Seiko's hardwearing Prospex collection has always been popular in Australia, which makes perfect sense given our love of the water, and the legendary performance of Seiko's dive watches. This is why, over the last few years, the Japanese brand has made a habit of releasing special limited editions just for us.
The latest such launch happened in against the tranquil backdrop of Noosa, with its golden beaches and rolling hills. The location wasn't a coincidence either, as this picturesque paradise played a major role in the inspiration for the watch.
This dial — along with the yellow highlights on the minutes and seconds hands have been directly inspired by the skyline of Noosa at sunset. That time when the blue of the sea seamlessly merges into the dark of the night sky, and the final rays of the sunshine in between. The colours tell this story well, but the fine texture of the dial reinforces it. The graduated dial has been finished we a repeating pattern reminiscent of waves — and it's unlike anything we've seen on a Prospex watch before. Other details on the watch pick up this colour scheme too. The dive bezel is predominantly blue, with the critical 20 minutes in black. In addition to the three-link steel bracelet, there's also an additional textured silicone strap included. The power drive is the automatic 6R35, a solid performer with 70 hours of power reserve.
SPB347J is limited to 1000 pieces, and has a retail price of $1500.
Learn more: A Look Into The Seiko Prospex SPB347J “Noosa” Limited Edition Model
The companion piece to the 'Noosa' is the 'Eucalyptus', formally known as SRPJ53 — an evocative take on the ever-popular 'Turtle' diver. This 45mm steel watch is legendary for its toughness in and out of the water, and that's true of the 'Eucalyptus'. It should come as no surprise that the green tones of the dial and bezel are directly inspired by Australia's most famous trees. The olive or khaki green dial is stunning in the sunlight, thanks to the radial sun brush finish which adds texture and great depth, all without sacrificing the legibility of the large, luminous hour markers. On top of that, the hue of the dial is subtly gradated, darker at the edge and lighter in the middle, for an always-changing on-the-wrist look.
The aluminium bezel insert and minutes ring are a few shades darker than the dial, perfectly framing what has to be one of the best-looking green dials we've seen in quite some time. Did you notice the fact that the gold-toned seconds hand and minute indicators matched. This colour isn't an accident. Seiko informs us that it took for inspiration the veins in a leaf, which glow golden when you hold it up to the sun and look through it.
Like its Noosa-inspired cousin, SRPJ53 is limited to 1000 pieces, comes with an additional green silicone strap and has a retail price of $895.
Learn more: Introducing The Seiko Prospex SRPJ53K “Eucalyptus”
These two Australian limited-edition Seiko watches are a great example of how Seiko's staple divers looks great in a range of dials and styles, but it turns out there's more to Prospex than its reputation for rock-solid watches. In the past, Seiko has singled out specific models — like the popular 'Save the Ocean' series to highlight marine conservation and awareness issues. Well, now, the entire Prospex collection will be doing that good work, with a portion of all Prospex sales going to assisting conservation efforts across the globe. So, the dials of the Noosa and Eucalyptus haven't just been inspired by our stunning natural environment; they even play a small role in keeping our coastlines beautiful.
