Seiko Honors Japanese Explorer Naomi Uemura With a New Limited-Edition Prospex Diver Watch
A modern reimagining of the classic 1970s Diver worn by the renowned mountaineer.
Seiko has revealed the limited-edition Prospex 1970 Diver’s SLA069 timepiece as the latest addition to the Prospex collection. The reiteration serves as a tribute to Japanese explorer Naomi Uemura, and is modeled off the diver watch he wore in 1970.
Uemura was the world’s first mountaineer to summit all five peaks of Mont Blanc, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Aconcagua, Mt. Everest, and Alaska’s Denali all alone. To honor his ascents to these five mountains, this commemorative timepiece stars the scenery of Mont Blanc – the first climb out of the five – as its textured dial. The rocky surfaces and icy silhouette of the mountain are emulated onto the watch dial using pressing and etching techniques. On top of that, the indices, hour, and minute hands are doused in Lumibrite to maximize legibility even in dark conditions.
To complement the stunning dial, the watch comes in a classic 44mm wide, stainless steel build. A touch of metallic blue on the bezel and off-centered crown are imbued to accentuate the dial with a shadow-like effect. Beating inside, Seiko’s leading mechanical Calibre 8L35 movement powers the watch with up to 50 hours of running time. On the caseback, the piece is engraved with “The Naomi Uemura Limited Edition” as well as unique batch numbers as proof of its limited availability.
Due to release in May, the Naomi Uemura Limited Edition SLA069 Seiko Prospex will retail for around $2,900 USD, and only 500 pieces available. For more information, visit Seiko’s official website.
Elsewhere in watches, Sotheby’s NY latest Fine Watches auction totaled out to nearly $4 Million USD.
