A Seiko Masterpiece

[CharliesPal]

Was just looking at the spec sheet for the Seiko  Prospex -Limited Edition- SLA039J1, that's one Hell of an impressive well made watch. 

On April 14th, 2021, Seiko Prospex SLA039 was awarded the iF DESIGN AWARD 2021 under the Product Discipline, Watches / Jewelry Category by a jury of 98 design experts from across the world. Close to 10,000 entries from over 50 nations were submitted in this year’s competition.

https://ifworlddesignguide.com/searc...11602-sla039j1

While faithful to the original designs, all three watches are fully up to date in their specifications and execution. The greatest advance is in the grade of stainless steel used in the construction of the three watches. To be known as Seiko's "Ever-Brilliant Steel," thanks to the brilliant white hue that gives this trilogy of watches its unique look, this grade of steel is more corrosion resistant than that which is used in most high-end watches today.
It is used for the first time in the watch industry for the cases of the 1965 and 1968 re-creations and the bezel of the 1975 re-creation whose case is, like the original, in titanium. This material is used extensively in the surfaces, linings, bolts and other components of marine structures and vessels so as to avoid corrosion in a chloride-rich environment such as sea water. It presents many challenges in the manufacture of watch cases but, thanks to the experience and innovative techniques of the Seiko team, these challenges were overcome and Ever-Brilliant Steel is now set to bring a new level of durability to the diver's watch.

The 1965 and 1968 re-creations are powered by the high beat 8L55 movement and the 1975 re-creation carries Caliber 8L35, both developed and assembled expressly for diver's watches at the Shizukuishi Watch Studio. All three have sapphire crystals with anti-reflective coating on the inner surface. The 1975 re-creation has an increased anti-magnetic resistance of 40,000 a/m thanks to the dial made of pure iron.* This stainless steel has a PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number) value 1.7 times higher than that of the grade of steel used in most high-end watches. PREN is a widely accepted standard used to measure corrosion resistance.

** as of December 2019, based on Seiko's research.Seiko's first high-beat diver's watch, created in 1968, is an important part of this tradition. With a 10-beat high precision automatic caliber, a one-piece structure, a mono-directional rotating bezel and screw-down protection crown, the success of this model laid the foundation for the Seiko diver's watch development which has now, for 50 years, pushed back the frontiers of precision, durability and ease of use in watches for professional and recreational divers.This model is a re-creation of the classic 1968 model, but with greatly enhanced specifications that incorporate the latest advancements in Seiko's craftsmanship and technology.

Like the original version, this recreation features a flat case with a sharp design. Seiko's unique Zaratsu polishing techniques accentuate the edges, bringing additional sharpness and beauty to the lugs.While the original model was an air diver's watch, the re-creation has been upgraded for saturation diving via a resilient one-piece case structure. Even with this enhanced specification, the watch rests easily on any size wrist.

MovementCaliber Number:8L55 High Beat
Movement Type:Automatic with manual winding capacityAccuracy:+15 to -10 seconds per day
Duration:Approx. 55 hours
ExteriorCase Material:Ever-Brilliant Steel
Crystal:Dual-curved sapphire
Crystal Coating:Anti-reflective coating on inner surfaceLumiBrite:Lumibrite on hands, indexs and bezel
Band Material:SiliconeOther Details
Water Resistance:300m / 1000ft for saturation divingCase SizeThickness: 15.7mm
Diameter: 44.8mm
Length: 51.4mm

Other SpecificationsLimited Edition – 1100 Pieces World Wide
One-piece structureScrew-down crown
Serial number engraved on the case back
Unidirectional rotating bezel
Other Features37 jewels
Date display Stop second hand function