That is why 2020 was one of the best Seiko years ever!

Text: Ola Jacobsen
Image: Ola Jacobsen & Seiko

It has been a strange year. 2020 was not only the year of the pandemic and of the great watch fair death. It was also the year when Seiko delivered the combination of exciting and reasonably priced watches like never before. Eqotime’s Ola Jacobsen sums up the highlights that got the Seiko fans to throw thick spring bars like confetti over and over again.

SPB143

It started already this spring with the launch of four 62MAS-inspired watches. A tsunami of interest poured over the global Seiko family. Finally Seiko had listened to the roar of the fans and made a diver in a classic style around 40 mm with historically correct hands.

Previously Seiko has only released such things in a limited edition and with a hefty premium. Now suddenly it was there for everyone who wants one. That the watches were moreover just as good in reality as on paper did not make the matter any worse.

Reference: SPB143
Diameter: 40,5 mm
Thickness: 13,2 mm
Water resistance: 200 metres
Strap: Rubber or steel bracelet
Price: 14 998 kronor

SRPE03

One of the first things that happened in 2020 was that the turtles in the SRP77X series got a proper facelift with among other things sapphire crystal and a ceramic bezel insert.

Reference: SRPE03
Movement: 4R36
Diameter: 45 mm
Thickness: 13,2 mm
Water resistance: 200 metres
Strap: Steel bracelet
Price: 7 498 kronor

SNJ029

This is a version of the Arnie from Seiko’s Street series. The watch is driven by solar cells hidden in the dial and is among the most robust you can imagine. The black original came the year before but it is only with the release of new colours during 2020 that the watch has really taken off.

Reference: SNJ029
Movement: H851
Diameter: 47,8 mm
Thickness: 14,4 mm
Water resistance: 200 metres
Strap: Silicone
Price: 5 998 kronor

SPB151

The year 2020 was also year you the classic the nerd classic Willard, or Seiko 6105-8110, got to see itself updated with the 6R35 movement and a smaller case. In this case 42,7 millimetres compared with the original’s 45.

Read about what we thought of SPB151’s green twin SPB153 when the watches were released at the beginning of the autumn:

Reference: SPB151
Movement: 6R35
Diameter: 42,7 mm
Thickness: 13,2 mm
Water resistance: 200 metres
Strap: Steel bracelet
Price: 15 998 kronor

SPB185

This autumn it was time for the Seiko fans to spin out again. This time it was the release of SPB185 (Black dial, stainless bezel insert) and SPB187 (Blue dial, black bezel insert) that caused the excitement.

The watch is a neater variant of the classic reference SBDX001, in turn a remake of Seiko’s first diver with 300 metres of water resistance, 6215-7000.

With a diameter of 42 millimetres and a thickness of 12,5 millimetres it is considerably more wearable than its predecessors. At the same time the designers have succeeded well in preserving the model’s original character. It is without doubt an MM300, just in a neater package and with 100 metres feebler water resistance. An MM200 quite simply, for real this time.

Reference: SPB185
Movement: 6R35
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 12,5 mm
Water resistance: 200 metres
Strap: Steel bracelet
Price: 14 998 kronor

SJE083

For those of us who take an interest in Seiko’s historical heritage Christmas Eve arrived this year already on the 8th of December.

To celebrate the memory of the company’s 140th anniversary Seiko revives a brand that had fallen asleep with the model with the typically Seiko just exactly long enough name ”Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Edition Re-creation of King Seiko KSK”, or in short SJE083.

With its characteristic lugs, tall crystal and gold medal on the case back the watch closes Seiko’s strongest year in a long while when it comes to exciting launches. Considering the manufacturer’s fabless for round birthdays we can look forward to an at least equally interesting 2021.

Reference: SJE083
Movement: 6L35
Diameter: 38,1 mm
Thickness: 11,4 mm
Water resistance: 5 bar
Strap: Crocodile skin
Price: 38 950 kronor