In 1968, three years after the brand?s first dive watch was released (the 62MAS or Reference 6217-800x with 150-meter water resistance), Seiko?s engineers managed to raise the bar with a Hi-Beat divers? watch with 300-meter water resistance (Reference 6159-700x). This model was not only the first dive watch to be equipped with a 10-beat high-precision automatic caliber (6159A), it also featured ? like its predecessor from 1967 (Reference 6215-7000) ? a case design with a one-piece structure, a screw-down crown at 4 o?clock and a rotating (albeit bidirectional) bezel. Fifty years later, Seiko decided to finally bring back one of its most sought-after dive-watch designs in a limited edition of 1,500 pieces. Another watch with similar roots, however, has already been around during the last 18 years and has built up quite a following. The Seiko 1968 Diver?s Re-Creation SLA025J1 recently won the GPHG award for Best Sports model of 2018.
The Marinemaster 300
In the year 2000, Seiko introduced the Marinemaster 300 (SBDX001) into its domestic Prospex collection (reserved for watches with professional specifications), basically a modern interpretation of the brand?s first 300-meter diver powered by the in-house Caliber 8L35 with 28,800 vph and a 50-hour power reserve. At the same time, the almost identical SBDX003 was launched as part of the historical collection, limited to only 500 pieces. Instead of a bracelet, the SBDX003 was sold exclusively with a rubber strap and, for the fir...