Seiko Diver’s Watch has been on the wrist of many divers around the world since their first launch in 1965. Over the years, Seiko’s reputation in diving watches has grown thanks to various innovations and refinements. Actually, there were many ‘’the first’’ titles for Seiko when it comes to Divers’ Watches like the first Titanium Diver’s Watch, first Diver’s Watch with a ceramic outer case and the first Nitrox Dive Computer Watch.
Inspired by its successful past, Seiko released a pair of special edition diver’s watches designed in collaboration with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) at the Baselworld 2016 exhibition. Those new models were shared at Horobox with live photos taken at the brand’s magnificent stand during our visit.
The models were covered within the Prospex Collection which features mostly mid to top level diver’s watches. The first model was a re-issue of the iconic “Turtle” case diver which was highly appreciated by the watch aficionados while the other one, which we are about to talk about, is the Ref. SUN065 model.
SUN065 shares the same platform with the other models in the Prospex product line. The stainless steel case has a diameter of 47.5mm and a thickness of 14.1mm. Thanks to its protective outer metal ring, the new model shows great resemblance to the legendary “Tuna” model which has been debuted in 1975. The case sports an AR coated sapphire crystal on the front and a solid stainless steel caseback making it water proof to 200M. The polished caseback features the brand’s classic wave pattern along the Special Edition marking.
The protective ring is attached to the case with screws on both sides. The perforated parts reveal the blued side pieces which nicely fit with the overall blue and red color scheme of the timepiece. The protective ring is satin brushed to suit with the sportive character of the watch. The glare proof nature of the satin brushed surface is also good for under water use.
The winding crown and the pusher which operates the power reserve indicator are placed at the right side of the watch. The pusher and the winding crown also feature the blue and red details.
The diver’s bezel is made of stainless steel with blue insert and contrasting markers. The bezel is nicely designed to allow a good grip with wet hands or a glove but lacks a bit of quality due to its aluminum type insert which is almost left for good in favor of ceramic versions.
The dial features the matching blue base with classic diver’s watch lay out. Though the extra GMT markers and PADI insignia make the dial look a bit busy, they do not compromise the legibility at all. The date function is displayed through a window located at 4.30 positions.
Inside the Seiko Prospex Special Edition PADI SUN065 Kinetic GMT Diver is the brands in-house made Caliber 5M85 Kinetic movement which is basically a quartz sporting an automatic-style rotor to charge the battery, giving it a total battery life of about 6 months without being charged. In addition to the time and date, the model has a GMT hand for a second time zone on the dial indicated in 24-hour format.
The timepiece is offered with the Seiko classic black rubber strap. The strap is signed by the brand’s wave pattern at the tip and secured with a stainless steel tang buckle and a bridge. The strap nicely balances the hefty case and features a great wrist comfort along its bold presence.
