Anyone looking for a diver watch will ultimately land on Seiko. Some of the most prolific dive watches, Seiko’s Marinemaster pieces are historic and iconic in the category and remain the standard in the industry. With plenty of reinventions taking place all over, Seiko is taking the chance and giving their famed 1968 Diver a refresh just a year after restarting their Marinemaster series. In larger sizes, these two new watches are worthy successors to the Marinemaster series, and their contrasting hues and features are significant for any dive watch user.
The Seiko Prospex Marinemaster Diver SLA077 and SLA079
Bringing some new concepts into the Marinemaster, Seiko has released the SLA077 and SLA079 watches as follow-ups to their 2023 releases. Although they belong to the same collection, these two new pieces have much more water resistance and less sleekness making them more authentic as dive watches. Both pieces come in a stainless steel case with a 42.6mm size and 13.4mm thickness. Both SLA077 and SLA079 come with a black unidirectional rotating bezel and a detailed 60-minute scale. A LumiBrite pearl is placed on the 12 o’clock mark, and the screw-down crown is in the usual 4 o’clock spot. Most importantly for the dive watch, the water resistance on both versions reaches up to 300 meters.
For the two new watches, users will have the option to choose from one of two colorways. The SLA077 comes with a white dial along with large LumiBrite indices. On the other hand, the SLA079 is decked out in a matte textured black dial and also comes with large LumiBrite indices. Regardless of which dial hue you choose, both timepieces’ LumiBrite indices offer a strong contrast against the dial, making it a stunning look that pops. Between the 4 and 5 o’clock markers, both pieces come with a small angled date window in a matching hue.
What you need to know
Underneath, the watch is powered by Seiko’s 8L35 automatic with 26 jewels. With a power reserve of up to 50 hours, this piece also comes with a beat rate of 28,000vph (4Hz). Function-wise, both timepieces have hours, minutes, seconds, and date features. As a dive watch, the watch’s water resistance of 300m comes with a screw-down crown, making it easy for all of your aquatic activities. The starting price for both pieces is 2,900 USD and is available now via Seiko’s sites and boutiques. For fans of the classic Seiko dive watches, these Marinemaster releases are closer to the original piece that started off the collection. Although it differs in look and feel from its 2023 predecessor, these newer versions offer all of the functionality and quality of a Seiko dive watch with less fuss on the design.
