water resistance and are more interested in saving a couple hundred bucks, you might want to pounce on them soon.

Stainless steel Seiko diver's watch with black dial, luminous markers, and GMT hand.

Seiko Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT HBC002

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	Seiko Cal. 6R54 automatic GMT
Water Resistance	300m

$1,700 at Seiko

About the Author:

Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.

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