Earlier this year, Seiko distilled the spirit of the award-winning SLA025 into a new collection of professional sports watches called the Prospex LX that pushed the Japanese brand well into the luxury sports watch category.
The Prospex LX line is designed for sport - on land, in the sea and in the sky. If you are wondering about the name - LX hints at the Latin word for light (lux) and is a subtle nod to the way light is reflected in the broad, flat surfaces of each watch case.
These watches are encased in Zaratsu-polished titanium cases and are powered by Seiko’s proprietary Spring Drive movements. This isn’t your $1000 Prospex diver, the LX has a decidedly upmarket feel and positioning. While the LX line was introduced with six models to begin with, the collection has now been blooded with two limited edition models.
The first of these is the Ref. SNR041J1, a diver’s watch with a ‘violet gold’ bezel inspired by the “flickering reflections on the sea of the morning sun filtering in from the sky at dawn.” The unidirectional rotating bezel is made from cermet, a composite heat-resistant material made from ceramic and sintered metal. This isn’t the first time Seiko has used Cermet; in 2015 two Seiko ‘Tuna’ models were introduced with cermet outer protective shrouds.
The case of the new limited edition is the same 44.8 mm titanium version used in the earlier models. It is 15.7 mm thick and is depth-rated to 300 meters. It has a curved sapphire crystal and a closed caseback. The watch is paired with a matching titanium bracelet.
The second watch is Ref. SNR043J1 has a dark bezel that is meant to depict “moonlight flickering on the sea surface”. The titanium case has a black-ion plated finish and is again Zaratsu polished for distortion-free reflections in the polished sections of the case. This black edition again has a cermet insert for the rotating unidirectional bezel. The charcoal grey dial of the watch serves as the perfect backdrop for the gold central seconds hand. The watch is a paired with a black silicon rubber strap.
Both watches are powered by Spring Drive Caliber 5R65. This movement has a 72 hour power reserve and ±1 second per day (±15 seconds per month) accuracy rating. Both watches are limited to just 200 pieces and are priced at €6,600.
