The older Seiko Prospex SPB149 is a classic diver's watch that has been in production since 1965. Today we take a look at the newest version, the Seiko Prospex SPB149. The Seiko Prospex SPB149 features a sunray dial, 200m water resistance, sapphire crystal, and a more modern interpretation of Seiko's LumiBrite technology. The new SPB149 also comes fitted with a slightly larger case.
Case
The case is stainless steel and is 43mm across. The lugs are 22mm, so this is quite a large imposing watch. The crown is located at 3 o'clock and is signed with the Seiko "S" logo. The crown is large and easy to grip. The bezel is rotating and has Seiko's patented ratcheting mechanism (click-over) for precise and snug bezel setting. The bezel is brushed stainless steel and has a 60-click mechanism. The case back is brushed stainless steel and is screwed in place to protect the movement. The sapphire crystal is flat and does not have an exhibition case back for viewing the movement.
Dial and Hands
The dial is a sunray dial and it is a very dark navy blue. The sunray dial is not as large and obvious as the Grand Seiko's, however it is still very attractive. The overall feel is one of a high-quality, vintage watch. The dial is covered with lume, and the hour markers and hands are all lumed. The lume is strong and will glow brightly for a full hour. The hour and minutes hands are rectangular with a pointed tip. The second’s hand is a sword shape. All the hands are Seiko's lume "LumiBrite" technology, which glows a bright green in the dark.
Strap and Wearability
This is a large watch, it wears big. The watch sits high on the wrist, closer to the elbow than the wrist. The bracelet is stainless steel with solid links and solid end links. It is exactly what you would expect from a Seiko diver's watch. The clasp is a diver's clasp with a push-button safety. The clasp is engraved with the Seiko "S" logo. The bracelet tapers from 24mm at the lugs to 20 mm at the clasp. The clasp is one of the best clasp designs out there today in my opinion. The clasp has two separate mounting points on the bracelet, and it makes the clasp feel very secure. The clasp is easy to push and feels natural too. Very nice! The 22mm wide strap that comes with the watch is the Seiko rubber dive strap. It is standard Seiko quality.
Tech specs:
Diameter: 43 mm Thickness: 14mm Lug Width: 22 mm Lug-to-lug: 48 mm Case: Stainless steel Bezel: Rotating Hardlex Crystal: Sapphire Cyclops lens: Yes Dial: Sunray Hands: Luminous markers Strap: Stainless steel Deployment clasp: Double-fold Buckle Movement: Automatic Power Reserve: 46 hours
