According to Seiko its new Prospex 4R ‘Shog-urai’ Diver watch evolved from combining elements from two popular existing models nicknamed for their distinctive case shapes: the Samurai and Shogun.
The resulting hybrid Shog-urai has a depth rating of 200m. It comes in three versions with a compact 41.7mm-diameter stainless-steel case and slim profile (12.3mm), new date-window positioning (not a big issue for divers under water), pointed hands and reshaped bracelet.
There is Lumibrite on the hands, indices and unidirectional rotating bezel, and the crown is screw-down. Automatic with manual winding, the in-house 4R35 movement has a 41hr power reserve and offers accuracy of -35 / +45sec per day.
The three versions are All-Black, Black and Red. The latter two come with stainless-steel bracelets and cost £560, while the All-Black with silicone strap is priced at £520 – all available from Seiko Boutique.
A Seiko NH34 automatic movement with GMT function is employed by Hong Kong manufacturer Spinnaker for its Fleuss GMT Automatic collection, to which it has just added five new colour variants – Nebula Blue, Dull Violet, Deep Blue, Burnt Orange and Sandstorm Brown – to double the choice to 10.
These 150m-rated watches share a 43 x 13mm diameter stainless-steel case with screw-down crown and the display uses Swiss Newlite for luminosity. There is a stainless-steel bracelet as well as an extra colour-keyed rubber strap and the price is £490.
Spinnaker has also introduced a new low-priced model in its Croft range, the £261 Pioneer Automatic, though this hardly qualifies as a serious dive-watch with its 100m rating (Crofts that are only slightly more expensive have at least a 150m rating). It should be safe for snorkelling, however.
Based around an NH35 Japanese automatic movement, with a 42 x 12mm solid-steel case, unidirectional bezel and anti-reflective sapphire lens, the watch comes with a stainless-steel bracelet. The four colours are Sangria Red, Shadow Black, Jade Green and Deep Blue, and this and the Fleuss range are available direct from Spinnaker.
Also on Divernet: NEW WATCHES FOR TIME-TRAVELLING DIVERS, MAKE A SPLASH WITH THE LATEST DIVE-WATCHES, TIME MACHINES: THE LATEST DIVE WATCHES, MODERN, RETRO & SHINY: 7 NEW DIVING WATCHES
