At a press conference at Baselworld this morning, Seiko Chairman and CEO Shinji Hattori unveiled the latest from the Japanese brand. The big highlight from the Presage collection is the introduction of a new automatic caliber that had been rumored about for some time. For fans of vintage Seiko divers, the brand has come out with six new Prospex watches that honor two landmarks in the brand’s history: the first Japanese Hi-Beat Diver in 1968 and the first quartz saturation diver in 1978.

The new 6L35 caliber in the Presage collection is a thinner and more accurate update to the brand’s previous 6R15 that had previously equipped various Prospex models and, the recently discontinued SARB017, also known as the Alpinist. The new movement is 1.3 mm slimmer than the 6R15 at 3.7 mm. This caliber can be found in three new watches this year and will surely be followed by even more soon enough. Not only is the movement slimmer, but a new case construction involving the movements insertion from the front of the case allows for the thinness to be accentuated. The movement is inserted from the front of the case which allows the sides to be angled inwards.
This new caliber is inside the Shippo Enamel Limited Edition. Shippo is a type of enamel that was developed in Japan during the 17th century. Its main difference from porcelain enamel is the way it is polished after firing, a process made more difficult by thinner watches. The dial is made by Ando Cloisonne, a speciali...