When the original 1970’s Seiko diver’s watch was created, its designers had only one thought in mind; to build a diver’s watch that delivered the reliability, durability, precision and legibility that serious adventurers required. They had no eye to the future reputation of the watch they were building; their focus was on performance, with form following function in every aspect of their work. The case was given a wide, flowing design purely to protect the crown at the 4 o’clock position. Little did they know that a subsequent version of the watch with this same characteristic case design was destined to develop a worldwide following and earn the affectionate and unforgettable nickname of the “turtle”. Today, this 1970 diver’s watch, the father of the “turtle”, is lovingly re-created in Prospex with a high level of functionality that pays tribute to the determination and skill of the original 1970 team.  

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A unique profile and a proud history

The uniqueness of the design of the 1970 stemmed largely from the way that the crown, moved to the 4 o’clock position, was protected by the extension of the case around it. The design turned out to be as memorable as it was functional and this 150 meter water resistant diver’s watch rapidly found favor among those who needed a watch of exceptional strength. It was worn by the Japanese adventurer, Naomi Uemura, when he did a solo dog-sled run from Greenland to Alaska, a journey of 12,000 kilometers that took eighteen months.

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The new Prospex re-creation of this 1970 diver’s watch is slightly larger than the original but faithful in every other respect to its design. It is, however, completely up-to-date in its technology. It incorporates caliber 8L35 which was specially designed for use in diver’s watches. The case has a super-hard coating and a dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and is 200 meter water resistant.

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The upper surface of the bezel rim is Zaratsu polished to a perfect mirror finish. Presented on a high strength silicone strap, this Prospex timepiece is assembled by hand in the Shizukuishi Watch Studio in northern Japan. It is offered as a limited edition of just 2,500 and will be available from July in Seiko Boutiques and leading Seiko retail partners worldwide.

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Seiko Prospex 1970 Diver’s Re-creation Limited Edition

Technical specifications:

Ref. SLA033

Caliber: 8L35

Driving system: Automatic

Vibrations: 28,800 vibrations per hour(8 beats per second）

Power reserve: 50 hours

Number of jewels: 26

Specifications

Stainless steel case with super-hard coating

Dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating

Screw case back. Screw-down crown

Water resistance: 200m diver’s

Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m

Diameter: 45.0mm, Thickness: 13.0mm

Silicone strap

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The price for the Seiko 1970 Diver’s Re-creation Limited Edition Ref. SLA033 is Euro 4,350 and is limited edition ti 2,500.

For more information visit Seiko Online.