Along with a number of timepieces released to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Japan’s first domestically produced diving watch, Seiko also launched a special Marinemaster Professional JAMSTEC model.
JAMSTEC stands for Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, a national organization founded in 1971. At JAMSTEC in 1983, various types of diver’s watches were tested for air-tightness under a high-pressure helium gas environment of 30 atmospheres, and Seiko’s diver’s watches excelled in these tests.
The new 50th anniversary titanium watch from the Seiko Prospex collection features a one-piece case structure inspired by the design of Japan’s first “mechanical high beat 300m diver’s watch” announced in 1968.
The one-piece structure without a back lid prevents helium gas from entering the case and a unique L-shaped packing, this ensuring high air-tightness and waterproofness. The case has a beautiful rough surface, and the rotating bezel is fixed with two screws each on the top and bottom, giving it a distinctive appearance. The rotating bezel is cut in a new style that is easy to grip and turn, emphasizing operability. Positioned at 4 o’clock, the screw lock type crown offers excellent safety.
Made of pure iron, the dial has a deep blue color with a hint of green in the image of the deep sea. It also features a beautiful stamped pattern reminiscent of waves.
In addition, the letters “HI-BEAT36000” on the dial are bright blue. Applied to the hands and indexes, Lumibrite improves the dial visibility in dark places such as at night and in the deep sea.
This timepiece comes with a hard coated titanium case with 48.2mm diameter. The letters on the bezel are laser anodized with a silver finish. The reverse side of the watch is stamped with “LIMITED EDITION” and the serial number.
The Seiko Marinemaster Professional JAMSTEC 1,000m limited edition houses the high-beat Cal. 8L55. This newly developed 10-beat mechanical self-winding calibre is compatible with Seiko’s unique one-piece structure case. Proprietary materials are used for the mainspring and hairspring to achieve a long duration of approximately 55 hours at maximum winding even with 10 beats, as well as improved resistance to magnetic fields and shocks.
Its case and bracelet are made of titanium, a light weight material with excellent corrosion resistance. In addition, the case and band are treated with Seiko’s unique surface processing technology “Diashield”, which protects the watch’s original beautiful shine and clean finish from scratches.
Suitable for saturation diving, this deep sea diver also comes with an excellent antimagnetic rating of up to 16,000A/m.
Limited to 500 pieces, the Seiko Prospex SBEX003 Domestic Diver’s Watch 50th Anniversary model comes in a deep blue box that is the same color as the dial with the image of the deep sea. It is In addition, a mini booklet that includes the history of 50 years of domestic diver’s development and the relationship with JAMSTEC and a silicon band for replacement are attached.
Technical details
Model: Seiko Domestic Diver’s Watch 50th Anniversary Limited JAMSTEC Special Model
Reference SBEX003
Collection: Seiko Prospex
Movement
Caliber No. 8L55
Drive system Mechanical automatic winding (with manual winding)
Accuracy: +15 seconds to -10 seconds per day
Power reserve: 55 hours
Case
Pure titanium with hard coating
Length 53.3mm x Width 48.2mm x Thickness 19.66mm
Sapphire crystal glass
One-piece structure
Reverse rotation prevention bezel
Screw lock type crown
Waterproof for 1000m saturation diving
Dial
Lumibright on hands and indexes
Edition
Limited edition of 500 pieces
Approximate retail price in Japan
650,000 yen + tax
