Three new watches were released to commemorate Seiko Prospex’s 60th anniversary of its diver’s watches, and one such model is the Seiko Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT watch, or the SPB509.
One element that sets this model apart from the other two is its GMT complication, which turns this beach-vibes watch into a travel companion as well. Purists will identify this flavour of complication as the ‘caller’ GMT, which allows for independent setting of the GMT hand.
What is interesting is that the markers on the bezel are set to 60 minutes instead of 24 hours. For the latter, you will need to refer to the chapter ring, though it will appear smaller due to the lack of real estate on this part of the watch.
But it works, mainly because the SBP509 is an ode to the 1968 model, which also sported the same bezel. Plus, you get the best of both worlds — diver and GMT — through this design choice.
The watch measures 42mm in diameter and 13.3mm in thickness, which does not stray too far off the average size of a diver’s watch. But it sits well on the wrist and does not look too large. It may have to do with lugs that are angled downwards, making it wear smaller than it says on paper. The crown being positioned at four o’clock works well with these dimensions, too, helping prevent it from digging into the hand.
On the dial, what attracts the eye first is the wave design, which looks even better in deep blue. Because of this, the GMT hand provides a nice accent to the overall look of the watch. And all this is housed under a domed sapphire crystal, which adds to the vintage feel of this piece.
A neat feature available for the SPB509 is the adjustable clasp, which allows for 15mm of adjustment. That is plenty enough to accommodate for wrist expansion throughout the day, especially in Malaysia’s warm climate. It is easy to set too, unlike some mechanisms which require a separate tool to dislodge the connectors. On this watch, all it takes is a press of a button to adjust the tightness of the bracelet at 2.5mm increments.
The movement inside the watch hails from the ever-reliable 6R family. In this case, it is the 6R54, which comes with 72 hours of power reserve. Another thing of note: this watch has seen an increase in water resistance from 100m to 300m, an upgrade over Seiko’s previous dive watches sporting this same movement.
The Seiko Prospex SPB509 is at once a nice tribute to heritage and a look into the brand’s newer innovations. The only downside is that this watch is limited to 6,000 pieces, and when paired with its accessible price tag, it will not be long before it reaches sold-out status.
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our latest issue.