#Seiko spb 217 skin
#Seiko spb 217 series

#Seiko spb 217 skin

The skin diver-style design is a cornerstone of the brandвЂ™s vintage-styled diver offerings, with squared-off lugs, an unguarded screw-down pillbox crown, and a wide polished chamfer that runs the length of the case from lug tip to lug tip. Sharing the same basic platform with 2020вЂ™s SPB147, the Prospex SPB239вЂ™s stainless steel case sits at 40.5mm in diameter. Inspired by SeikoвЂ™s first-ever diver, the seminal 1965 62MAS, the Seiko Prospex SPB239 offers a simpler, more classical look than its stablemate. Taken as a whole, the textures and colors at play here do nicely emulate the feel of a tropical dial, but the road the SPB237 takes to get to that look are still distinctly Seiko in initial images. Seiko accents this surface with a light khaki application of its in-house Lumibrite lume that aims to complement the earth tones of the design. Seiko has traditionally punched well above its weight in dial finishing, and the complex surface here will likely continue the trend. Seiko also adds a textured dial to the SPB237 like many other contemporary vintage reissues, but rather than the grainy matte finish of many Swiss offerings this watch provides a nuanced, deeply gouged vertical texture that calls to mind both stones and tree bark.

Interestingly, this color seems to vacillate between dusty brown and mossy green undertones in initial images, straddling the line between a warm and cool neutral feel. Rather than the deep brown hues often used for fauxtina divers, Seiko opts for a medium gray tone for the dial of the SPB237. Those familiar with prior вЂњCaptain WillardвЂќ reissues will recognize SeikoвЂ™s modern reinterpretation of the original 6105вЂ™s squared-off diver indices, distinctive stoplight seconds hand, and faceted baton handset, but the brand recontextualizes these familiar elements with dramatic use of color and texture. The dial of the Seiko Prospex SPB237 is where this new iteration truly sets itself apart. This grainy, textured charcoal gray insert smoothly introduces the designвЂ™s patinated theme, and the muted gray of the diving scale keeps the overall contrast low for an unorthodox take on a faded bezel effect. Where the SPB237 diverges from previous iterations, however, is the bezel insert. As with most of the brandвЂ™s higher-echelon Prospex offerings, the SPB237 sports a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and offers a robust 200 meters of water resistance. The rounded, pebble-like cushion case form remains a distinctive visual hallmark for the line, and a smooth canvas for SeikoвЂ™s mix of radial brushing and curving, polished case sides. Like those two models, the stainless steel case of the SPB237 measures in at 42.7mm, significantly smaller than the вЂ70s original, and carries a relatively compact lug-to-lug measurement of 46mm.

#Seiko spb 217 series

The new Seiko Prospex SPB237 and Seiko Prospex SPB239 offer what may be some of the marqueвЂ™s most crowd-pleasing diver experiences in recent memory, delivered right in time for a likely booming summer travel season.ДЇirst of the pair is the Seiko Prospex SPB237, a continuation of the 1970 Seiko 6105 вЂњCaptain WillardвЂќ-inspired series that began with 2020вЂ™s SPB151 and SPB153. With these models, Seiko adds its own spins on dial finishing and the brandвЂ™s first-ever NATO straps designed for dive watches with a centuries-old traditional weave. For its latest pair of retro-inflected diver releases, however, the brand takes a more European approach to aging without sacrificing its own unique Japanese flavor.

Even in the more tightly focused realm of vintage diver reissues, SeikoвЂ™s methods for achieving an aged look from the factory have often differed from the rest of the industry, relying less on fauxtina lume or grainy textured dials than it does on clever usage of color and dynamic sunburst finishing. Although Seiko is a massive and influential part of the modern dive watch market, the Japanese giantвЂ™s offerings have often marched to a markedly different tune to the Swiss competition.