The New, Oddly Octagonal Seiko Prospex Diver’s SPB481, SPB483 and SPB485

Seiko has a reputation for releasing a ton of new watches over the course of a year, and some stand out more than others. Most often, we’re dealing with adaptations of an existing (sub)collection with new colours or textures for the dial. Today, though, we get to show you a completely new sub-range that is part of the brand’s very successful and widespread Prospex Diver’s series. The Seiko Prospex Diver’s SPB481, SPB483 and SPB485 debut a new case design, but more importantly, a striking new bezel design! Gone are the perfectly circular rotating bezels of the 62MAS, Sumo, Samurai and Turtle, for instance, and in comes a soft-rounded octagonal one! Striking, to say the least!

This trio of watches add a completely new style to the broad range of iconic case designs (Tuna, Marinemaster, Monster and so on). Measuring 41.3mm in diameter and 12.8mm in height, the brushed and polished stainless steel case has a strongly curved profile which flows nicely from end to end. On the right-hand side, the flank protrudes into a pair of guards to protect the screw-down crown. On top, there’s a rather unconventional soft/rounded octagonal bezel fitted with glossy metallic inserts with a graduated diving scale and a luminous pip. While the bezel design certainly offers something fresh, there’s also the slight issue when said bezel is rotated a few clicks. That throws off the visual balance slightly.

Seiko presents the new sub-collection with a choice of three colour schemes dictated by both the bezel and dial. First up is the SPB481, which has an ivory beige dial paired with a glossy black insert. Then, there’s the SPB483, which has a blue dial and a slightly darker glossy blue bezel insert. Finally, the SPB485 has a compelling copper bezel insert and a deep brown dial. All three share the same architecture, with a wave-like grooved pattern, applied markers with LumiBrite inserts and a date window at 04:30. The only difference is in the finishing of the hands, which are polished steel for the SPB481 and SPB483 but copper-toned for the SPB485.

As we’ve seen with most other Seiko’s Prospex Diver models, the movement is hidden underneath a solid caseback emblazoned with the Tsunami (Big Wave) medallion. This is actually to indicate a watch of at least 200m of water resistance, which this one surpasses, as it’s rated at 300m. That caseback covers the Seiko Calibre 6R55, running at a rate of 21,600vph and providing a power reserve of no less than 70 hours. Next to the hours, minutes and hacking seconds, it also indicates the date.

The new Seiko Prospex Diver’s SPB481, SPB483 and SPB485 are all presented with a stainless steel three-link bracelet. To continue the matte-and-glossy theme of the case and bezel, the centre links are polished against brushed outer links. The security folding clasp features the familiar diving extension. Each of the three models retail for EUR 1,200 and are available from December 1st 2024, through Seiko’s boutiques and authorized retailers.

For more information, please visit SeikoWatches.com.