The Start Of The Seiko Dive Watch

In 1965, Seiko released the 62MAS, the first-ever dive watch from the brand. It featured a non-hacking 6217 movement, a quick-set date, and an impressive 150m of water resistance. It wasn’t necessarily a response to the development of early dive watches coming out of Europe in the ’50s, particularly the likes of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms or the Rolex Submariner. The impetus for the creation of the watch was to meet the needs of researchers who would be working in the harsh conditions of the Antarctic during the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition that would take place starting in 1967 according to a document uncovered by The Grand Seiko Guy. In a November 1968 sales update news bulletin Seiko wrote to dealers within Japan that Dr. Tetsuya Torii, a JARE research scientist who we’ve covered previously, returned from the 8th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (1967-68) with the news that the 62MAS Seiko had provided performed well in Antarctic conditions. Meanwhile, back in the Kanagawa prefecture, Seiko was already testing their new model, the 6215, Seiko’s first 300m diver, by having the team leader of the upcoming expedition 9th JARE expedition to Antarctica take it diving to see how it performed before Seiko would issue four models to be used in the Antarctic. The 6215 boasted a monobloc case and 300m water resistance, it went on sale in June in 1967. In just two short years after the 62MAS, Seiko had doubled the water resistance rating.

When the Japanese dive watch was released in 1965, Japan had emerged as the leading economic power in Asia. Extensive restoration efforts after World War II allowed Japan to flourish. A massive wave of technology and innovation swept through the automotive industry, shipbuilding operations, steel manufacturing, and electronics production. Watches also benefited from this economic boom, and when you’re talking watches in this era, you’re talking Seiko and Citizen. Seiko was arguably a zaibatsu, or a large Japanese company that had an economic advantage due to vertical integration. Looking back, the 62MAS was the primary competitor to the dive watches from Europe technologically, although its release predates the arrival of Seiko in America and most of the Western world. Seiko set up shop in the U.S. in 1967, when Tokyo’s K. Hattori & Co. established Seiko Time Corp. in New York, as Joe Thompson points out.

The 62MAS set the stage for what would become a range of successful dive watches executed at every level. There’s always been an accessible model in the lineup, but as early as 1968, Seiko produced a “superwatch” in the form of the 6159-7001. It used a hi-beat movement and a monobloc case, and it was developed specifically for professional divers. It featured double the water-resistance of its predecessor at 300m thanks to a screw-down crown. In only three short years, Seiko doubled the water resistance and designed a watch that would meet the needs of the most serious divers of the era. In the ’60s and ’70s, Japanese engineering prowess, specifically Seiko’s, was on full display. 

In the early ’70s, diving technology had outpaced that of horological design and a problem emerged: Crystals were popping out of watches due to helium build-up. A professional diver wrote as follows to Seiko:

“I am a diver who works at depths of 350m using a diving bell. When diving to such depths, we can pressurize to 35 atmospheres (ATM) over a short period of time before diving. However, after diving, we must use a decompression chamber to depressurize gradually. The ocean floor is an extremely harsh environment in which to work, and Seiko’s current 300m specification diver’s watch is unfit for use…”

Seiko accepted the challenge to meet the needs of this single diver. 

They addressed this very specific problem by introducing the 6159-7001. It took 20 patents and an unconventional approach to create the watch. Rather than incorporating a helium release valve like some of its contemporaries, the 6159-7001 never let any helium in the watch to begin with. It accomplished this through specially designed gaskets and seals. Again, water resistance doubled, and the “tuna,” as it became known, was water-resistant to 600m. 

It was these three milestone dive watches that inspired the 55th anniversary that started rolling out in summer 2020. 

MOVEMENT: Automatic Caliber 8L35

CASE: Stainless Steel

CROWN: Screw-Down Crown

SIZE: 39.9mm

LUGS: 20mm

DIAL: Limited Edition Blue Sunray Dial

BEZEL: Rotating Diver

CONDITION: Pre-Owned – As-New!

BOXES/PAPERS: Yes/Yes: 100% Complete 55th Anniversary Box Set And comes with everything as shown in pictures!

WATER RESISTANCE: – 200m

STRAP/BRACELET: – 2 – Original Seiko Blue Rubber Dive strap with Stainless Steel Buckle & Additional Seiko Stainless Steel Bracelet with all links!