Seiko, a revered name in the arena of water-resistant timepieces, is noted for its affinity for reviving and refining past models, somewhat like the film industry’s fascination with remaking classic cinema. Their latest project for 2023 revisits their pioneering dive watch from 1965, resulting in a high-end reincarnation, the Seiko Prospex 1965 Diver’s Re-Creation Limited Edition SJE093. This new addition, equipped with an engine from Seiko’s streamlined 6L movement series, offers a tribute to the vintage 62MAS diver’s design, while embracing modern materials and cutting-edge technology.
Housed in a stainless steel shell, the dimensions of the watch remain faithful to the original—38mm across and 12.5mm deep. The high-end limited edition sports a solid, screw-down caseback, keeping the dolphin emblem engraving from the 1965 original intact. Even though it closely mirrors the original 62MAS diver in aesthetics, there are several contemporary tweaks in material and functionality. The watch now sports a sapphire crystal with an anti-glare coating, a one-way rotating timing bezel, a durable silicone black rubber strap, and a 3 o’clock screw-down crown, boosting its water resistance to 200 meters, a noticeable improvement from the 150-meter limit of its predecessor.
Just like the case, the dial of the SJE093 pays homage to the original 1965 62MAS, with some modifications to showcase its upgraded features. The new SJE093 replicates the original’s dark grey sunburst surface, oversized rectangular hour markers, baton-style hands, and 3 o’clock date window. Modern Seiko Lumibrite is used for illumination, offering superior visibility in dim conditions. The text at the dial’s bottom half has been revised to show the boosted depth rating and an increased count of jewels in the newly employed Caliber 6L37 movement that drives the watch.
The SJE093 is powered by Seiko’s Caliber 6L37 automatic movement, borrowed from the brand’s sleek 6L series, frequently featured in their high-end King Seiko line. The movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) with around 45 hours of power reserve, promising impressive performance specs and a higher beat rate than entry-level Seiko movements. Essentially, it’s an upgraded variant of the Caliber 6L35, modified for durability and shock resistance to align with the Prospex series’ standards. Its slim design makes the SJE093 slimmer than the Seiko SPB143, even though the latter has a less advanced movement and a slightly bulkier case.
The SJE093 is not the first modern Seiko model to draw inspiration from the original 62MAS diver, with previous models available across a broad price spectrum. While you can own an SPB143 for a little over a thousand dollars, the 2017 limited-edition SLA017 held a price tag higher than many Swiss luxury mid-range pieces. This latest release echoes the premium pricing strategy. Limited to 1,965 pieces in homage to the year of Seiko’s first dive watch debut, each piece is presented in a vintage-themed box with a retail price of $3,500 USD, placing it just under the Grand Seiko echelon. Even with stiff competition in this price range from models like the Oris Divers Sixty-Five and the Tudor Black Bay collection, there’s a market for premium Seiko divers, as evidenced by the sell-out of the similarly priced SLA017 in 2017.
