Seiko has a number of talents as a watchmaker, but it’s their sturdily built and well-priced dive watches that the brand is perhaps most loved for. In the realm of daily divers, Seiko has recently released a trio of good looking new models in the Prospex collection, called the SPB297, SPB299 and SPB301.
While their reference numbers might not be immediately inspiring, the new collection sits within Seiko’s Save The Ocean initiative, which was established to support various marine conservation efforts. Back in 2019, both James and I were lucky enough to attend a trip with Seiko to visit a turtle sanctuary with Save The Ocean ambassador Fabien Cousteau, the first grandson of the one and only Jacques Cousteau.
It was a trip aimed at highlighting Seiko’s commitment to healthier oceans around the world, but more specifically, that the funds raised via the Save The Ocean collection actually help organisations make a difference to the environment, even here in Australia. This latest collection is the most recent to contribute a portion of its proceeds to the initiative, offering not just a good looking watch, but a good cause too.
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The first thing you’re likely to notice about all three of the new watches is their intricately textured dials, which remind you of iceberg walls or the fissures in glacial ice. Likewise, all three of the watches are inspired variously by Seiko’s impressive archive of dive watches, which date back to 1965. Without further ado, let’s check out the Seiko SPB297, SPB299 and SPB301.
Seiko Prospex SPB297
First off is the SPB297, which was inspired by the first-ever Seiko dive watch from the middle of the ’60s. It features the darkest blue dial of the collection, framed nicely by a black aluminium diving bezel. It features an easily wearable 40.5mm case, which isn’t small at 13.15mm thick, but remains very nicely proportioned thanks to its solid steel case. The watch arrives on a matching steel bracelet, and is powered by a workhorse Seiko movement in the 6R35 calibre with 70 hours power reserve.
Seiko Prospex SPB299
Next is the SPB299, which is a slightly more contemporary design from Seiko, featuring the iconic crown at the 4 o’clock position to prevent it from digging into the back of your wrist. With a slightly icier shade of blue found on the dial (matching neatly with the dot on the seconds hand), the bezel is also blue, albeit a darker metallic shade. The attractive case is kept sharp with both brushed and polished finishings, and is a little larger with a 42mm diameter, but slightly thinner than the previous at just 12.5mm. Consistent with its aforementioned sibling, it too arrives on a steel bracelet and is powered by the same 6R35 movement inside.
Seiko Prospex SPB301
Finally, we arrive at the most polar of the bunch in the SPB301. Its slightly unusual case shape is a direct descendent of the iconic Seiko ref. 6015 dive watch (made famous on the wrist of Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now), featuring an asymmetrical design to protect the crown from any impacts. The icy white dial is equally textured when compared to the rest of the collection, and is framed by a light blue bezel that features its own pattern. It’s the largest watch of the collection, boasting a 42.7mm steel case that sits 13.2mm off your wrist, and certainly delivers some wrist presence. In unrelenting consistency with the rest of the collection, it too arrives on a stainless steel bracelet and contains the 6R35 movement within.
